Capgemini executive vice president Sam McGuckin, Sandy McGuckin, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin and state Rep. James Smith at the Dec. 5, 2017 grand opening of the tech firm's office at BullStreet
As the champagne flowed and backs were slapped and the laughter and chatter of friends and colleagues filled the air, Sam McGuckin wore the unique expression of someone who was proud of what has been accomplished, but also eager to push a little further.
As he sat down to speak with a Free Times reporter in a quiet conference room at Capgemini — the insurance IT firm that recently opened in the First Base Building at the BullStreet site — during the Dec. 5 ribbon-cutting celebration for the company, McGuckin couldn’t help but marvel at the party going on just outside conference room’s glass doors.
Aside from most of the company’s 125 Columbia employees, the Capgemini grand opening also drew the likes of Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides, state representative and Democratic gubernatorial candidate James Smith and others.
Not too bad for an operation that began almost five years ago with three employees in a tiny room at the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator.
McGuckin founded insurance software firm TCube Solutions at the incubator in January 2013. That operation grew and evolved and, earlier this year, TCube was acquired by Capgemini, the digital company that has 200,000 employees working in more than 40 countries. The Columbia Capgemini office has now taken over the entire third floor of the First Base Building, which is situated alongside Spirit Communications Park. Officials are hopeful the tech company will later expand to the second floor of the building, as well.
McGuckin, who is now an executive vice president with Capgemini and heads up the Columbia office, says he expects the growth of Capgemini in Columbia could be substantial in years to come.
“They’ve only begun here,” McGuckin says. “We’re just the first 125. … Their intent in acquiring [TCube] was not just to buy our company, but to invest in South Carolina. So, they helped us build out this [BullStreet] facility. They are bringing more people and more jobs here. The first segment is for insurance clients. Banking clients are coming next, and beyond that are non-financial services clients. … There will probably be 500-600 jobs here in the next couple of years.”
The opening of Capgemini is undoubtedly welcome news for the sprawling BullStreet site. Much has been promised for the massive former state mental hospital property, which is being reimagined by the City of Columbia and Greenville’s Hughes Development. In what is said to be a 20-year plan, the property would eventually be a mix of townhomes, retail stores, restaurants, a public park, apartments, a USC health sciences campus, a church, a senior living facility and more. The site already is home to $37 million Spirit Communications Park, home of the Class A Columbia Fireflies.
Capgemini’s opening is significant because it is not just a projection of something coming in the future, but a project that was announced, developed and opened, and has now delivered 125 employees to the BullStreet property. It joins a handful of other entities — including the Fireflies, Founders Credit Union, SoCo, and Ogletree Deakins law firm — currently doing business on the site, with Bone-In BBQ set to open in the historic Ensor Building beside the ballpark in early 2018.
Carl Blackstone, CEO of the Columbia Chamber, told Free Times he believes Capgemini’s new operations in Columbia are a boost for BullStreet.
“Capgemini is a new anchor tenant,” Blackstone offers. “I think it helps solidify the investment here in two ways. One, it says, ‘Yes, we have room for brand new commercial success.’ Secondly, it will send out signals to other folks to say, ‘Hey, if Capgemini is expanding to [BullStreet], we can, too.’ I think this is a shot in the arm that they needed.”
Among those in attendance at the Dec. 5 opening of Capgemini was John Katz, president of the Fireflies. He noted it was his first visit to the Capgemini offices since their completion. The baseball boss said he was glad to have new tenants overlooking the ballpark from the First Base Building.
“Anytime we get a new neighbor it’s a great day on BullStreet,” Katz said. “We look forward to more progress on BullStreet in months and years to come.”
