The board of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) on Thursday approved $2 million worth of tax rebate incentives for Xi3 Corp., the builder of the Xi3 modular computer.
The incentives were conditioned on the Salt Lake City-based company completing plans to hire up to 500 people over the next five years —at wages at least 25 percent or higher above the average wage Salt Lake County, which in fiscal year 2012 is $43,468.
Aaron Rowsell, chief operating officer, said the company has seen widespread demand in its products and is expanding to keep up with its growth. The planned hiring and investment will be focused in Salt Lake County, but he said the company had not decided whether expand beyond its downtown Salt Lake City offices to another facility.
"Xi3’s presence here further enhances our ability to grow the information technology industry and to continue to attract top-notch technology sector jobs to Utah," Jeff Edwards, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corp. of Utah, said in a statement.
The devices use about one-fifth the power of a traditional desktop computer, making them attractive for businesses that use a large number of computers.
The company recently announced a sales deal with D&H Distributing Inc., a computer reseller. Through other companies, Xi3 has provided computers for agencies such as the Department of State, the Navy and Air Force.
Locally, the computers are found in the Springville library and BMW of Murray, said David Politis, chief marketing officer. Salt Lake Tribune
