BuildOps Establishes New East Coast Hub in Raleigh, Plans to Create 291 Jobs

Raleigh will soon be home to the third North American hub for BuildOps, a fast-growing commercial construction software company based in Santa Monica, California. The veteran-owned firm announced it will invest $711,000 into its North Carolina expansion and bring 291 new jobs to the Raleigh area over the next five years.

“We look forward to becoming an integral part of the thriving Raleigh community,” said Alok Chanani, co-founder and CEO of BuildOps. “This expansion is an important step in our ongoing mission to revolutionize the commercial trade industry.”

The company, which provides cloud-based software to help commercial contractors manage scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, and reporting, selected Raleigh over other finalists including Austin, Texas. BuildOps currently operates hubs in Los Angeles and Toronto.

Clay Smith, the company’s vice president of implementation, said the Raleigh office is projected to become the largest of the three locations.

Incentives played a significant role in BuildOps’ decision. The North Carolina Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant worth up to $1.8 million over 12 years, contingent on the company meeting its hiring and investment targets. Additional local incentives totaled $87,300.

In total, the incentive package is valued at $2.8 million.

“North Carolina offers companies like BuildOps a deep pool of tech talent,” said Governor Josh Stein. “North Carolina’s education and workforce training programs deliver the skilled people companies rely on to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. We welcome this veteran-owned business to North Carolina.”

The roles expected at the new Raleigh site include customer success managers and sales staff. The average salary for the new positions is estimated at $110,000, well above Wake County’s average of $76,643.

While the state touts its ability to attract high-tech companies, some economists have raised concerns about public incentives. They argue that such subsidies can distort the labor market, and wage data can be misleading due to outliers at the top. Nonetheless, BuildOps’ arrival is another sign of momentum in the state’s tech sector, which has grown by 25% since 2018 — outpacing national trends.

“The state’s strong concentration of IT professionals has fostered an environment that attracts companies like BuildOps,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, “seeking the specialized, talented workforce North Carolina provides.”

North Carolina’s comparatively low cost of living, favorable tax structure, and access to local university talent were key factors in the company’s decision to expand into the region, according to the Department of Commerce.

Originally reported by David Beasley in The Center Square.