Go Daddy opening customer care center in Hiawatha

Employees of Go Daddy Group will soon be moving back to the Hiawatha building where founder Bob Parsons built his first software business.

Parsons said Monday that his company purchased the building at One Parsons Way for a new customer care facility. The company, based in Scottsdale, has existing customer care offices in Phoenix, Gilbert and Tempe, Ariz., as well as Washington, D.C., and Denver, Colo.

Parsons was clearly happy about reacquiring the 50,000-square foot, two-story building where his Parsons Software venture was so successful.

“I'm back, baby!” he nearly shouted.

Go Daddy Group is a leading provider of web services, including domain name registration, Web design and Web hosting packages.

Parsons has about 100 employees at its existing Cedar Rapids operation, located at 375 Collins Road NE, and plans to hire an unspecified number of additional employees.

Many Cedar Rapids spent the weekend flying at company expense to a $3 million holiday bash put on by the company at Chase Field in Phoenix, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The company's 22 percent revenue growth in 2009, a year of deep recession for most of the U.S., was worth celebrating, Parsons said.

“Our employees work awfully hard, and our company is one that believes in sharing its success,” Parsons said. “As I've said before, we're not here for a long time. We're here for a good time.”

Parsons gave away $1.1 million to employees in the form of prizes ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.

“And we pay the taxes,” Parsons said.

The company also announced $2.5 million in charitable donation. They included a $500,000 donation to support the creation of the Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Domestic Violence Center. It will fund construction of a wing on the UMOM New Day Center in Phoenix to provide shelter, counseling and other resources to help victims of domestic violence.

Celebrity appearances included both Patrick former world heavyweight boxing champion Mohammed Ali. Parsons has been a supporter of the Ali's Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center & Movement Disorders Clinic in Phoenix.

“He was a guy I looked up to as a kid, and I still look up to him,” Parsons said. “I am proud to join him in fighting this nasty disease called Parkinson.”

The party also featured celebrity appearances by Lilian Garcia, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Paula Poundstone, actress Melissa Peterman, and others.