Adobe announces new facility to be built in Lehi

LEHI — Software giant Adobe Systems Inc. announced plans Friday to build a campus in Lehi that will add hundreds more jobs to the state within the next 10 years.

Adobe, which acquired Orem-based Omniture Inc. for $1.8 billion last year, brought its employees from its Orem campus to celebrate the new location near the Cabela's store off of I-15.

The company expects to add as many as 350 more jobs with the likelihood of bringing another 1,000 jobs to the state over the next decade.

"It's going to be a real cornerstone for the boost we are going to get for our city here," said Lehi Mayor Bert Wilson. "We're becoming kind of an IT or tech park around here."

Adobe executives said they like what Utah has to offer and believe the company will be a leader in the state's economic future.

"We have 620 employees currently in the state of Utah," said Brad Rencher, vice president and general manager of Omniture Adobe. "These are software engineers, sales reps — really well-paying jobs. Our average salary is about 175 percent of the average in Utah County. It truly is an opportunity for us to become the foundation for the broader technology community in Utah."

Lehi city leaders believe Adobe will be a catalyst in bringing not just more high-tech jobs to the area, but will give other businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, a boost.

Construction is expected to begin sometime next year with the 230,000-square-foot facility opening in the fall of 2012.

"You have the legacy of the Novells and the WordPerfects and a lot of great things have happened because of that and there will be thousands of employees employed here as they continue to expand," said Spencer Eccles of the Governor's Office of Economic Development.

Rencher said the company plans to add more jobs as the business grows.

"We expect up to 1,000 jobs will come to the state as the result of this announcement and this facility in the future," he said.

Adobe is known for programs such as Flash Player, Acrobat and Photoshop. Its Utah operations will involve the Omniture platform, which specializes in online marketing and Web analytics.

e-mail: spenrod@desnews.com