Fiberlink to add 140 at new Philly office
Joins Bentley at ex-Reliance HQ
Fiberlink to add 140 at new Philly office
Joseph N. DiStefano
Fiberlink, a 300-worker cloud-based mobile-device management firm based in Blue Bell, is adding a 30,000-sq.ft. office at Three Parkway, the former Reliance Insurance building, and plans to move up to 140 engineers, salespeople, marketers and technicians to the space by 2013, says Mayor Nutter.
Most will be new hires, Fiberlink spokesman Joe Palladino told me.
Fiberlink called the city Commerce Department looking for space for its Philadelphia-based workers tired of reverse-commuting to the suburbs on May 14, the day Paoli-based Bentley Sytems announced a Philadelphia office last month.
The company, like Bentley, hasn't asked for any financial incentives, Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger added.
Nutter said the city is easier to sell to business tenants in the past two years -- not just because rates remain stuck at early 1990s levels -- also because construction cranes have risen at Temple, Jefferson, the Buck Co.'s Chestnut Street apartments, hotels by the Convention Center and Penn, among other projects.
"We're seeing population growth for the first time in 60 years because the 25 to 34 year olds are living in Center City, Northern Liberties, University City, Manayunk, the Kensington area, you name it," Nutter said. "Philadelphia is where the talent is, and that's where they want to be."
Nutter and Fiberlink chief executive James Sheward plan a ribbon-cutting next Tuesday.
Truth should be told here. Only their Philly based workers who are already paying the onerous wage tax want to work here, and they are adding the space to accomodate them. I know several normal suburban dwellers who work there who said they would quit if forced to come to crapadelphia and pay the over 500% higher than any other place in the country non-resident wage tax. Of course the company could just do what many large employers with urban and suburban offices do, keep the suburban folks on the payroll logs at the suburban office so they don't have to pay the wage tax even though they work here. Its why they buy transit and parking passes in bulk— intelliwoman- Wow, that makes no sense at all. If the wage tax is so terrible and onerous, why would 140 workers tell their employer to base them in Philly?
- How about that 32-year old senselessly killed in NoLibs the other day; or the thug in Queen's Village assaulting women? Not a true, accurate depiction, Mayor!— The Baron
- Wonderful...how about you city bashers find a nice surburban on-line paper for your posts ? Crave the action, afraid of the results. Typical.— nphillyguy
- with the move, I bet key employees were compensated to help them adjust to the taxes, smell, grime and crime you get in the city.— Tyrone Biggums
- Freesamuel- the tax is also paid if you live in the city but work outside it. So this company probably has a young workforce where most employees are living in the cool hip places of Philly and already paying the wage tax.— OnTheBandwagon
- bringing employees does not mean bringing jobs.
Bringing jobs would mean the company is creating available position, not just moving employes folks to a new locale.— Loves To Comment - Is Nutter taking credit for this?— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- This is fantastic news. Just goes to show the progress that the city has made and is making. Let's keep it moving in the right direction here.— NickFromGermantown
- Face it - the suburbs ain't what they used to be. The roads are clogged with too many cars - and with the cops prowling around for anyone that has had more than two beers - people don't want to put up with it. People would rather walk to work - a restaurant - a bar than sit in a car for two hours, plus it's healthier.— SoundGround
