LAFAYETTE, La. — Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards highlighted the announcement by CGI that the company has surpassed its full employment target at the Lafayette IT Center of Excellence. Located on the 143-acre University of Louisiana at Lafayette Research Park, CGI has hired more than 400 employees, exceeding the employment goal established when the company announced its selection of Lafayette in April 2014. At full employment, CGI has an annual payroll exceeding $22 million at the Lafayette center. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project is resulting in 405 indirect jobs, for a total of more than 800 jobs in Acadiana.

In Lafayette, CGI is solving complex business and IT challenges for clients seeking services from a technology partner that shares a common time zone, language and understanding of client business operations. In May 2016, Gov. Edwards and CGI Federal President Tim Hurlebaus dedicated the $13.1 million, 50,000-square-foot information technology center, which serves as an anchor for the research park.

“Not only is CGI a major economic driver in Acadiana, it has become a vital community partner to Lafayette and the entire state,” Governor Edwards. “We extend our gratitude and congratulations to CGI for reaching this hiring milestone, which is proof that their investment and commitment to Lafayette is paying significant dividends. CGI is not prone to resting on its laurels, so as we celebrate today’s accomplishment, we also look forward to prospects for future growth. As CGI continues to grow, they have my assurance that the State of Louisiana and all of our economic development partners will provide them with the resources they need to thrive.”

Founded in 1976, CGI is based in Montreal, with U.S. headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia. The company employs more than 68,000 professionals in 40 nations and counts major government agencies and corporations among its clients. In its 2017 fiscal year, CGI recorded revenue of approximately $8.3 billion ($10.8 billion in Canadian dollars).

“While I am extremely excited about the growth of CGI’s workforce in Lafayette, I am most appreciative of how engaged, active and committed CGI team members are at making Lafayette a great place to live, work and play,” Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux said.

“Our partnership with the Lafayette community has exceeded all expectations,” Hurlebaus said. “We are proud to call Lafayette a shining example of CGI’s onshore delivery model, which generates meaningful jobs across the U.S. while enabling us to provide government and commercial clients with high-quality digital transformation solutions at reduced costs.”

To support CGI’s hiring efforts, the State of Louisiana awarded the company the comprehensive, customized services of LED FastStart® – the nation’s No. 1 workforce development program for the past eight years. A strategic partnership including Louisiana Economic Development, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, or LEDA, was formed to attract and recruit CGI to Lafayette. The university provided support by leasing land for the center, and LEDA provided support for temporary office location costs and project relocation costs as the company established operations while the IT Center of Excellence was being built.

“The dynamic collaboration between UL Lafayette and CGI has focused on creating internships, capstone projects and employment opportunities for our students,” said Dr. Joseph Savoie, president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “We’re producing high-quality undergraduate and graduate students from across multiple disciplines who are able to find jobs right here at home, thanks to CGI and other innovative companies in our region.”

“When CGI announced the decision to open a facility in Lafayette in 2014, we knew it was the nascence of a new and vibrant industry in Acadiana,” said LEDA President and CEO Gregg Gothreaux. “What we didn’t know was the transformative impact those 400 jobs would have on the region as the energy sector entered a downturn. These 400 jobs have provided quality employment opportunities for graduates with local upward mobility. These jobs have provided opportunities for former residents to return home. These jobs have provided opportunities to attract new workforce and residents to Acadiana from across the country and the world. We look forward to CGI’s continued growth in Lafayette and to working with the company and our community partners to make Lafayette a premier high-tech hub in the southeastern U.S.”

About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI is the fifth-largest independent, end-to-end IT and business consulting services firm in the world. With approximately 72,500 professionals worldwide, CGI offers comprehensive end-to-end IT and business consulting services, systems integration, and IT and business process outsourcing services. These services are complemented by CGI's intellectual property solutions that help clients accelerate value creation and leverage digitalization. With annual revenue of C$10.8 billion, CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). For more information, visit CGI.com.