Sodexo Headquarters To Remain In Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney A. Katz and state and county officials Tuesday morning announced that Sodexo Inc., has renewed the lease on its Gaithersburg North American headquarters building, ensuring the company and its current 567 full-time jobs will remain at the site for the next decade.

Sodexo is a provider of food and facilities management in the United States, Mexico and Canada, including hospitals, senior living centers, college campuses and more. 

Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary Christian S. Johansson said the deal will keep more than 500 jobs in Gaithersburg and create 50 additional jobs over the next three years.

“We are delighted that we could be a part of the effort to reach an agreement with Sodexo that not only preserves the presence of this global leader in Gaithersburg, but fosters opportunities for their expansion,” Katz said in a statement. “It is important for Gaithersburg to retain a focus on preserving and enhancing the experience for existing businesses, allowing them to continue to grow and thrive in our burgeoning community.”

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said the county's Department of Economic Development has partnered with its colleagues at the state level to retain more than 800 high-paying, quality jobs in the county, the latest being the 567 jobs retained at the Sodexo headquarters.

“Sodexo exemplifies economic development at its best — a company headquartered in the county for almost 15 years that has now committed to stay here for at least another decade and add jobs to our local economy," Leggett said.

Sodexo has been headquartered in Gaithersburg since 1998, with about 60 percent of its employees living in Montgomery County and another 20 percent living in other areas of Maryland, said Sodexo President and CEO George Chavel.

To assist the company with the cost associated with re-leasing the facility, the state has approved a $2 million conditional loan through the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development’s Economic Development Assistance Fund. In addition, Montgomery County has approved a grant of up to $1.5 million based on the same terms and the city of Gaithersburg has approved up to $500,000 from its Economic Opportunities fund, the city said in a news release.

Sodexo will also be eligible for other state programs, including the Job Creation Tax Credit, Enterprise Zone credits and the county’s New Jobs Tax Credit.

Sodexo Inc. is part of the Sodexo Group, which serves 75 million consumers daily through its 420,000 nationwide employees and operations in 80 countries worldwide.

The company funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation, an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $17 million in grants to end childhood hunger in America.