ORONO, Maine — A software company with 1,000 employees in Maine plans to move its Bangor operations to a new office in Orono next year, which could bring up to 50 new jobs and internships to the area.
Tyler Technologies, which is headquartered in Plano, Texas, has employees across the country, but its Maine offices are in Bangor, Falmouth and Yarmouth. The company provides software solutions to municipalities, schools and other entities in the public sector.
The company was recognized as a 2022 Best Place to Work in Maine through the Society for Human Resource Management Maine State Council, which it has earned for 15 years.
Tyler Technologies’ expansion and moving the Bangor office to 5 College Ave. in Orono will further strengthen the bond with the University of Maine, said Chris Webster, president of the company’s enterprise resource planning and civic division. It will have a chance to take on more interns, who may be compelled to remain in the area knowing software and computer engineering, marketing and other jobs are available.
The move will also bring a boost to the local economy, which pairs well with Orono’s downtown revitalization over the last few years, he said.
“In southern Maine, we’re in a highly competitive environment,” he said, noting competitors such as IDEXX Laboratories and L.L. Bean, especially in terms of technical staff. “We saw northern Maine as a chance to go wherever our competition isn’t. We’re able to provide great careers and opportunities for people.”
The office in Bangor, where about 30 employees work, is maxed out in terms of space, said Webster, who is based in Yarmouth. The new space is under construction and held a groundbreaking Wednesday. The office will accommodate up to 80 staff members.
The 25,000-square-foot office, with its contemporary design and two floors, will have an open work area with focus rooms for virtual meetings and collaboration. A training room that seats about 25 people will also be available to workers and the community during non-office hours. Other special features include a fitness center, locker room and game room for employees to use during before or after work and during breaks.
The office is expected to open in mid-2024.
Tyler Technologies is collaborating with UMaine’s Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center to display art in the reception area and feature a rotating display in the game room.
The expansion could also grow Tyler Technologies’ annual Maine App Challenge, which gives $10,000 in scholarships to high school students and guarantees an interview for a future internship.
Students are tasked with creating an app, which requires a market study and other criteria outlined by the company. It gives them hands-on experience and exposes them to what it’s like to be an entrepreneur, Webster said.
“They also have the opportunity to then earn micro-credentials through programs offered at the University of Maine at no additional cost,” he said.
Last year, students and educators completed a series of workshops related to brainstorming, customer discovery, prototyping, testing and promotional pitching as they designed their apps, according to the company.
The partners are discussing how to strengthen their relationship and possibly incorporate college credit through the app challenge, Webster said.
Tyler Technologies has also organized tours of the university’s campus, which exposed roughly 150 high school students to STEAM — Science, Technology, Art and Architecture and Mathematics — education and showed them they can build meaningful careers in the state, said Renee Kelly, UMaine’s associate vice president of strategic partnerships, innovation and engagement.
“With this new facility on the edge of campus, students will have the opportunity to intern with Tyler, not just during the summer but also throughout the academic year, just a short walk or bike ride away,” she said.
As UMaine prepares to launch Pathways to Careers, a new initiative to get more students into high-quality internships, this partnership is a model for how companies can work with the university to connect to their future workforce, she said.
Tyler Technologies worked with its design team and Orono to develop plans for the new office, which align with the town’s comprehensive plan, Webster said.Community members will have access to the waterfront and gazebo near the new space as well as the cafe and outdoor patio.