MONROE, LA-Telecommunications provider CenturyLink has begun construction on its Technology Center of Excellence, a 250,000-square-foot expansion to its existing 365,000-square-foot corporate headquarters.  Upon completion, the new center will accommodate approximately 800 employees.

According to area reports, the goal of the addition at 100 CenturyTel Dr. is partly jobs creation and partly the need for more office and meeting space, as well as development labs. Yates Construction is the general contractor for the project. As an incentive, the state of Louisiana has kicked in close to $15 million for the expansion.

"The Technology Center of Excellence will help support our objective of bringing high-quality jobs to Monroe," comments CenturyLink CEO and President Glen F. Post III in a recent press release. "We expect the center to spur innovation, idea generation and problem solving that will benefit our customers, our employees and the communities we serve."

A press release issued from Louisiana Economic Development notes that the construction project will help fulfill the company's 2011 announcement of an 800-job headquarters expansion. Combined with a prior 350-job expansion announced in 2009 the new jobs, will contribute $67.7 million in new annual payroll by 2016, with 2,600 employed in the area. LED estimates the headquarters expansion will also result in 1,170 new indirect jobs in the greater Monroe area, with the building project creating an additional 350 construction jobs. As an incentive, the State is contributing up to $14.9 million toward the headquarters expansion.

CenturyLink represents the No. 1 economic driver company in northeast Louisiana and one of the top 10 economic drivers in Louisiana's private sector statewide. The company completed its 2012 financial year with $18.4 billion in annual revenue and $947 million in net income, with earnings up 4.4% in 2012.