Adobe: Over a Decade of Meeting America’s Software Needs

Pete CodellaWhere Are They Now?

Note: This article is part of a series providing updates from companies that received an EDTIF tax credit. Our office has an ongoing partnership, through a post-performance incentive, with the company. The story is the company’s narrative and may not reflect the methodology of standardized legislative reporting requirements published in our Annual Report. We do not certify or independently verify any company’s data as part of this ‘Where are they now?’ series.

Adobe’s presence in Utah started in 2009 when the company acquired Omniture. At that time, the offices were based in Orem. In 2012, the company opened a new campus in Lehi with LEED Gold certification that accommodates 1,300 employees. In June 2020, Adobe completed its phase two building expansion that accommodates 1,000 additional employees. 

“We selected Utah as our home base because of its skilled workforce, business-friendly environment, and high quality of life,” said Jonathan Francom, vice president of Employee and Workspace Solutions. 

2020 marked Adobe’s 20th year on Fortune’s Best Company to Work For list. The company was also recognized as one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in the World, Forbes’ Best Workplaces in America, and Best Employers for Diversity.

In response to recent high-profile events, Adobe developed the Taking Action Initiative (TAI), which includes five task forces, each with a specific focus.

  1. Building community at Adobe: Educating employees to raise awareness of issues on race, inclusion, and belonging and creating a platform for the black experience to be heard.
  2. Growth and advancement: Fostering greater opportunity, sponsorship, development, and advancement.
  3. Hiring and recruiting: Increasing investment in developing a robust talent pipeline.
  4. Social responsibility and advocacy: Identifying key issues where the company will direct resources and energy toward advancing equality through its ecosystem.
  5. Transparency in progress: Enabling more insight, data, and accountability to ensure measurable progress.


“We’ve also instituted fair-pay practices that allowed us to achieve global pay parity,” Francom said. “In September 2020, we reaffirmed global pay parity and announced we achieved pay parity between employees from U.S. underrepresented minority groups and non-under represented minority employees.”

Adobe employees are also heavily invested in giving back to the community by volunteering 28,570 hours in Utah. Even amid the pandemic, employees volunteered over 14,000 hours in 2020. Similarly, Adobe donated $888,358 to nonprofits in 2020 through matching, volunteer, and board service grants. In 2020, Adobe donated over $400,000 to select 20 local nonprofits in $20,000 grants each, including Girls on the Run, Alpine School District Foundation, and Utah Pride Center, Francom noted.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the company’s top-of-mind priority has been its families, employees, and customers’ health and safety. Following are three articles detailing how the company is facing this unfolding crisis.

“As a pioneer in the Silicon Slopes area, it has been exciting to witness the tremendous growth for both Adobe and the state,” Francom said. “We are proud to continue to support the growing economy through our local employee base.”