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UBS Makes Commitment To Stay In Stamford Through 2021

STAMFORD, Conn. – UBS and the state have amended their partnership agreement, reaffirming UBS’s commitment to the state through 2021 after rumors had swirled that the global bank was looking to leave its massive offices in downtown Stamford. 

UBS has agreed to maintain its workforce in Connecticut through 2021.

UBS has agreed to maintain its workforce in Connecticut through 2021.

Photo Credit: File

“This extended agreement clears up any doubt about the company’s intentions in Connecticut and makes sense for UBS, Stamford and the entire state, especially given how important the financial services sector is to the state and local economies,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Friday, Oct. 31, in a statement. “UBS has been a valued employer in a high-profile industry. ... Today’s announcement is about retaining quality jobs for Connecticut and reaffirming the state’s reputation as a leader in financial services.”

The amended partnership agreement with the state will extend the timeframe and give UBS an incentive to remain in the state until 2021 with no further financial outlay on the part of the state.

“We appreciate our partnership with Governor Malloy and the State of Connecticut and it remains an important market for UBS,” said Kathleen Lynch, chief operating officer, UBS Group Americas. “For more than a decade, UBS and our employees have been active members in communities from Stamford to Hartford, and we are pleased to continue our collaboration with this great state.”

Under the terms of the original loan from the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), the company received $20 million, which was fully forgivable if the company maintained 2,000 jobs for five years. 

In the extended agreement, the same $20 million has the potential to be fully forgivable if the company continues to retain 2,000 jobs, with loan forgiveness based on the number of jobs retained in the state each year through 2021. 

At the end of each year between now and 2021, a job audit will determine the level of employment from which DECD will determine what percentage of forgiveness will be earned that year.  

“The new formula is a win-win proposition.  It provides incentives for the company to retain employees in the state, while requiring repayment of a portion of the loan each year should jobs decline,” DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith said.

A report earlier this month from The Advocate said UBS has placed its 12-acre Stamford office building complex on the market for lease as the number of workers in the city has decreased.

UBS, a leading global bank and wealth manager based in Switzerland, established offices in Stamford more than a decade ago. As one of the larger financial services firms in the state, UBS helps to anchor the strong financial services cluster in Connecticut.  

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