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By Isabel Sami
Photo: Christine Peterson
WORCESTER — ComputerVault scoped out other cities — including Providence and Manchester, New Hampshire — but Worcester was always the first choice.
ComputerVault moved from Marlborough to downtown Worcester, picked up the keys for One Mercantile and celebrated the move into the Mercantile Center on Wednesday.
“Worcester is having a moment right now,” said Marc Zarrella, ComputerVault vice president and head of revenue and partnerships. “The revitalization of the downtown, places like The Mercantile going in — there’s going to be things for our employees to do in the city after work. These may not feel important on the surface, but they really matter when you’re trying to create a corporate culture.”
ComputerVault designs virtual desktops, servers, and hyper-converged infrastructure with built-in cybersecurity, allowing users to access their desktop and applications from anywhere on any kind of device.
The software company signed an eight-year lease in October for a 5,600-square-foot office on the fifth floor of One Mercantile, the former Unum Building. On Wednesday ComputerVault held a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially marking its move to Worcester.
In attendance at ComputerVault’s ribbon cutting were city officials and members of Worcester’s business community, including Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, and Mercantile Center Managing Director Chip Norton — who welcomed the company to the city with open arms.
But this isn’t ComputerVault’s first time in the city. Zarrella said about 10 years ago the company was based in Worcester’s glass tower, Worcester Plaza.
As it grew, the company moved to Westborough and later Marlborough, where it’s been based for the last seven years. Now as it grows again, it’s moved to One Mercantile, a space that accommodates that growth.
“While our business continues to grow, we take great pride in the growth of our people and our community,” Peo Nathan, ComputerVault chief executive officer, said in a release. “Just as we are proud to call Worcester home, we’re equally committed to giving back to this community we all share. Worcester is certainly on the rise, and we’re proud to play a part in its growth.”
Zarrella said ComputerVault has 35 employees and is looking to add 50 more this year.
Another selling point of Worcester is its proximity to universities with acclaimed STEM programs. ComputerVault currently works with 10 interns from Clark University and Assumption University, and Zarrella said the company tends to bring its interns on as full-time employees following graduation.
Zarrella said access to that workforce is essential to ComputerVault’s growth.
“There’s 35,000 college students in the city. We want to help keep some of them here in Worcester,” he said.
Zarrella said ComputerVault plans to expand its charitable actions within the community this year. So far it’s been the sponsor of the WOOlympics held earlier this month, and Zarrella said ComputerVault will also be involved with the Worcester Public Library mini golf tournament this year.
“We’re trying to incorporate all our relationships in our endeavors,” he said. “We really want to be part of the community and not just as a corporation. We want to be living and breathing in the community.”