A global accounting firm may add a second Orlando office and dozens of new jobs.
Grant Thornton LLP — the U.S. member firm of London-based Grant Thornton International Ltd. — is seeking economic development incentives to open a 12,000-square-foot office at an undisclosed location in Orlando. This would be in addition to its current location at 200 S. Orange Ave.
The new center would serve clients nationwide, providing them with sales and property tax compliance services, as well as business license filings, according to documents filed with the city.
The city council will vote on the firm's request for STRIVE Orlando program incentives during its May 17 meeting. If approved, the city would pay out $75,000 — or $1,250 per new job created — over six years beginning in fiscal 2021-2022 to 2026-2027, with full payment based on the company meeting the program's goals.
In return, Grant Thornton would add 60 new jobs by Dec. 31, 2024. Jobs with the company would pay a median wage of $53,000, which is above the national median wage of $40,300, plus benefits. Capital investment tied to the new leased office space would be $100,000.
City staff recommended the incentives because Grant Thornton is considering Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, for the new office, along with the potential for additional investment in the area by the company in the future.
A spokesman with the company declined to comment. City spokeswoman Samantha Holsten told OBJ the company was brought to the city's program by the Orlando Economic Partnership.
Grant Thornton LLP has five offices and more than 334 employees in Florida, according to sister newspaper Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Meanwhile, two companies already have been approved for incentives through the Orlando STRIVE program, which was launched in March 2021. The program's goal is to attract investment and jobs to areas of the city that face barriers to economic success.
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