VIRGINIA BUSINESS, KATHERINE SCHULTE

Home security system manufacturer SimpliSafe will invest more than $3 million to expand its operations in Henrico County, increasing its jobs creation total for the county to more than 800, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

The company will establish a new customer security monitoring service center at 4840 Cox Road in Glen Allen to provide 24-hour monitoring of security systems data. In 2020, SimpliSafe opened its first customer support operation at Willow Lawn in Henrico County, which created 572 jobs. This additional center will create 250 more jobs within five years, according to the governor’s statement.

Virginia competed with Washington state and other West Coast locations for the project.

“SimpliSafe’s decision to establish a second Henrico County facility in just two years further solidifies why Virginia is the best place to do business,” Northam said in a statement. “The Richmond region has the business climate, talent pipeline, and infrastructure to support the rapid growth of SimpliSafe. We are proud to help SimpliSafe continue to protect millions of individuals across the country from its operations here in the commonwealth.”

Boston-based SimpliSafe provides self-installed home security devices, 24-hour monitoring and software for residential use.

SimpliSafe CEO Christian Cerda said in the statement: “We are thrilled to continue expanding our operations in Henrico County. The Richmond region has proven to be the ideal place to launch SimpliSafe into its next phase of growth with our own state-of-the-art monitoring center. We have aggressive hiring plans to help us address the demands of our growing customer base, and this market is rich with exceptional talent. We’re proud to be creating opportunities in Henrico County as we work on our mission of making every home secure.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Henrico Economic Development Authority to compete for the project. The VEDP will help reduce SimpliSafe’s human resource costs through the state-funded Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides funding to support employee recruitment and training activities for companies that create jobs. SimpliSafe is also eligible to receive benefits from the VEDP’s Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for full-time jobs created, according to the governor’s office.

“Central Virginia is proud to lead the way as our commonwealth and our country rebuild and recover,” U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger said in a statement. “This expansion will bring hundreds of new jobs to our region, support existing Virginia businesses and employees, and make our community stronger and more competitive. I am grateful for SimpliSafe’s confidence in the Central Virginia workforce and its commitment to bringing more job opportunities to our region.”