LI company to expand, even as it moves HQ

A computer-software company that serves health care providers hopes to create up to 360 jobs in Suffolk County within five to seven years, an official said Saturday.

Kevin Scalia, executive vice president of Netsmart Technologies Inc., said the company planned to expand its Great River office, where about 180 people now work. They develop software used by mental health institutions, drug treatment programs and public health clinics.

His comments were in response to published reports that Netsmart chief executive Michael Valentine had announced plans to move the company's headquarters to the Kansas City area from Long Island.

Scalia said Saturday that Netsmart has "many headquarters" and that top executives, such as the chief financial officer, would continue to work from an office suite at 3500 Sunrise Hwy. "We are hiring people on Long Island as fast as we can," he said

Scalia conceded that Valentine, chief executive since May, would be based in Kansas City, where he has lived for some time. Scalia also said Netsmart does not subscribe to the generally held belief that a company's headquarters is wherever its chief executive works.

News of Netsmart follows the Oct. 12 announcement by Arrow Electronics, Long Island's largest public company, that its headquarters will move from Melville to Denver -- near the home of Arrow chief executive Michael J. Long. Like Netsmart, Arrow officials have said no local jobs will be lost and key positions will remain here.

Netsmart expects to increase annual sales from $100 million to about $500 million by 2018. The company's total employment will climb from 550 people to about 2,500 at its eight offices.

New York State and local officials pledged to aid Netsmart's growth. "The company's decision to open a new location in Kansas City will not affect a single job on Long Island," said Austin Shafran of Empire State Development Corp.