Financial Design Associates plans to hire 25 in next two years
Financial Design Associates, a local branch of the 161-year-old Fortune 500 company Mass Mutual, has moved operations from the Southside to the BB&T Tower in Downtown Jacksonville.
Mayor Alvin Brown joined Jacksonville City Council President Bill Bishop, Councilman Don Redman, Downtown stakeholders and representatives of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce to welcome Managing Partner Roger Dominey and dozens of his staff members.
Financial Design Associates started as a Mass Mutual branch in 1999 with five staff members and has since grown to 50, covering a service area that straddles Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia. With the move to Downtown, the firm has announced plans to hire 25 new employees in the next two years and double the size of business within the next five.
“This move will help to create good-paying jobs at a time Jacksonville needs them most. It shows that corporations and business leaders see the vision in our Downtown and that they are ready to invest,” said Mayor Brown. “It’s because they are confident in the direction of our city and they are confident in Downtown as a venue for growth.”
The Brown Administration has focused on Downtown revitalization in an effort to make Jacksonville more competitive for economic development and world-class entertainment. Financial Design Associates is adding steam to the momentum for Downtown after several recent major announcements, including the creation of the Downtown Investment Authority, a key part of the mayor’s strategy to restore security to the city’s finances and job market.
“The reason I moved Downtown is I felt like I really wanted to be part of the redevelopment of Downtown Jacksonville, and I think it’s important that business leaders reinvigorate the Downtown area,” said Dominey. “That’s the heartbeat of Jacksonville, and I felt that’s what we needed to do if we’re going to have Downtown grow to the level we want.”
Financial Design Associates provides a full spectrum of specialized financial consulting services and products to individuals, businesses and organizations. The firm serves more than 20,000 policyholders and clients and administers more than $3.4 billion of life insurance coverage.