Deluxe Corporation plans to open its financial technology center in 170,000 square feet of existing office space in Sandy Springs in spring 2021.
Deluxe is well known for making paper checks — the company says founder W.R. Hotchkiss invented the checkbook more than a century ago — but it also helps other businesses with digital financial services.
The Minnesota-based corporation started a national search just over a year ago for the best city to consolidate its payment and cloud services business and announced last week it would bring 700 jobs to the north Fulton city over the next two years with an average salary of $91,500. The company already has 200 employees in the state.
Sandy Springs employees will help other businesses process transactions and payments. The corporation supports $2.8 trillion per year of its clients' businesses, Deluxe CEO Barry McCarthy said in an interview Wednesday.
Metro Atlanta’s reputation as a financial and technology hub drew the company to the region, McCarthy said. Sandy Springs then became ideal because of its proximity to highways, hotels, MARTA and other amenities.
The new office will be located at 5565 Glenridge Connector. Deluxe will be the main tenant occupying the top two floors and the first floor, McCarthy said.
Sandy Springs officials had previously announced the company would spend $10 million on construction of a new building and $2 million more on furniture and fixtures.
“We had been considering all options,” McCarthy said, adding the available space was more compelling for the corporation.
It will be designed, he said, with the pandemic in mind. McCarthy believes corporate spaces around the U.S., in general, will be arranged in a less traditional way than before the coronavirus ushered in a new normal.
For Deluxe, he foresees open work spaces where workers can collaborate but be socially distanced. He also said there could be workstations that are shared by staff on rotated days.
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said. “What we are doing is making sure we can operate in any environment going forward.”
Mayor Rusty Paul said Sandy Springs and the perimeter area’s large fiber network is attractive for all types of companies with increasing digital needs.
“It underscores that we are a great location for any kind of corporate facility,” Paul said. “But in this case for any type of financial services innovation center. We’re just absolutely delighted to have them in Sandy Springs.”
