Business expansion: Uber to open new office in Chicago and hire 2,000 People

Uber intends to open new working space in the Chicago River area and employ 2,000 people for its operations, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Monday.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said, “Chicago is the heart of American’s transportation and logistics industry, and there is no better place to open our dedicated Freight HQ”.

In the new office, the ride-hailing company will headquarter its freight unit and related engineering hub. It has already a significant presence in Chicago because it has 1,300 workers working there; few are employed with the ride-hailing unit and majority of them are working on Freight.

The company’s in-house technology helps the freight unit to link shippers with trucking firms; where Uber in return gets some fee.The unit is located both in Chicago and San Francisco. But, the company chose Chicago as a consolidation point because of the transportation logistics expertise in the area.

According to Uber, it has signed a contract with The Old Main Post Office for ten years to set up the office. It also intends to invest $200 million yearly in Chicago on real estate, and other expenses.

In August, Uber unveiled plans about opening a new administrative hub in the city of Dallas creating 3,000 fresh employment opportunities, said an Uber spokesperson.