Lowe’s announces location for its future tech center and plans to add up to 2,000 tech associates
357,000 square feet of space… up to 2,000 additional technology professionals… and an unobstructed view of the Charlotte, North Carolina skyline.
That’s what you’ll soon find in the center of a bustling neighborhood immediately south of uptown Charlotte, as Lowe’s announced that Charlotte will be the future home of its new global technology center that will ultimately be home to up to 2,000 technology professionals.
The dedicated technology center coming to Charlotte will help accelerate the FORTUNE® 50 company’s technology transformation, serving as the epicenter for the team Lowe’s is hiring to help modernize its IT systems and build future retail experiences.
“We’re excited to stand up our new global technology center here in North Carolina to continue to drive our company’s growth,” said Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe’s president and CEO, who joined the company in July 2018. “Locating our new facility in the heart of Charlotte, the state’s largest metropolitan area, will enable Lowe’s to attract top technology talent and foster collaboration with our teams in our nearby Mooresville headquarters. This team will create technology solutions that will accelerate our commitment to becoming a best-in-class, omni-channel retailer and strengthen our associate and customer experiences.”
The new building, the Design Center Tower, will be located at 100 W. Worthington Ave. in the Design District, the walkable center of South End. Lowe’s tech center will occupy 15 upper floors in the 23-story building. The developer, a joint venture between Childress Klein and RAM Realty Advisors, plans to break ground on the Design Center Tower in August 2019 with Lowe’s moving in by late 2021.
Adjacent to the Lynx Blue Line light rail, the Rail Trail, restaurants and available parking and housing, the Design Center Tower will provide attractive amenities for the area’s top tech professionals. Lowe’s plans to work closely with city, county and state economic development leaders, along with local tech organizations, schools and universities, to help develop and add to the pipeline of tech talent that’s already a driving force in the state’s economic growth.
“Companies need top talent to succeed today, and North Carolina offers one of the best IT workforces in the world,” said Governor Cooper. “Our state’s focus on education means our people bring the skills companies like Lowe’s look for when they’re working to transform their business.”
The Charlotte Plaza at 201 S. College Street in uptown Charlotte will serve as the interim home for Lowe’s tech center, with the company occupying 200,000 square feet of office space on floors three through 10. Lowe’s tech professionals are expected to begin work this summer at the Charlotte Plaza, which is about 30 minutes from the company’s headquarters in Mooresville.
The new tech center will build on the company’s long-established presence in the Queen City. Lowe’s operates 21 stores and employs nearly 11,000 associates in Charlotte, where Lowe’s is a recognized leader in creating housing solutions, workforce development and economic mobility to drive positive change in the region.
“Today’s announcement is a tremendous victory for our city and a validation of our work to continue growth in the tech industry,” said Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles. “Lowe’s is once again investing in the Charlotte region and this entire community will benefit from the commitment to create a tech pipeline with local schools and organizations.”
Lowe’s expects to fill the first 400 new tech positions in the next year and plans to begin hiring for these roles immediately. Candidates can visit Jobs.lowes.com/technology to learn more about the jobs and the Lowe’s technology team. Available roles will include software and infrastructure engineers, data scientists, analysts, architects, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) professionals, and artificial intelligence and machine learning engineers. The positions will add to Lowe’s more than 28,000 associates across the state.
In December, Lowe’s announced plans to invest more than $500 million annually through 2021 toward the company’s technology transformation. The acceleration of hiring through the tech center – combined with the skills of more than 3,300 existing tech specialists – will help Lowe’s meet the needs of customers across every channel it serves, whenever and wherever they engage with the company. Lowe’s will maintain technology teams in existing strategic locations, including Kirkland, Wash., Bangalore, India and Mooresville, North Carolina.=
Lowe’s Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Seemantini Godbole, joined Lowe’s in 2018. Hear more about her journey in technology.