GETZVILLE — GEICO, the second-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States, will expand its service center operations in Western New York, adding 600 full-time jobs at a new location near its existing facility on CrossPoint Parkway and investing nearly $11 million to outfit and equip its offices to accommodate its new positions.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that the state will provide $4 million in capital grants to support GEICO’s expansion in the region.
“Western New York continues to serve as a model for economic growth in upstate New York and GEICO’s addition of 600 new jobs in Getzville is proof positive of the REDC’s success,” Gov. Cuomo said. “This expansion is indicative of the progress we have made in capitalizing on our assets to attract businesses, create well-paying jobs and drive economic growth. By improving the business climate in Western New York and removing artificial barriers to growth, we are fundamentally changing the trajectory of this region and generating optimism and opportunity for years to come.”
“We’re ever mindful that GEICO’s success is due to the talent and total commitment of our associates,” said Tony Nicely, GEICO chairman and CEO. “Our Buffalo associates have taken a start-up operation with 75 people in 2004 and built it into an outstanding business enterprise that serves hundreds of thousands of customers across the entire Northeast U.S. These growing operations call for the opening of a second facility. We couldn’t be more pleased to keep hiring and keep growing.”
GEICO’s Buffalo Regional Office at 300 CrossPoint Parkway in Getzville currently employs 2,760 associates, while the company has a total of more than 6,300 employees in New York State. GEICO will lease the new facility from Uniland Development Company just down the road from its regional office to support its expansion efforts.
These new employees will service the hundreds of thousands of customers that obtain their auto insurance coverage through GEICO. Starting salaries for the sales, customer service and claims positions will begin at $31,000 for entry level positions and $42,000 for college graduates hired into their management development program. Employees will also receive a comprehensive benefits package.
GEICO began hiring in Western New York in mid-2004 after selecting a shovel-ready site for its custom-built facility in Uniland Development Company’s CrossPoint Business Park. The center opened in 2005 with 300 employees and in 2009, decided to establish a new 325 person operations center within the facility for its non-auto business after initially considering locations in other states. In this situation, GEICO also chose New York due to the workforce and public sector support that included Empire Zone benefits and an expansion of a low-cost hydropower contract with the New York Power Authority.
State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer said, “Companies choose to call Western New York home because our skilled workforce is unrivaled, and the opportunity for success is more evident than ever before. GEICO’s expansion in Amherst is a reflection of our unrelenting commitment to Western New York’s economic revival, and I laud GEICO and Governor Cuomo for heightening the momentum.”
State Senator Tim Kennedy concurred. “The announcement of 600 new jobs at GEICO is just further proof of the impact that Governor Cuomo and his vision for economic development have had on Western New York. As a result of the Governor’s efforts, we are seeing more and more companies like GEICO that not only locate themselves here, but also expand and create quality job opportunities in the communities they reside in. I want to thank GEICO for continuing to be a tremendous community partner as well as Governor Cuomo for seeing our potential, actually believing in us and taking the steps necessary to capitalize on it.”
