Boston Financial Data Services Inc. announced today it has leased a building in Rockland with plans to hire 100 this year, employing up to 250 in two years.

Boston Financial formalized a lease agreement with Rockland Harbor Park LLC to occupy 12 Water St., a former MBNA building. The company is leasing more than 70,000 square feet.

The Quincy, Mass., company employs 3,000 associates there and in Kansas City, Mo., and Lawrence, Kan. The company provides investor and intermediary services to the financial marketplace. Boston Financial services 116 clients representing in excess of 25 million accounts and 6,800 funds. According to the 2008 Mutual Fund Service Guide, Boston Financial has the largest shareholder account base of any third-party service provider in the industry.

“Our new site aligns with our long-term growth strategy while maintaining our commitment to the Boston, Kansas City and Lawrence areas,” said Terry Metzger, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Boston Financial, in a Tuesday release “We’re excited about our new site in Maine, and the opportunity to build upon our position as an industry leader.”

Matt Jacobson, president of Maine & Co., said Boston Financial was attracted by both the physical facility and the trained work force, many members of which had worked for MBNA before the company largely pulled out of the state several years ago. Maine & Co. leveraged local and state incentives and provided site location services and work force analysis data to Boston Financial.

“Rockland became a ‘short-list’ contender when Boston Financial began looking for an additional location for expansion,” said Jacobson. “We worked closely with state economic leaders and regional economic groups to provide an incentive package to locate Boston Financial in the Midcoast region.”

One of the incentives applied was the state’s Pine Tree Zone, Gov. John Baldacci noted in a release.

Visit www.bostonfinancial.com for more information on the company