GoDaddy to build tech center, add jobs in Tempe

The tech company GoDaddy unveiled plans to build a 150,000 square-foot building in Tempe on Tuesday. The new building will come with 300 new jobs over the next three years. 

GoDaddy’s new Global Technology Center will house more than 1,300 engineers, developers and customer service people. It’ll replace a smaller Tempe building the Scottsdale-based Web domain provider uses now.

CEO Blake Irving said many of his company’s 11 million customers are small businesses.

“We’re the guys who are helping little tiny businesses take their idea from a spark to a real honest to goodness business,” Irving said.

Irving said he was ‘stoked’ to be breaking ground in Arizona State University ’s Research Park where GoDaddy can tap into local talent from the university. 

The company employs about 2,600 people in the  Phoenix  area.

GoDaddy will get $1.5 million in incentives from the state if it creates the 300 jobs and makes $27 million of capital investment in the project over a three-year period. They're also eligible for up to $9,000 of job training incentives for each job.

Governor Jan Brewer said the announcement shows Arizona ’s lower taxes, lean regulations and strong univesities make it a good place to do business.

“Obviously, a world-class company like GoDaddy could choose to expand anywhere. They chose Arizona ,” Brewer said. “They’re building here in part because Arizona is committed to the common-sense policies that help them and other businesses find success.”

It was the governor’s fifth jobs announcement this year.