Editor’s note: Software firm Avalara formerly dedicated its new office in Durham on Monday, having already hired some 100 people in the Triangle. The Seattle-based company picked Durham over several other locations for its expansion last November. It employs more than 700 people worldwide and processes millions of tax transactions daily. In an open letter to the community, Avalara founder and CEO Scott McFarlane introduces himself and the company.
DURHAM, N.C. – As impressive as the Durham Bulls Athletic Park looks from Avalara’s new office, we realize there’s more than a great view that makes the Triangle such a homerun.
As new neighbors, we’d like to share our story with you, with special emphasis on what brought us here. It’s one way to honor and reinforce the many things the Triangle is doing so very well — especially at a time of significant regional growth.
First, allow us to introduce ourselves. Avalara is a tech company based in Washington state that helps businesses of all sizes achieve compliance by — and this is where it gets scintillating — providing a fast, easy, and accurate way to manage transactional taxes. Sound geeky? Not only do we know it, we OWN it.
We’re proud to be innovators solving complex problems — and so are legions of smart people in the Triangle. In the tradition of the state motto, “To be rather than to seem,” the Triangle isn’t about a false front. Instead, it’s about aligning the right skills and getting down to business.
We see this play out in many ways. The region’s universities are internationally renowned as both research and talent engines. Each is important to a growing company like Avalara. We need skilled and thoughtful professionals to flawlessly execute on our current business model and to be noodling on what comes next. We’ve already hired about 100 such teammates in the Triangle and are interviewing still more.
Additionally, the research component means that by making a home in the Triangle, we may be at the doorstep of the next great idea in, say, computer science. This attraction also pulses through the American Underground startup hub, located just steps away from our Durham office. The entrepreneurs there and orbiting CED (the Council for Entrepreneurial Development) may well pioneer the next generation of breakthrough software. We want to know them, help them, learn from them.
But it’s not all about work. Solving tough problems sometimes requires letting off steam. Smart people need to recharge their batteries. Here again, the Triangle excels. Our new office at the American Tobacco Historic District — complete with a tiki lounge — looks straight into the lush green of the Durham Bull’s outfield. Tickets are affordable as are many of the nationally acclaimed restaurants nearby. On the off chance there’s not a worthwhile concert or museum show to keep your off hours occupied, then by all means hop on a greenway and stretch those muscles.
Of course, we also realize that, like most communities, there are issues to confront. And again, the Triangle seems well positioned to be effective in tackling them. The nonprofit sector is vibrant here, and we are honored to be engaged with Habitat for Humanity and PORCH-Durham to help prevent people in our community from going hungry or without adequate shelter. Clearly, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone to be personally engaged in one or more worthy causes.
A successful company today has to be about smart ideas, hard work and a culture that supports both well rounded individuals and fired up teams. Avalara chose the Triangle because it’s one of the rare places where all of these elements come together. Thank you for building such a community. We’ll do our enthusiastic best to uphold and expand the tradition!
Note: Scott McFarlane is founder and CEO of Avalara.
