The Decatur Minute

For the past few months we’ve been telling everyone that a large tenant is coming to Decatur – a tenant that fits in perfectly with our city’s growing creative business sector. We’ve been waiting until the Governor’s office made the official announcement and that day has come! For details about the company and a better understanding of why we’re so excited to welcome CCP to Decatur, I’ve included the full press release in this post:

City of Decatur Wins Global Company

DECATUR, GA—City of Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd announced today that CCP Games, the Reykjavik, Iceland-based digital entertainment developer, is relocating its CCP North America headquarters to 250 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue in the City of Decatur.  The company is expected to create 150 new jobs over three years, bringing the global software company’s staff total to 300 by 2013.  They will occupy 40,000 square feet of office space in the city’s downtown business district.

“CCP Games will be one of our largest private sector employers and is a perfect fit for our downtown business district.  They join a growing number of creative businesses relocating to our city because of our vibrant downtown business district and the high quality of life we offer,” stated Mayor Floyd.

The company is the developer of EVE Online, a science fiction-based massively multiplayer online game, which was published in 2003.  Through this expansion, CCP North America will support the needs of its growing company and create an economic ripple effect that will benefit the region for years to come.  The City of Decatur was selected because of its commitment to becoming a location for industries of the future and nurturing creative lifestyles.

“CCP outlined a list of requirements for their location including a safe, urban environment with a variety of restaurants and pubs that would be attractive to a younger work force,” said Peggy Merriss, Decatur City Manager.   “We had all of the amenities they listed and we are excited that they made the decision to join the Decatur business community.”

“Decatur offers the perfect blend of big city accessibility with a hometown feel that we were looking for,” said Mike Tinney, President of CCP North America. “Georgia’s financial climate combined with Decatur’s social climate provide the ideal conditions for continued growth.”

An economic market analysis conducted for the city last fall as part of their current strategic planning process identified the need for the city to focus attention on attracting new commercial office tenants to diversify the city’s job base and attract higher paying jobs to the city.  The report specifically targeted creative industries as an ideal fit because of the city’s reputation as a thriving small city with a business environment that encourages collaboration, supports small businesses and nurtures creative energy.

“The CCP decision to relocate to the City of Decatur is the type of announcement that every city wants to make.  I have enjoyed getting to know the owners of CCP and look forward to welcoming all of their employees to our city.  We believe they will be the catalyst that brings other creative businesses to our city and we look forward to a long, prosperous future together,” said Mayor Floyd.

“This project came together because everyone including the property owner, the State of Georgia, DeKalb County and the City of Decatur worked together to keep this company in Georgia and make this announcement possible,” said Sheila Hunt, the chair of the Decatur Downtown Development Authority.  “We began working on this project with the property owner and their leasing agents a year ago.  It was a team effort and we are grateful for all of the support we received to make this deal work,” she added.  The Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the DeKalb County Development Authority, Georgia Power and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce assisted the company with this relocation and supported the city’s efforts to bring CCP to the City of Decatur.

About CCP Games
CCP is widely recognized as an industry-leading pioneer of the single-server persistent universe architecture as the developer and publisher of EVE Online, the critically acclaimed, science fiction-based massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). Utilizing a cross-discipline approach combining cutting-edge technology and artistic excellence, CCP is dedicated to providing vibrant, compelling products that transcend the boundaries of conventional MMOs and facilitate social networking through virtual worlds. Privately held and founded in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 1997, CCP’s international reach now spans the globe with offices in Atlanta, Shanghai and Newcastle as well as a base of operations in London. More information about CCP is available at the company’s website, www.ccpgames.com.

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