“This is more great job news for Jacksonville,” said Mayor Alvin Brown. “Major companies are looking to Jacksonville as a great place to invest and do business. The result is a growing local economy with more jobs and more opportunities. This expansion also highlights the important and growing contribution of the health care industry to our local economy.”

“Sunshine Health is excited about the prospect of expanding our workforce in Jacksonville,” said Chris Paterson, CEO of Sunshine Health, Centene’s Florida subsidiary. “We appreciate the City’s consideration of our request and look forward to the prospect of adding to our presence in Jacksonville.”

“This is a significant opportunity to create jobs and continue to build our local economy,” said Jerry Mallot, president of JAXUSA Partnership, the economic development arm of JAX Chamber. “We thank the Mayor’s Office for its work on this proposal and look forward to discussing the importance of this project with the City Council.”

The company is considering leasing additional office space in close proximity to its existing offices to accommodate future growth.

About Centene Corporation

Centene Corporation is headquartered in St Louis, Mo. From 2011 to 2012 the company jumped from No. 453 to No. 303 on Fortune’s 500 list, with revenues of $8.7 billion. It currently has locations in four Florida cities: Jacksonville, Sunrise, Tampa and Orlando. The Jacksonville location, operating under the Sunshine Health brand, provides managed health care solutions based on state and local social health care programs.