NEW ALBANY — SmartBox, a New Albany digital marketing business, is expanding its local headquarters and adding up to 100 jobs in the process.
SmartBox, which services dentists, will be doubling its footprint at its 821 Mount Tabor Road office after 16 years in business — expanding to all three floors of its building in a $1.18 million project, according to a news release.
Renovations on the facility started in July and are expected to be finished in December, offering employees open work spaces, kitchenettes, update cloud-based technology and six conference rooms.
The expansion will help SmartBox increase its staff from 80 (30 of which work remotely) to 180 by 2022. The employees will be paid $25 to $35 an hour, according to Shane Gibson, New Albany’s city attorney, which is above the state’s average wage of $21.52 an hour
The expansion will help SmartBox continue to attract “elite” employees, said Colin Receveur, SmartBox’s CEO, in a statement.
The city of New Albany might grant SmartBox up to $20,000 annually for three years to train its employees — an incentive the company will have to match. Half of that money would go to new employees.
The New Albany Redevelopment Commission preliminarily approved the incentive on Tuesday. It goes before the city council for a vote on Nov. 16.
The city’s incentive is an effort to keep SmartBox in New Albany. The company was presented with options to move from its current location within the city, according to the redevelopment commission’s resolution.
“SmartBox is a prime example of the kind of company New Albany fosters,” Mayor Jeff Gahan said in a statement. “We have always been a city that welcomes and supports young, successful entrepreneurs, from restaurateurs to professional services, and I anticipate we will continue to grow this segment of our economy in the future. We congratulate Colin on his past success and will work with him to secure future success as well.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has also offered SmartBox incentives: up to $1.38 million in conditional tax credits and up to $250,000 in training grants contingent upon the company keeping its employment processes.
SmartBox works with more than 550 dentists around the world. SmartBox was ranked by Inc. as one of the fastest-growing American companies in 2016.
Staff Reporter Elizabeth Beilman contributed to this story.