Two tech firms, Inuvo Inc. and PrivacyStar, a First Orion company, unveiled their new headquarters at the Museum Center in the River Market District of downtown Little Rock on Dec. 2, along with the promise to add 75 new tech jobs in 2016.
About 400 attended the companies’ open house, following a press conference where Gov. Asa Hutchinson, along with city and company leaders spoke about the tech industry in Arkansas.
Hutchinson touted his computer science initiative and recent trips to Silicon Valley where his goal was to put Arkansas on the map as a tech “micro-hub.”
“It’s exciting to see innovation and technology expand,” he said.
@AsaHutchinson: I hope AR will become a tech hub for firms across the country #ARisTech #newtechintown pic.twitter.com/L29tRGgHRe
— AR Money & Politics (@amppob) December 2, 2015
Combined, the companies employ 125 people, and in 2016, 75 more jobs will be added, said Charles Morgan, CEO of First Orion and PrivacyStar, and the potential for more jobs exists.
Morgan said his company, a call protection and data provider, has seen a month-over-month revenue growth of 5 percent.
“I see the tech ecosystem starting to blossom,” said Richard Howe, Inuvo chairman and CEO. He said moving the company to Arkansas from New York City two years ago was a bet that has paid off. It was initially located in Conway before moving to Little Rock.
Howe said Inuvo, a digital publishing and advertising technology company, had $19 million in revenue last quarter. It’s companies like his, he said, that will “keep smart people in the state.”
“We need to position ourselves as a hub of technology,” he said.
Richard Howe of @Inuvo: Our employees love Arkansas and want to work in Arkansas #newtechintown #ARisTech pic.twitter.com/1kOHYfKuGq
— AR Money & Politics (@amppob) December 2, 2015
Inuvo and First Orion announced their moves to downtown Little Rock in May. The new locations provide more space, Howe said, and, “proximity to the Little Rock Tech Park puts us in the company of other tech professionals, and within walking distance of local amenities which is great for our people.”
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