Software company chooses Arizona for headquarters; 200 jobs planned

By Vivian Padilla
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – A Dutch company that makes software helping government agencies and private firms safely store data has chosen the Phoenix area for its U.S. headquarters.

At a news conference Tuesday, Gov. Jan Brewer and company officials said Stealth Software’s decision means 200 high-paying jobs for Arizona. It also represents a victory over New York, Boston and Silicon Valley, the other locations under consideration, they said.

“It’s a testament to our efforts to increase the state’s global competitiveness,” Brewer said. “The company’s promising technology has global business implications, and I am proud that the world will know of its Arizona ties.”

Stealth Software develops and markets technology that allows secure storage of sensitive data through cloud computing.

Gerard Warrens, the company’s CEO, said Stealth Software made its decision in a little over one month with help from the Arizona Commerce Authority.

“The proactiveness of the ACA really made it clear to us that we could move very, very fast in Arizona within a very, very short period of time,” he said. “They convinced us that Arizona is the place to be.”

He said Arizona offers an attractive pool of talent and a market where labor costs are less than other locations considered.

“If we look at even skill sets within the different states, and we compare that on an apples-to-apples, then Arizona has a lot more to offer for the same money,” Warrens said.

The company plans to hire people skilled in software development and sales at a median salary of $75,000, he said.

Warrens said Stealth Software is looking at five Valley cities that he didn’t identify as possible locations and plans to make its decision in the next month.

Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority, said the addition of Stealth Software speaks to Arizona’s ability to attract cutting-edge companies.

“Our leadership has armed our state with the politics that improve our global competitiveness and provides the tools and foundation for Arizona to win high quality job-creation projects,” she said.