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But the potential that exists as a result of this first foray into Windsor is huge

“We have a voracious appetite for tech talent,” said Cullen, explaining that during the Amazon pitch last year, his firm learned about the tremendous amount of talent available in Windsor.

He said he wouldn’t be surprised if Gilbert’s companies did other things in Windsor, in addition to the 100 Quicken Loans tech jobs.

“We are 100 different companies, most of which are all focused on tech, and so access to that kind of talent is critically important,” he said, adding that the company also likes to have its people close by and connected.

“So Windsor is kind of a win-win. It opens up a new talent pool but it’s three minutes away from our headquarters, so in that way it’s real attractive. So we’re going to try to look at it for sure.”

Photo by Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

Mayor Drew Dilkens said if this Quicken Loans tech centre is a success for the company, “the sky’s the limit” when it comes to future investment in Windsor. When the announcement was first made, some people shrugged at the 100 jobs.

“But the potential that exists as a result of this first foray into Windsor is huge,” he said, describing how tech firms including Quicken are hungry for programmers that they can’t satisfy in Detroit. The border is a big barrier. While 7,000 Windsorites commute to jobs in Michigan daily, there are many others who can’t because they can’t get the proper work permits. A location in Windsor negates that barrier for Quicken and other U.S.-based firms, he said.

“With those first 100 jobs, we have to blow them out of the water, make sure it’s done right and that we support the company and do whatever we can to help them to attract talent,” whether that talent is available in Windsor or if they must be recruited from elsewhere, the mayor said.