Sao Paulo - Brazilian global information technology firm Stefanini
will create 400 jobs with an expansion of its Atlanta office.
Gov. Nathan Deal disclosed the move in an interview Wednesday in Sao Paulo, midway through a weeklong trade mission to Brazil.
"These are exactly the types of high-paying jobs that we're looking for," he said. "And this further establishes Georgia as a hub for IT business."
The trade delegation, which began Sunday, traveled from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo, with a spur trip planned for the university town of Campinas. It aims to establish Georgia as a gateway for a greater share of Latin American business while strengthening ties with Brazil, the world's seventh-largest economy.
Stefanini was a top target of the mission. The IT firm established an Atlanta office about 10 years ago and has about 800 employees at its Atlantic Station office. The expansion will be complete by 2016, said chief executive Marco Stefanini, who will meet with Deal later Wednesday.
"We look forward to growing our business globally with this newest expansion," Stefanini said.
Some 4,400 technology jobs have been announced in Georgia over the last year, and the IT market has grown by 15 percent in the last year, according to the Technology Association of Georgia. Technology firms typically offer the kinds of high-paying gigs that set economic developers drooling, though Stefanini's salaries were not immediately available.
Brazil has a small imprint on Georgia’s jobs market, with about 40 Brazilian facilities in Georgia that employ about 8,500 people. But trade between the two regions has surged in the past five years thanks in part to Brazil’s appetite for building materials and medical equipment. Brazil is now Georgia’s sixth-largest import market.
The South American giant's economy is sputtering and plagued by corruption and labor strife ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio. State officials, though, hope the visit could pay dividends as antsy Brazilian investors look for new international opportunities.
"Their economy is in a downturn mode, but this is an opportune time to be here," said Deal. "And those that have the opportunity to invest are getting the message that Georgia can certainly be helpful to them."
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