A prominent tech group is depending on more than $17 million in city and state funding to expand its business and outreach to West Palm Beach, promising hundreds of jobs and boosting the local economy by nearly $2 billion over five years.
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James called the decision “a movement,” as tech, city, and state leaders cements the city’s role as a regional tech and finance hub, with backing from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who spoke at Tuesday's press conference.
“These are all really good jobs," said DeSantis. "It’s going to have a huge economic impact for the local community but also what they're doing on education.
“They’re providing this great service for folks to be able to go and get educated on these cutting-edge technologies," DeSantis added.
ServiceNow, an enterprise software company that helps businesses streamline their operations, will take up 200,000 square feet located at 10 CityPlace, a new development by Related Ross, a real estate firm headed by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross. The building is currently under construction.
ServiceNow, which uses AI to help automate workflows in industries like IT, HR, and customer service, will move into a temporary building in West Palm Beach for now, with a permanent move set for mid-2028.
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The expansion will include a new regional innovation hub and AI Institute, and is expected to deliver more than 856 jobs over the next five years, officials told WLRN.
While some critics appear skeptical that the deal will actually yield all of the 850+ jobs that have been touted, the city has included clawback provisions in its agreement with ServiceNow. Those provisions ensure the company hits hiring goals — or surrender its local funding. The rest is from the state.
Proponents say the Fortune 500 company's move goes beyond relocating offices and new jobs.
The publicly traded company, with a market cap of $193 billion, agreed to invest in local talent and training.
“We have a knowledge university we’re building right here in West Palm Beach,” said CEO Bill McDermott. “We have an AI institute where we’ll go shoulder to shoulder with the public and the private sector to prototype solutions quickly and reinvent business models.”
ServiceNow will help develop local talent through the city-led RiseUp initiative, which will work with higher education institutions like Palm Beach State College to train and certify students, veterans, career changers, and those without four-year degrees in tech skills.
McDermott contends ServiceNow’s presence can generate widespread growth, attracting other major corporations who can amplify an economic ripple effect.
“There is no benefit to AI without people,” McDermott said. “And there is no artificial intelligence that matters without human intelligence.”
ServiceNow co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Pat Kasey told WLRN that the new tech jobs could boost the broader ecosystem by sparking additional business opportunities.
“Anytime you bring in a bunch of jobs like that there’s a multiplier effect on the local economy, which is bigger than just the raw numbers.”
CEO Ross, of Related Ross, points to preexisting investments in infrastructure in West Palm Beach, such as the planned Vanderbilt University campus, to explain why the city was chosen over other cities: quality of life, safety, and growth for young professionals.
“We really set about the last several years bringing great schools, hospitals, recreational opportunities,” he said.
