San Francisco-based McKesson Corp. has announced Thursday it plans to spend $157 million in a Texas expansion in Irving, which will bring nearly 1,000 new jobs to the region.
The health care services and information technology company had been shopping for a new regional hub for some time. Real estate sources said in February that McKesson was working a deal to fill the former NEC buildings near State Highway 161 and State Highway 114 in Irving.
McKesson plans to add at least 975 new jobs in its expansion efforts in addition to the 900 already working in North Texas.
The company went through a thorough selection process and is excited to invest and consolidate into a modern facility, said David Evangelista, a senior vice president and general manager of McKesson Financial Center.
As part of the expansion deal, the Texas Enterprise Fund gave McKesson a grant offer of $9.75 million. This is the largest such grant awarded by Gov. Greg Abbott's administration.
"This expansion is yet another testament to the power of Texas' low-tax, low-regulation economic climate that continues to attract industry leaders, innovators, and job creators from around the globe," said Abbott in a prepared statement.
"I am confident McKesson’s leadership in the pharmaceutical and healthcare technology sectors will serve as an invaluable contribution to the Texas economy," he added.
Mayor Beth Van Duyne said the city was honored to add another high-regarded corporate powerhouse to Irving.
"We are certain McKesson will find Irving to be a dynamic city that provides signature facilities, quality of life amenities and a deep and sophisticated pool of employee talent," Van Duyne said in a prepared statement.
McKesson will immediately become the city's largest real estate deal in the last decade and will also become Irving's largest employers. In all, McKesson brings an estimated $4.7 billion total economic impact over the next decade.
"McKesson's selection of our community — as part of a five-state search — for its regional headquarters marks one of North Texas region's single-largest corporate commitments in 2016," said Beth Bowman, president and CEO of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce.
McKesson is buying the existing 525,000-square-foot office building in Irving and will begin hiring for technology, finance and accounting, purchasing and program management positions, among other jobs.
