Centene To Establish New East Coast Headquarters In Charlotte
Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) today announced that it will establish an East Coast headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, after completing a comprehensive evaluation process. The company will begin construction on the new campus in August and plans to create 6,000 new jobs and invest $1 billion in the Charlotte community over time.
“Charlotte has great talent, excellent infrastructure and a real commitment to sustainable development,” said Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman, President and CEO of Centene. “We are pleased to expand our partnership with the city of Charlotte, the county of Mecklenburg, and the state of North Carolina. We look forward to many years of collective growth and innovation.”
The company’s $1 billion investment will provide over 1 million square feet of office and meeting space, a corporate boardroom, a childcare and early education center, a variety of dining venues, auditorium, fitness center, and a stand-alone building housing a corporate learning and development center named Centene Tech University. The campus buildings will be designed to preserve and take advantage of the campus’ environment with an emphasis on providing open spaces, natural light, and embracing the site’s natural features.
The construction and growth of the facility will happen in multiple phases. The first phase of construction will be complete in the second half of 2022 and accommodate approximately 3,000 employees. In anticipation of this phase, the company is committed to expanding its existing footprint in the Charlotte metro area immediately and will begin recruiting for roles across multiple areas, such as information technology, finance, compliance, health economics, business analytics, human resources, quality and clinical positions.
The next phase of construction, to begin in 2024, will accommodate an additional 3,000 employees when complete, allowing the campus to accommodate a total of 6,000 employees. The company plans to share additional details about the site’s location in the coming weeks.
“Centene’s investment here is great for the Charlotte area and our whole state,” Governor Cooper said. “Centene knows that North Carolina has a resilient economy, ready workforce, livable communities and a host of other assets that make our state a leading destination for forward-thinking businesses.”
“Today’s announcement is a historic occasion for Charlotte and comes at a most opportune time,” said Mayor Vi Lyles. “We are excited to welcome Centene to the Queen City. Our entire region will benefit from the company’s community-driven mission and commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.”
As part of its agreement with local officials, the company plans to hire at least 3,200 people over the next 12 years but expects to hit that goal sooner.
“We believe in professional camaraderie, capacity for innovation, real-time partnership and development garnered from a shared physical presence,” continued Neidorff. “Though we will continue to promote flexible work environments, investing long-term in our workforce and technological expertise is essential to succeed in a dynamic healthcare environment. The new space is designed to support and enable innovation, partnership and ultimately growth.”
The new facility will provide an attractive work environment to prospective employees, with work areas that:
– enhance teamwork and in-person productivity
– leverage extensive technology to enable remote collaboration for distributed teams
– encourage innovation with dedicated team spaces within the work neighborhoods
– provide access to private work areas; and
– connect employees throughout the campus to the corporate network through Wi-Fi access.
The facility will significantly grow Centene’s footprint in the state. Currently, Centene has nearly 600 employees already based in North Carolina – across locations in Charlotte, Durham and Wilmington. Centene’s corporate headquarters will remain in St. Louis, Missouri.
Centene and the Governor’s office hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the announcement.
About Centene Corporation
Centene Corporation, a Fortune 50 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach – with local brands and local teams – to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.
Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene’s investor relations website, http://www.centene.com/investors.
