Florida Company Expanding & Hiring

After launching operations in Tampa about four months ago and deciphering where to establish its headquarters, the mortgage and title company has chosen to stay in the city, Blue Marble President and Chief Executive Kelly Morgan told MortgageDaily.com.

In establishing its headquarters, Blue Marble plans to more than quadruple its current staff of 50 to 275 total employees within the next two to three years, Morgan said.

Of the 225 new employees, about 90% will be mortgage employees versus title employees, and of that percentage about 65 percent will be call center employees, while the remainder will be support staff such as loan officers and processors, he added.

Morgan said the company will have about 70 of the new hires in place by the end of this year and to nearly complete drafting by year-end 2006.

Blue Marble, which engages in residential and commercial lending, had considered Texas and California as options for their headquarters. But the company decided to keep the main office in Tampa mainly due to the tax and other incentives Florida offered, and because “being in an area that has a very diverse workforce” fits its diverse customer base, Morgan said.

The company was approved for Florida’s Qualified Target Industry program, the executive said. According to the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, such a program encourages companies to create jobs and spur economic development by offering tax refunds in exchange for high-wage job creation.

The lender is in the process of building a Quick Response Training partnership with Florida that will enhance the skills set of the individuals it hires and thus aid in boosting state productivity regardless of whether the employees stay with Blue Marble or go elsewhere, according to Morgan.

The executive said that while the lender is currently only located in Tampa, it is licensed to do business in 14 states. Blue Marble plans on getting licensed in every state and expanding physically as well.