Qualtrics expansion expected to bring 400 jobs to Fairfax

Qualtrics, a data analytics and experience management software company based in Seattle and Provo, Utah, is expanding its presence in Fairfax County and expects to create 400 jobs in a new location in Reston, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

The company will move from its former office in Reston to an 85,000-square-foot space at 1906 Reston Metro Plaza, investing $15.9 million. Virginia competed with Pennsylvania and Ohio for the project, according to a news release from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. The building is a 150,000-square-foot office tower near the Reston Metro station.

“Virginia offers access to the highest concentration of tech talent in the United States,” Northam said in a statement. “The commonwealth’s diverse tech ecosystem is driven by our stable business climate, competitive operating costs, and a world-class workforce. We look forward to Qualtrics’ continued success in Fairfax County.”

“Organizations everywhere are undergoing an experience transformation, and Qualtrics has an incredible opportunity in front of us. With its strong talent pool, Virginia is a perfect place for Qualtrics to grow,” Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin said in a statement. “The investments we’re making today will put us in an even stronger position to help our customers build their next great customer, employee, product and brand experiences.”

FCEDA worked with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. Northam approved a $1.4 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Fairfax County with the project, as well as $2 million in from the Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant, a program of performance-based incentives for large economic development projects bringing high-wage jobs to the state.

In August, Qualtrics announced its purchase of Reston-based software company Clarabridge Inc. in a nearly $1.13 billion all-stock deal that is expected to close Dec. 31. Both companies’ boards have approved the deal.

“This marks the second vote of confidence that Qualtrics has made in our business community this year,” Victor Hoskins, FCEDA’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “First was the purchase of Clarabridge, a homegrown tech success story, and now the expansion being announced today. We thank and congratulate Qualtrics for this tremendous growth and we stand ready to assist the company further as it expands its footprint here.”