Kronos Inc., a work force management software firm, announced on Thursday that it will open an Indianapolis office and plans to add 250 jobs by 2015 as part of a $5.1 million expansion.

The Massachusetts-based company plans to open the office in downtown's PNC Center in January, taking 31,000 square feet on the eighth floor. Kronos said the investment will go toward equipping space for what essentially will be a customer service center.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. said it will provide Kronos up to $2.5 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $300,000 in training grants based on the company’s job-creation plans. The city of Indianapolis will consider additional property tax abatements as well as a training grant and parking assistance.

“Kronos is excited to be expanding into the vibrant city of Indianapolis and looks forward to contributing to the business landscape and providing high-quality jobs for the talented graduates of top-notch local universities,” Chris Todd, senior vice president of services for Kronos, said in a prepared statement.

Founded in 1977, the company produced the world’s first microprocessor-based time clock. Organizations in more than 60 countries use its applications to manage attendance, scheduling, human resources, payroll and hiring.

Ball State University, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana are among its customers.
 
Based in Chelmsford, Mass., Kronos also has customer service centers in Chelmsford; Montreal, Canada; and Noida, India.