Bellingham-based high-tech firm receives major investment, expects to hire workers
A private investment firm has purchased a stake in a local technology company that could mean additional local jobs in the next few years.
Polaris Growth Fund recently made what is described as a “significant growth investment” in Bellingham-based Emergency Reporting, according to an April 12 news release. In an April 19 phone interview Emergency Reporting CEO David Nokes said Polaris will have representation on Emergency Reporting’s board of directors, but there are no changes to what the company is doing.
Emergency Reporting’s founders, Dave Adams and Adrian Mintz, will stay on as chief revenue officer and chief product officer, respectively. The company’s headquarters will remain in Bellingham.
What this means for the company is the ability to launch a three-year growth plan that includes adding high-tech and sales jobs, Nokes said. Emergency Reporting currently has around 88 employees, with 65 based in Bellingham. That overall total is expected to rise to around 120 in the next few years, Nokes said.
Emergency Reporting provides secure computer software programs for fire and emergency management service agencies. According to the company’s website, the company’s software programs support more than 460,00 first responders.
The strategy going forward is to expand into even more markets, Nokes said, adding that in the past two years they’ve been able to enter some international markets. He noted that while they currently serve around 7,000 fire departments, there are many more to reach. According to Wikipedia, 27,228 fire departments were in the United States in 2018.
Two years ago Emergency Reporting went through a growth spurt, moving into its current offices at 2200 Rimland Drive in the Barkley District. At one point 20 employees were hired in a 60-day period, according to a 2017 article in The Bellingham Herald. The company was founded in 2003.
This story was originally published April 23, 2019 at 8:52 AM.
