Ryan Williams, vice president of research and development for Select Laboratory Software, announced the new office Monday (June 6) with officials from Greater New Orleans Inc. and the New Orleans Business Alliance. The company plans to hire five to 10 software developers by the end of the year.
Select Laboratory Software develops laboratory software used in toxicology and clinical laboratories nationwide. The firm is a partner of Select Laboratory Partners, a Greensboro, N.C.-based laboratory management company.
Williams, a Baton Rouge native, will oversee operations at the downtown New Orleans hub, which is located in the Poydras Center at 650 Poydras Street.
In a news release, Williams praised the city’s “strong talent pool” and looked forward to building a presence and hiring locally.
“This is the perfect place for us to grow, and it’s wonderful to be able to provide these opportunities for the residents of the city,” Williams said. “We’re very happy to be home.”
Williams told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune helped found Select Laboratory Software in 2013, working mainly from his previous home in Ventura, Calif.
California has plenty of talent, but is an expensive place for a young company to grow, he said. The burgeoning tech scene and rich local culture made New Orleans an attractive alternative. Williams and his wife were also ready to return to his home state after years spent elsewhere.
“I figured it would an all-around good thing to open an office here,” he said.
The New Orleans location officially opened for business Monday. Williams said the firm has already hired two local software developers. The company will be posting additional openings for software development jobs online in coming months.
Select Laboratory Software is the latest in a string of firms joining the city’s small but growing technology cluster.
Torsh, a startup that uses video-based technology to improve teacher training, relocated its five employees from New York to New Orleans last summer. Developer inXile opened a new video game design studio on Oak Street late last year. Smashing Boxes, another North Carolina tech firm, announced plans in November to open a New Orleans operations center, adding 85 jobs total.
GNO Inc. CEO Michael Hecht and New Orleans Business Alliance CEO Quentin Messer noted Select Laboratory Software’s new office stands also indicates momentum in another growing sector: biosciences.
“Their decision to expand here demonstrates New Orleans’ increase attractiveness for healthcare IT companies and bio innovation entrepreneurs,” Messer said. “We’re very excited to have them grow their company here in the Crescent City.”
Select Laboratory Software’s partner firm Select Laboratory Partners provides specialized lab equipment, lab management expertise, testing technology and other solutions to more than 70 clinical labs nationwide.
View the full story on NOLA.com, including where to look for job openings at Select Laboratory Software.
