GDIT Exceeds Job Targets In Louisiana; Mounts New Tech Talent Search

BOSSIER CITY, La. — Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards and General Dynamics Information Technology executives Kristie Grinnell and Omar Bhatti announced GDIT continues to exceed employment and payroll targets for the company’s Integrated Technology Center on the National Cyber Research Park campus in Bossier City. Success of the GDIT site, now in its sixth year, is prompting the company to mount a talent recruitment campaign that will target highly skilled system architects, cybersecurity analysts and network engineers.

GDIT employs more than 1,000 employees at the Integrated Technology Center, Cyber Innovation Center, and Customer Engagement Center in Bossier City, Louisiana. In the latest project year, GDIT exceeded its annual payroll commitment to the State of Louisiana.

“General Dynamics is one of the world’s foremost defense and intelligence companies,” Gov. Edwards said. “We are fortunate to have attracted GDIT to Louisiana, and our strategic plan to produce a pipeline of technology talent through our higher education systems is paying off handsomely for the company and our state. GDIT quickly has become an anchor on our I-20 Cyber Corridor. We look forward to increasing our concentration of technology professionals in this region and across Louisiana.”

In 2014, Louisiana embarked upon a 10-year, $14 million higher education initiative led by Louisiana Tech University and aimed at boosting the number of undergraduate degrees produced in computer science and related science, technology, engineering and math studies, or STEM fields. Northwestern State University and Bossier Parish Community College are supporting Louisiana Tech in the GDIT higher education initiative across North Louisiana, with LSU Shreveport, Southern University at Shreveport and Grambling State University also contributing increased training opportunities in technology for traditional and nontraditional students, based upon GDIT input.

“GDIT is excited about our partnership with the State of Louisiana,” said Global Chief Information Officer Kristie Grinnell, who also serves as GDIT’s vice president for Information Technology and Supply Chain. “We have a great partnership with Louisiana Economic Development that helps us collaborate on a joint strategy to grow jobs and GDIT within Louisiana. This includes establishing the right skills and higher education partnerships, ensuring our veterans’ transition into the civilian workforce, as well as working together to institute IT, cyber and innovation as the new industry in the region. GDIT has been able to meet and exceed our goals for growth for Louisiana and GDIT, and this is just the beginning.”

GDIT’s Louisiana operations, which also include approximately 150 staff at the UNO Research & Technology Park in New Orleans, serve a private sector and federal clientele across dozens of technology programs. The company’s new recruitment campaign is designed to attract a tier of talent that will make GDIT competitive for bringing additional programs to Louisiana in cloud computing, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

“As a company, we have thousands of cleared personnel, deep mission expertise, and decades of experience,” said Omar Bhatti, GDIT vice president for Technology Shared Services, or TSS. “GDIT works with civilian, intelligence community and Department of Defense customers to make today secure and tomorrow smarter. Core to this is our leveraged and managed services capabilities delivered from Bossier City, Louisiana, where Technology Shared Services teams provide repeatable customer-focused solutions. At TSS, we have partnered with State of Louisiana, LED and educational institutions to ensure we are together building a resilient ecosystem to sustain long-term success.

“In particular, our business has a wealth of talent at all levels, and it is our greatest strength and source of opportunity,” Bhatti said. “Partnerships with LED and higher educational institutions have allowed us to cultivate our talented staff, and because of this we consistently exceed customer expectations and maintain efficient operations.”

In Bossier City, the GDIT Integrated Technology Center provides a full range of next-generation IT services at a competitive cost for the company’s customers. Services include network solutions, cloud services, cyber operations and application development.

“With their ability to nurture an internal talent base, as well as grow an external presence to draw in new talent, we have been privileged to watch their many facets of growth across IT services,” said President and Executive Director David “Rocky” Rockett of the Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation. “We look forward to GDIT’s next great opportunity on the horizon as a cornerstone of technology industry in Bossier.”

To date, GDIT employees at the Bossier City ITC have earned over 700 technical and business certifications, with nearly 60 percent of employees engaged in continuing education, a majority of the workforce possessing security clearances, and nearly one in three employees being a military veteran.

“General Dynamics Information Technology is an important partner in the growing North Louisiana technology community,” said President Scott Martinez of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership. “GDIT has been a valuable and active leader with Tech By 20, an NLEP-facilitated professional tech organization, in nurturing and growing the vibrant technology ecosystem along Interstates 20 and 49.”

About LED
Louisiana Economic Development is responsible for strengthening the state’s business environment and creating a more vibrant Louisiana economy. LED cultivates jobs and economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana, and promotes business opportunity for employers of all sizes. In 2019, LED attracted more than 80 new economic development projects representing 12,300 new jobs, 15,500 retained jobs and over $8.4 billion in new capital investment. LED’s Small Business Services team assisted more than 9,500 Louisiana small businesses and entrepreneurs in 2019. For more information, visit OpportunityLouisiana.com.