Virtual-technology company plans to expand Carson HQ

A virtual company that provides project management training to businesses around the world plans to expand its Carson City headquarters, the company president said Tuesday.

Top employees of Cheetah Learning Inc., a subsidiary of MAKLAF Holding Inc., work across the globe using the Internet.

Owner and president Michelle LaBrosse said its business model is to go to the customer. The company is headquartered at 502 N. Division St., but it doesn't have any staff.

LaBrosse said Cheetah's presence in Carson City will grow, but that doesn't necessarily mean its employees will move here, or that it will hire more.

"We're not a normal company with respect to bringing 40 manufacturing jobs," she said. "That's not what we do. We're an information-based company. We use the Internet to completely run the business."

The company has a few business centers, including training centers in Seattle, Cleveland and Hartford, Conn. Its accounting and shipping departments are also in Hartford. LaBrosse said she plans to move these two departments to Carson City.

"They are in the process of becoming more virtual," she said. "They want the ability to live where ever they want to live as well. We're not exactly sure how many people are going to Nevada until we go through this virtual process of further automating more of the company."

The company is developing a new technology programming team in Nevada, which could include five programmers. But as the company progresses over the Internet, employees won't have to live in one specific place, which LaBrosse said is a cheaper way to operate a business, and a way to attract the best talent.

Their business model is unusual, which makes it difficult to apply for government economic grants.

The company withdrew an incentive application with the Nevada Commission on Economic Development this week for that reason, she said. One requirement of the application is to list the number of jobs moving to Nevada and how much the employees will be paid.

Tim Rubald, executive director of the Nevada Commission on Economic Development, said the company could be ready to reapply by July or August.

According to the application, Cheetah Learning could move about 16 full-time jobs to Carson City, with an average hourly wage of $35.

The company's Web site is www.cheetahlearning.com.

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.