NCR Corp., the financial technology giant, opened its new Atlanta headquarters in Midtown last week, the first phase of a massive new complex the company hopes will exemplify its own “reinvention.”
Beyond just manufacturing point-of-sale terminals and ATMs, NCR is now making the software that enables digital commerce as it prepares for the future, as well as providing services to companies along the chain.
It’s now calling itself the “omni-channel” leader, a financial tech industry buzzword alluding to the ability to serve customers on across buying platforms, from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce.
The new footprint in Midtown, expected to bring in a total of $450 million in public and private investment when complete, is situated at 8th and Peachtree streets just north of Tech Square, the innovation alley that has pulled many innovation centers into Georgia Tech’s immediate orbit.
NCR already partners with the university on its Innovation Lab and plans to make that collaboration permanent from its block-long campus with 750,000 square feet of office space, crowned with two glass towers. So far, only the first tower has been unveiled, with the second slated for completion later this year, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The complex is to have a gym, dining options, a coffee bar and other employee perks that the company hopes will drive collaboration.
With the potential to house 5,000 employees at a highly visible location on the downtown connector, the NCR building is the crown jewel in a wave of corporate relocations that have helped position Atlanta an up-and-comer in the U.S. tech scene.
“Our move to Midtown is part of our vision for transforming Atlanta into the Silicon Valley of the East,” CEO Bill Nuti said in a statement Jan. 8.
NCR does business in 180 countries — so its success around the world bears heavily on its health at home.
Despite the celebration, at least one metro county was feeling the pain from the move: NCR less than a decade ago planted its flag in Georgia with a headquarters in Gwinnett County, though it had to operate other facilities around the metro area. The new base brings everyone to one place.
The company broke ground in November 2015 on the new building after reaching a build-to-suit lease with Cousins Properties, backed in part by government incentives from the City of Atlanta and state of Georgia. NCR later upped the ante, announcing the second tower in September 2016.
NCR also has a factory in Columbus, Ga., making ATMs and point of sale machines for retail stores.
The Pendleton Group is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Economic Development Channel. Subscribe here for monthly Economic Development newsletters.
Atlanta International School is the presenting sponsor of Global Atlanta's Technology Channel. Subscribe here for monthly Tech newsletters.
