Ioana Ginsac 
San Antonio-based United Services Automobile Association (USAA) recently announced plans for a major expansion into Charlotte, N.C. The move is stated to be in support of the company’s efforts to attract talented technology professionals, as well as talent in auditing, banking, legal operations and risk management.
The firm’s news release stated that the company entered a lease agreement for The Square at South End, a 10-story, mixed-use development located at 200 West Blvd. in Center City Charlotte. USAA will occupy approximately 90,000 square feet of office space throughout six floors — roughly 60% of the 153,000-square-foot property.
The financial services company, which mainly serves the military community, is hoping to have operations in the new facility up and running before the end of the year. The Square at South End will first be home to the small number of Charlotte-area personnel that the USAA already employs. Eventually, it will host roughly 750 employees who will either work on-site or in a hybrid model. The new location was selected primarily due to the wide local availability of highly skilled individuals in the financial services sector.
“Opening an office in Charlotte is a win-win for USAA,” said USAA President and CEO, Wayne Peacock. “It gives us even greater access to some of the top banking and technology professionals in a community that has a deep understanding and care for the military. USAA has been serving military families for nearly a century, and we are excited to begin our second century with a growing presence in Charlotte.”
“USAA’s choice to open a new office in Charlotte is another example of strategic investments paying off, and more proof that top-tier companies and talent are seeking out our city,” said Charlotte Mayor, Vi Lyles. “We have developed an innovative marketplace with an ability to attract educated, young professionals to a diverse workforce that we are confident will continue to grow and flourish for companies like USAA and for the people of Charlotte.”
Founded in 1922, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance; banking and investment; and retirement solutions to nearly 13 million members, including active U.S. military, as well as veterans and their families. The company employs more than 35,000 people worldwide and has offices in seven U.S. cities, as well as three overseas locations. The company’s headquarters is located in its hometown of San Antonio at 9800 Fredericksburg Road. Originally built in 1976, the corporate campus sprawls across a 250-acre plot and encompasses 5,127,811 square feet of LEED Gold-certified San Antonio office space.
U.S. locations include Austin, Texas; Dallas; Phoenix; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Tampa, Fla., in the southern U.S. region, as well as New York; Annapolis, Md.; and Chesapeake, Va., in the northeast.
