WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) – A Massachusetts technology firm has hired its first 12 employees in Wisconsin and started operations at a new software development and testing center in downtown Wausau.
Collaborative Consulting held an orientation Friday for the new employees. A two-week training class will follow. The firm is working in temporary space at the Dudley Tower while it finalizes an agreement to permanently move into the facility.
Chris Swearingen of Wisconsin Rapids accepted a job as a senior developer with the company just before Christmas. He earned his degree in computer information systems and has been a programmer in both the public and private sector for the past 15 years.
“If it's a step on my career path, it's a big step,” Swearingen said in an interview. “I could see working for this company for a long time.”
Wausau employees will work on three projects, including developing a software program for a financial services client. The other projects involve a combination of developing and testing software. Company officials would not identify the clients because they had not received permission to do so, said Collaborative senior vice president of marketing and services John Williams.
The company could soon hire up to 20 more employees as work at the Wausau facility intensifies. At least 10 employees are slated to begin work with a fourth client, Williams said.
The tech firm said it would hire up to 200 employees over the next three years when it announced plans for the Wausau facility in November.
“Doing this in the United States with a U.S. based workforce makes perfect sense,” Williams said. “We have the best workforce in the world.”
