Area Development
Perficient Inc. dedicated its software development center at the former Jefferson Street Market building in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana. A leading information technology and management consulting firm, Perficient will create 245 jobs in the region by 2020.

“Perficient is among three major software development firms to locate in Lafayette within the past two years, reflecting effective collaboration among innovative digital media and software development companies, government agencies, economic development leaders and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette,” according to Louisiana Economic Development.

“Perficient went through an extensive selection and due-diligence process in choosing Lafayette to complement our existing Global Delivery Center network and strategy,” Sheen said. “At the end of the day, the key differentiators that caused us to select Lafayette were the private-industry focus and engagement by the government at both the state and local levels, incentives such as Quality Jobs and the Digital Media incentive, which is aimed specifically at attracting the type of business that we are in, and a strong technical and engineering-focused curriculum by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and other colleges in the area.”

To secure the project, LED offered the company a customized incentive package that includes the comprehensive workforce solutions of LED FastStart. Perficient also is utilizing Louisiana’s Digital Interactive Media and Software Development Incentive and the state’s Quality Jobs Program.

“I am proud that Perficient has selected Lafayette for its software development center,” Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux said. “Lafayette offers the right mix of a diverse economy, a robust research university and the technology infrastructure to attract and support business. Lafayette’s existing workforce and the ability to recruit additional workforce is also a motivating factor for businesses looking to relocate. This is another example of Lafayette’s unique attributes working together to make positive things happen for our community.”

“As Louisiana works to propel our graduates and young professionals into the global job market, I am especially excited about the collaboration between the leaders of Lafayette and Perficient,” Governor John Bel Edwards said. “How fitting that this publicly traded company has moved into the city’s former main branch library, renovated it for next-generation technology consulting, and is now training our talented young people in software and business integration roles. The skills they acquire will undoubtedly improve the performance of client companies in virtually every industry. We’re excited that a city which built one of the best fiber-optic networks in the world is bringing some of the best digital career opportunities available to our people.”

“While the strength of UL Lafayette’s computer science and informatics programs played a key role in recruiting Perficient to our community, today, as our partner, Perficient is contributing to strengthening our graduate and undergraduate programs in those areas,” said UL Lafayette President Joseph Savoie. “As an example, it has invited our faculty and students to train, alongside Perficient’s employees, in the latest software development tools and methodologies, which will make our curriculum industry-relevant and our students industry-ready. We are looking forward to strengthening this partnership as we celebrate the formal opening of Perficient’s offices in Lafayette.”