LETTER: MTX chief executive says state incentive tipped the scales
August 28, 2021Dear Editor,
A recent article in Seven Days, “Tech Company CEO Says $6 Million State Grant a ‘Secondary Priority,” leaves readers with the mistaken impression that the Vermont Economic Growth Incentive grant was not necessary. While it is true that I had already made the decision to come to Vermont because it holds a special place for me, the 17,000 sq ft 250-person office and retreat center in Waterbury would not have happened without the incentive. Our initial thought was a couple of people in an office in Montpelier to help service existing contracts.
The decision to establish an office is always a big and important one. We make a commitment to our employees – our family – to provide for them and support them. The reality is Vermont is a tough equation – relatively small workforce to draw from, complicated access to large cities and customers, a small airport, challenges with housing.
Despite that, I have a deep desire to help build community and provide jobs in the state. It is a competitive market. Every state we spoke to was pushing incentives our way. When the Vermont incentive program was suggested to us, we changed our thinking. Yes we wanted to be in Vermont, but now we could do something more – rather than an office that was strictly related to our existing contracts, we thought bigger. A place we could bring new hires, a place to build our culture, and a place where we could serve not just Vermont but the whole region.
Having a presence in Vermont was my dream – having a 250-person office and retreat center in Waterbury is only possible because of the economic growth incentive.
Das Nobel
Chief Executive Officer and co-founder MTX Group Inc.
MTX Group Inc. recently announced its plans to open a Northeast regional office in Waterbury with 250 workers within the next several years.