Category tech

Philadelphia is attracting more tech jobs

 
iPipeline

Bentley Systems

Fiberlink

These are some of the new technology companies setting up shop in Philadelphia. Since all 3 of these companies are currently based in Philadelphia’s suburbs, why all of the sudden do they all need offices with a Philadelphia address?

The answer (according to Paul Melchiorre, President of iPipeline) is that, “Philly is changing for the better and tech companies are realizing that. This is as good an area to build a tech company as Boston, Austin, or San Francisco.” Paul is right.

As I have stated many times in the past, even though it’s a given, Philadelphia is the center for all history, culture, entertainment, and jobs in our area. It’s the densest concentration of residents, shops, and restaurants, and it’s also the center of our area’s education and politics. We have some of the finest schools in the world, and more students are deciding to stay in Philadelphia.

It wasn’t until the last 25-30 years that Philadelphians really started to see their own potential, after deindustrialization occurred throughout the Northeastern US. When jobs started leaving the city, so too did its residents (which helped create the thriving suburbs we have today).

Now that the city has cleaned up its act a bit, and more residents are moving back to the city, new jobs are following.

Philadelphia is becoming an Emerging Tech City

 
Some of you may be scratching your heads after reading this post’s header, but there are others who are nodding in agreement.

When you think of thriving regions for technology start-ups, Silicon Valley and NYC both come to mind; right? How about Philadelphia? It’s not a typical candidate for this particular business field … until now.

Philadelphia has always been looked at as an underdog town. Whether it was portrayed through Rocky movies in the ’70s and ’80s, or through general national perception that Philly is just a gritty, blue-collar city. Although the latter may be true (in a sense), there is a new class growing in the heart of our great city; the creative class.

And with the city’s recent approval of small business flexibility, the playing field is being groomed for more successful start-ups to maintain profitability in Philadelphia during their younger years; which is the true test of contenders and pretenders.

This article should help shed some light.