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Citing Demand, Metova Plans 100 New Jobs in Conway

3 min read

Mobile app development firm Metova, which opened an RFID operations center in downtown Conway earlier this year, has announced expansion plans. 

Metova, based in Franklin, Tennessee, where it was founded in 2006, was one of three tech firms that opened shop in Conway in January. Originally, it planned to invest $2 million and create about 60 jobs in Conway. But the firm said Thursday that it plans to add 100 more jobs in the next year.

The expansions plans are the result of increased demand in the digital media industry, according to a news release. Metova officials also said the proliferation of coding education opportunities in central Arkansas played a role in the decision.

Over the past year, the Iron Yard coding school has opened a Little Rock campus; Innovate Arkansas firm Nerdies has launched Blur State coding school in Fayetteville; Young Coders Academy, another IA firm, launched in Cabot; and the 100 Girls of Code program opened in central and northwest Arkansas. Plus, the Venture Center in Little Rock offers a monthly speaker series called Code IT.

Metova’s Conway office is located at 1125 Oak Street. More than 30 work in the Conway office with hiring taking place “as soon as we find qualified candidates,” Metova spokesman Anders Steele said.

Metova employs about 200 total with locations in Cabot; Washington, D.C.; Augusta, Georgia; and Seattle, Washington, in addition to Conway and Franklin. Metova clients include the U.S. Department of Defense, Yelp, eHarmony, Flixster, Dropbox and Microsoft.

In January, Metova CEO John Adams cited Conway’s “desirable combination of a skilled tech workforce, with a welcoming business environment and great living conditions” as a reason for its move to Faulkner County.

“We are looking for developers who are excellent problem solvers with superior communication skills to work in our unique culture while enjoying the quality of life Conway offers,” he said in Thursday’s release. “Our business is thriving and we’re proud to offer a total of 160 cutting-edge opportunities to developers, right here in Arkansas.”

A4 to Metova

In 2012, Adams’ A4 Solutions of Cabot acquired Metova and adopted its name. A4 focused on government IT projects, and the Metova acquisition enabled Adams to expand the company’s footprint. In addition to apps, it now offers strategy, design, development and marketing services for customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startups.

The new Conway jobs will be “good paying tech jobs” with salaries varying based on skills and experience, Steele said. Most of them will be developers focused on Ruby on Rails, Java web and mobile app development, as well as UX and UI designers.

“The fact Metova is announcing a second expansion in 2015 is a testament to the importance of our new computer coding initiative in Arkansas schools,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson in the release. “When we nurture technology companies like Metova, they create job opportunities that keep Arkansas’s brightest minds in the state. Conway has developed a reputation as a hub for knowledge-based companies and that reputation continues to grow as a result of today’s announcement.”

Also on Thursday, Metova announced the hiring of former Acxiom executive Ed Horton, who will lead the firm’s commercial business growth efforts. Horton, who also previously worked for Vestcom, served Acxiom as chief marketing officer and senior vice president of business development.

Those interested in Metova’s new jobs can begin the application process at Metova.com/Jobs and can email resumes to Jobs@Metova.com.

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