Salesforce Making Huge Downtown Move

Governor Mike Pence and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett joined Salesforce officials for the announcement. (photo courtesy Indiana Economic Development Corp.)

One of the biggest names in Indiana’s growing tech sector has announced a major expansion. Sources tell Inside INdiana Business Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) is planning to establish a new headquarters in the former Chase Tower in downtown Indianapolis, which will be rebranded as Salesforce Tower Indianapolis. The software company plans to add up to 800 new jobs by 2021.

The company plans to begin moving into the tower early next year. The headquarters will house both Salesforce and Salesforce Marketing Cloud, which was founded in 2000 as ExactTarget. Plans for the office include collaboration spaces, social zones and interactive demonstrations of Salesforce’s latest technology.

Salesforce, founded in San Francisco 17 years ago, has more than 1,000 employees in the Indianapolis area and more than 20,000 worldwide. Forbes has named the company one of the world’s most innovative companies five years in a row. Salesforce says it is currently hiring and will add new positions in business operations and technology development.

The announcement is a centerpiece in the recent wave of momentum for central Indiana’s tech sector. TechPoint, Indiana’s technology initiative, says computer and information technology jobs in the region grew by 17 percent from 2009-2014, accounting for more than 5,000 new jobs. The organization says that rate is more than double the growth rate of all other occupations.