IBM opens new global delivery center in Dubuque

With construction equipment tucked neatly away, about 400 people stood in the shadow of the Roshek Building in downtown Dubuque on Tuesday waiting to mark the arrival of IBM.

IBM has promised to create 1,300 jobs with the Dubuque global delivery service center located in the renovated historic Roshek Building, an economic development project that some local leaders have said is unparalleled in the area's history.

A lineup of state and regional leaders, including Gov. Chet Culver, applauded the public-private collaboration that helped attract IBM, pointing to the sustainable efforts of the project as an example of the kind of initiatives that are possible across the state.

Mayor Roy Buol said his view of the project has not changed since it was announced earlier this year.

“Today, I am even more certain that IBM and Dubuque will make history together,” he said, adding that there have been “a lot of eyes” on the region after first news of the project, including some skeptics in larger cities.

Tuesday's ribbon-cutting was more ceremonial than functional, as floors eight and nine of the renovated building are now operational.

Diane Diggelmann, the senior location executive in Dubuque, said employees there were not cleared to join in the outdoor festivities because they were “serving our clients.”

Work on the seventh floor is also finished and the sixth close behind, according to John Gronen. Gronen Restoration is leading the overhaul of the former department store.

A city of Dubuque trolley stood in front of the Roshek Building as the backdrop for a speaker's podium, covering the construction still ongoing on the building's first floor.

Mike Daniels, senior vice president for IBM, said the company is “well on the way” to filling the 600 jobs by the end of the year.

“I think this will be a fantastic long-term solution as we create a pipeline of workers for global delivery centers,” Daniels said. “This will be a long-standing relationship.”

The company has not released firm hiring numbers, but an IBM spokesman said last week that hundreds of employees have been hired, and recruitment for more continues.

A company recruiter said earlier this month that 300 people had been hired, according to an online blog posting.

-- Eileen Mozinski, Dubuque Telegraph Herald