North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Fiserv Inc., (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions and Fortune 500 company, will expand its presence in the state by opening a new location in Catawba County.  The company will create 419 jobs in Hickory, NC  and invest $4.9 million during the next three years.  The announcement was made possible in part by an $800,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

“North Carolina is home to a growing data processing services industry,” Gov. Perdue said.  “Our state’s skilled workers and business-friendly policies continue to attract expanding companies that are achieving success nationally and around the globe.”

Fiserv, headquartered in Wisconsin, is a leading global provider of information management and electronic commerce systems for the financial services industry.  The company, with more than 16,000 clients, serves banks, credit unions and lending institutions with online banking, bill pay and presentment, account processing, mobile banking, lending processing, risk and compliance, and source capture technologies.  Employees at the new facility will provide customer support and other client services.

Fiserv has more than 20,000 employees in 230 locations worldwide, including the former Carreker Corp., employing more than 100 people in Charlotte.  While salaries will vary by job function, the new jobs will pay an average annual wage of $25,368, not including benefits.

“We want to thank state and local officials in North Carolina for their encouragement and support as we locate in this area,” Fiserv Division President Jardon Bouska said.  “Hickory offers the resources we need, including the skilled labor to staff our current operation and the ability to expand to meet our company’s future needs.”

The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds.  These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.

North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate.  Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state will work aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain our workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.

Through use of the One NC Fund, more than 40,000 jobs and $7 billion in investment have been created since 2001.  Other project partners include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Catawba County, Catawba County Economic Development Corp., Catawba Valley Community College, City of Hickory and the Charlotte Regional Partnership.

Residents may apply for the Fiserv jobs immediately online by clicking on this link: Fiserv Hickory NC jobs.  The positions will begin in February 2010.  For more information on Fiserv, log onto: www.fiserv.com.