Last week, the international software development firm Lucas Systems announced that they will be expanding their Wexford headquarters in the coming year.
The company will invest $7.3 million in the project and create 55 new full-time jobs on top of its 66 current staffers.
Speaking to NEXTpittsburgh, Lucas Systems Marketing and Communications Manager John Schriefer says the move is necessary to accommodate the company’s growing Pittsburgh team.
“We do all product development, engineering services, customer support, sales, marketing, finance, HR and admin here in Wexford,” says Schriefer.
The company isn’t going far: They will be moving into a 45,000-square-foot building located very near the company’s existing offices at 11279 Perry Highway in Wexford.
Lucas Systems specializes in software systems that make shipping centers more streamlined and efficient. Their core product is Lucas Move, a real-time analytics tool that delegates tasks in a warehouse or fulfillment center as efficiently as possible. The software works in concert with Jennifer, a voice-directed, user-friendly chatbot that communicates with workers and provides instruction throughout the day.
Their tech doesn’t require any proprietary software and can be loaded onto any smartphone or tablet.
In addition to the global headquarters in Wexford, the company also maintains a satellite office outside London in Bracknell, England, where they manage international contracts. “We’re a little unique among software companies with 100 percent product development and support in the U.S. and U.K.,” says Schriefer. “Never outsourced or offshored.”
The announcement was a coup for the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf, which offered several enticements for the project.
The Governor’s Action Team, an economic development group based out of the executive’s office, worked with the PA Department of Community and Economic Development to offer the software company a $50,000 Pennsylvania First grant and $165,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits once the jobs are created.
“Every day, we’re seeing more and more tech companies coming to or growing in the Pittsburgh region,” Governor Wolf said. “Lucas Systems’ expansion in Wexford is more evidence of the growing strength of Pennsylvania’s tech sector.”
