HispanicBusiness

Red Ventures, the rapidly growing Internet marketing firm based in Fort Mill, is planning a major expansion, it said Tuesday.

The company has acquired 16 acres of land next to its headquarters in 521 Corporate Center Park, just south of Ballantyne. That expansion is expected to create 1,000 new jobs over the next five years, Red Ventures said.

The tech firm currently owns 17 acres for its 150,000-square-foot campus, where amenities include an indoor basketball court, putting green and cafe with subsidized meals.

"The next few years will be full of challenges and opportunities, and we are hoping to double the size of our current workforce," Red Ventures chief executive Ric Elias said. "This additional land will allow us to grow, while also maintaining the unique, employee-friendly environment we've created."

The company, which expects to grow by 30 percent in 2012, plans to begin the expansion with the development of a third building by the end of the year. The firm employs about 1,500 workers in its four offices in Miami, San Antonio, Wilmington and Fort Mill, including nearly 1,000 at its headquarters. That's up from 300 workers when the company moved to South Carolina in 2009.

Red Ventures works with brand partners in the areas of entertainment, data and Internet, small-business solutions, security, energy and software services. To learn more or apply for jobs, visit www.redventures.com/careers.