Landing, a fast-growing company building a nationwide network of furnished apartments available to members, announced a $1 million investment in Birmingham’s expanding tech ecosystem as it hosted officials at an event to unveil its new headquarters.

The investment follows last month’s announcement that the company planned to move its headquarters from San Francisco to Birmingham, where Landing will hire more than 800 people as it accelerates its growth plans.

“Landing has seen incredible growth since the company launched in 2019, and we couldn’t be more excited to share that success with Birmingham,” said Landing founder and CEO Bill Smith, who also founded Birmingham-based grocery delivery marketplace Shipt.

“We are proud to be part of one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the country, bringing new jobs and economic opportunity to the region,” he said.

Smith joined Gov. Kay Ivey and other officials at Landing’s new headquarters in the John Hand Building in downtown Birmingham.

“We are delighted to welcome Landing to Alabama,” Ivey said. “We hope this is a message to the citizens of Alabama and people everywhere that we, as a state, are focused on driving innovation and opportunity.”

Landing CEO Bill Smith, right, speaks with Gov. Kay Ivey at a ceremony marking the opening of Landing’s new headquarters in Birmingham. The high-tech apartment company announced a $1 million investment in Birmingham’s tech community. (Hal Yeager / Governor’s Office)

Developing tech talent

Smith said Landing is committed to being a leader in the evolution of Birmingham’s workforce and the city’s booming technology industry, bringing 816 new, full-time jobs and $1.3 billion in payroll to the city over the next 20 years.

“Landing’s decision to accelerate its growth plans in Birmingham speaks volumes about the potential the company sees there,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “We hope this project becomes another milestone development that points the way for expanded innovation opportunities in Birmingham and across the state.”

Landing’s $1 million investment will nurture the city’s technology and innovation community by developing top tech talent across the region and attracting high-potential tech startups.

Alongside recruitment efforts, Landing will launch Landing Fellows, a two-year, advanced fellowship program for early career applicants, recent grads and career-changers who will work full time in Landing’s Birmingham headquarters. Recruitment for this fellowship program will start in the fall, with the program launch slated for summer 2022.

“We are a rapidly expanding tech hub here in the Magic City,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “It’s fitting that Bill is again a part of growing our technology industry, as Shipt propelled Birmingham’s tech reputation and now Landing continues that growth with elite recruitment and training opportunities.

“Birmingham is quickly becoming a destination for some of the top tech talent in the country, and this significant investment by Landing will continue adding to our ever-growing workforce,” he said.

Mayor Randall Woodfin speaks during a ceremony marking the opening of Landing’s new headquarters in Birmingham. (Hal Yeager / Governor’s Office)

Birmingham has already seen investments in its tech ecosystem from global giants like Apple, which is growing a diverse science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce through local nonprofits, including Ed Farm and TechBirmingham.

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) this month recognized Birmingham as one of the nation’s Top 10 metro areas for month-over-month tech job postings during the first half of 2021.

“The addition of Landing and Landing Fellows is a huge win for Birmingham,” said Ron Kitchens, CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance. “We cannot wait to continue growing Birmingham as a haven for businesses and a destination for some of the top talent in the state and the region.”

“Landing’s move to Birmingham offers us a chance to showcase Jefferson County,” said Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons. “We are proud to continue supporting businesses that bring jobs to Birmingham from around the country, and particularly those that invest proactively in tech talent and ecosystems.”

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.