Posted by Heidi Schwartz

Woodward, Inc. has announced that it intends to acquire a corporate campus site for its global headquarters and selected business group operations in Fort Collins, CO. The acquisition decision was made after extensive work with the City of Fort Collins to plan the site and to obtain necessary approvals for its intended use.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and Colorado Economic Development Commission arranged important business assistance associated with planned new jobs and investment and the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation provided valuable site selection assistance.

The downtown Fort Collins site, adjacent to the Poudre River and its 21-mile recreational trail, is within walking distance of the community’s dynamic “Old Town” historic area—a popular Northern Colorado destination for shopping and entertainment. Colorado State University, a longtime Woodward partner in energy technology development, is a short drive away. A key consideration in the selection of the site was the ability to leverage Woodward’s investment and employment on the new campus to help achieve long term planning goals of the Fort Collins community, particularly for the Old Town area.

Woodward anticipates that the attributes of the site, the community, and the new campus will represent compelling, competitive differentiators for long-term retention and attraction of talented members. Of the 101-acre parcel to be acquired, Woodward is planning to donate to the City of Fort Collins approximately 30 acres, which is adjacent to the river, for restoration by the city as a natural area and for improvements to the city’s extensive trail system.

Through competitive processes, Woodward selected Ghafari Associates of Dearborn, Michigan to provide architectural and engineering services and M. A. Mortensen Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota as the construction manager/general contractor for the Colorado project.

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DCI Engineers provided structural design services for this multi-building office complex, which totals close to 500,000 square feet in space.

Posted by Heidi Schwartz

RealNetworks Inc. has announced that the company is moving its Seattle headquarters to a brand new office space in Home Plate Center later this year. RealNetworks signed an 11-year lease agreement to occupy over 85,000 square feet (with options for future growth), moving its entire Seattle team of more than 350 employees to the modernized office space.

“We’re very excited to be anchoring our new headquarters at Home Plate Center,” said Rob Glaser, founder, and interim CEO of RealNetworks. “This move reinforces our long-term commitment to the Seattle community and fits our strategic initiatives, our financial objectives, and our global footprint.   Moreover, when we launched RealNetworks in 1995, we were based in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, just up the street from HPC, so in a very real way we’re going back to our roots.”

RealNetworks has a global footprint extending from Seattle to Seoul, Tokyo, and Beijing in Asia to Victoria, BC, in Canada, to New York and Washington, DC, on the East Coast, and to London, Eindhoven and Salzburg in Europe, creating a much more geographically dispersed workforce than in 1999 when Real last moved its HQ. The new headquarters feature the accommodations necessary to support a global company, including advanced technological infrastructure, environmentally efficient design, and interior and exterior spaces that foster collaboration and engagement.

RealNetworks will be the anchor tenant in Home Plate Center, which is located kitty-corner from Safeco Field on First Avenue South in Seattle’s vibrant SODO neighborhood. The company will initially occupy the fourth through sixth floors, with options for future growth.

SkB Architects, well known for designing collaborative and open workspaces for leading local companies, will create a customized build-out that embraces the natural elements of the Pacific Northwest. Once completed, the new office will reinforce energy efficiency, promote communication and collaboration across the company with features such as open meeting areas, a three-level staircase to improve flow throughout the company, and a lunchroom located on the top floor adjacent to the outdoor deck.

“We’re thrilled to welcome RealNetworks as the anchor tenant at Home Plate Center,” said Henry Liebman, CEO of American Life. “They are a major company that matches the innovation and dynamic growth of the SODO neighborhood. We’re sure they’ll appreciate the location, amenities and ease of access to all modes of transportation.”

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Posted by Heidi Schwartz

The Hertz Corporation has announced that the company will relocate its worldwide headquarters to Estero, FL (Lee County, near Bonita Springs and Fort Myers) from Park Ridge, NJ. Hertz made the decision following its recent acquisition of the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, which was finalized on November 19, 2012. Dollar Thrifty is currently headquartered in Tulsa, OK.

Consolidating the corporate offices to one location will allow for increased efficiencies and cost synergies across the company. Additionally, access to the Florida travel and tourism population will position the company for long-term growth. According to Visit Florida, there are approximately 1 million employees in the state’s travel and tourism industry, Florida’s largest business segment. Hertz also noted that Orlando is the world’s largest car rental market, and that Miami is a hub for accelerating travel growth between the United States and Latin America.

Starting this year, up to 700 jobs will be relocated to Florida over a two-year period.  More than 2,000 Hertz and Dollar Thrifty personnel will remain in New Jersey, including approximately 150 employees who currently work in Park Ridge. All other Park Ridge employees will be able to retain their current positions at the new headquarters, scheduled to be completed in early 2015. Hertz was founded in Chicago, IL in 1918, and moved its headquarters to New Jersey from mid-town Manhattan in 1988.

“After our recent business expansion, we have been looking for the right location to blend Hertz and Dollar Thrifty head office employees,” Hertz Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mark P. Frissora said. “Florida is the center of the U.S. travel and tourism industry—this move enables us to be closer to leisure and business customers as well as many travel and association partners. As part of this move, we will open off-airport and retail car sales stores on our headquarters campus, which will enable us to experiment with new services and monitor customer satisfaction first hand. Lee County, on the Southwestern Gulf Coast of Florida, is a well-established travel destination with tremendous growth potential, with easy access to other leading tourism markets including Orlando, Miami/Fort Lauderdale and Tampa/St. Petersburg.”

Hertz and Dollar Thrifty have more employees in Florida than in any other state except California, and Florida rents more cars per capita than any other state. Florida provides ready access to a vast and diverse talent pool, including 3,000 of its own employees. All of these factors supported the company’s final decision.

Frissora added, “This is the best, most balanced business decision based on market factors as well as the needs of our employees and customers. The relocation results in a positive financial return to the company and we will provide more details during our next quarterly earnings call. Additionally, in no way should this decision be perceived as a slight to our partners in New Jersey and Oklahoma. We recognize the significant efforts undertaken in recent years in both states to create and retain jobs, while improving the overall business climate.  In particular, over the last several years we have seen significant improvement in New Jersey’s business climate and our decision should not be interpreted as a reflection of our views about doing business in the Garden State.  New Jersey has been our home since 1988 and would have been for countless more if not for our acquisition of Dollar.

“Because of these efforts, we will continue to grow our car and equipment rental businesses in New Jersey and Oklahoma. We are retaining e-commerce and certain financial functions in northern New Jersey thanks to the state’s strength in the financial services industry.  Oklahoma will continue to be our primary home for IT, customer service and financial support driving our North American businesses.  Overall, we concluded that it is in the best interests of our company, which is primarily in the travel and tourism business, to be near our largest market.

“We also want to note that the New Jersey Partnership for Action was very active and effective in their efforts to entice us to remain in New Jersey, and we are grateful for their efforts.”

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Pacific Corporate Park in Dulles, VA is now known as Raytheon’s “Dulles Hub.” (Photo: Foxcorp.com)

Posted by Heidi Schwartz

Raytheon Company has announced that two of its four businesses will have new headquarters locations. The decisions stem from the company consolidation announced March 25, 2013, intended to streamline operations, increase productivity and achieve stronger alignment with its customers’ priorities.

Raytheon’s newly formed Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) business will establish its headquarters at the company’s existing Dulles, VA, hub operations in Sterling, VA. IIS provides a full range of ISR, navigation, weather, cybersecurity, training, logistics, mission support and engineering solutions for the intelligence community, government and commercial customers.

Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) business headquarters will transition from El Segundo, CA, to McKinney, Texas, where the company already has a major business presence. Raytheon will maintain business operations in California, as well as in other states. SAS builds radars and other sensors for aircraft, spacecraft and ships; provides communications and electronic warfare solutions; and performs research in areas ranging from linguistics to quantum computing.

The headquarters of Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems and Missile Systems businesses remain in Tewksbury, MA, and Tucson, AZ, respectively.

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Phase II Of HDL, Inc. headquarters expansion has begun. (PRNewsFoto/HDL, Inc.)

With its nearly 650 employees into Phase I of its headquarters expansion in Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. (HDL, Inc.) has begun construction on Phase II of the 283,000-square-foot complex. Phase II will be a mirror image of Phase I, and when completed in April 2014 will contain 95,000 additional square feet of office and wet laboratory space.

“It is our mission to prevent and reverse heart disease and related diseases, and this real estate expansion is allowing us to do so as a team in a values-based, innovative environment in downtown Richmond,” said Tonya Mallory, HDL, Inc.’s CEO, President and Co-Founder.

When complete, HDL, Inc.’s offices and laboratories will encompass 283,000 square feet (approximately five football fields) and hold an additional 400 employees. Features of the headquarters include a rooftop park and green space, a 24/7 gym for employees, and the building’s atrium, which will eventually contain spiral slides connecting the sixth, fifth, and fourth floors. The real estate is valued at roughly $80 million, and with equipment costs HDL, Inc.’s total investment in the biotech park will reach more than $100 million.

“Few believed that the research park could grow to become such an economic powerhouse when it was first launched 20 years ago. It has put Virginia on the map in biotechnology and the life sciences, and is helping us to compete globally to attract and grow this important sector of our region’s economy,” said Robert T. Skunda, President and CEO of the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park.

The Lingerfelt Companies, a Richmond-based developer, has been involved with the project since its inception. “Since partnering with HDL in 2009, it has been a fast-paced development cycle and we are pleased to assist HDL in its expansion. HDL is a significant complement to our growing healthcare development portfolio,” Lingerfelt Companies Principal Ryan Lingerfelt said. “This project is a prime example of how a growing healthcare provider, coupled with resources and development talents, comes together to benefit our community and many others worldwide.”

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“Drew Industries’ announcement builds on our strength as the RV capital of the world and serves as the latest proof that our convenient location, competitive tax environment and talented workforce have put Indiana on the map as a state that works for business,” said Gov. Mike Pence.

“We have experienced significant growth over the past three years,” said Jason D. Lippert, chairman and chief executive officer of Lippert Components and Kinro. “When looking to relocate our corporate headquarters, Indiana made the most sense due to its talented workforce, and because most of the RVs produced in the United States are produced in Elkhart County. We greatly appreciate the support provided to us by the state of Indiana, Elkhart County and the cities of Goshen and Elkhart and we look forward to continued growth and future success here.”

“We’re excited about Drew Industries’ plans for expansion,” said Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore. “This expansion further solidifies Elkhart’s position as the RV capital of the world. I look forward to many more future expansions like this in the community.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Drew Industries Incorporated up to $4,300,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. The city of Elkhart and the city of Goshen will consider additional property tax abatements at the request of the Economic Development Corporation of Elkhart County.

“Elkhart County is fortunate to have Drew Industries,” said Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman. “They have become one of the largest employers in the city of Goshen and Elkhart County. We are pleased with their ongoing commitment to investing in our community and applaud their success.”

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The Kansas Department of Commerce has announced that Staples will keep its main office for Staples Promotional Products in Overland Park. The company plans to add up to several dozen jobs at the office over the next five years.

“I’m excited that Staples is taking advantage of the strong business environment that we are building in the state,” said Kansas Commerce Secretary Pat George.

Overland Park will remain the location for the primary administrative offices for Staples Promotional Products, the largest promotional product distributor in North America and a business division of Staples Advantage. Between its Staples Promotional Products and Staples Advantage offices, the company employs hundreds in Kansas and anticipates several million in capital investment in Overland Park over the next five years.

“We are pleased that Staples, a leading Fortune 500 company, will continue to grow its Promotional Products division headquarters here in Overland Park,” stated Beth Johnson, senior vice president of economic development for the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council. “Staples Promotional Products recognizes Overland Park as being the address for business, and we look forward to their continued success in the community.”

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Faurecia North America announced more details of its plans for a new headquarters building in Auburn Hills at the hub of activity for southeast Michigan’s auto industry. (PRNewsFoto/Faurecia North America)

In Michigan, automotive supplier Faurecia has opened six new locations since 2010 and a total of 13 sites that collectively employ more than 4,000 people. Its success has led Faurecia North America to begin construction on a new headquarters building that also will house technical centers for Faurecia Automotive Seating and Faurecia Automotive Exteriors.

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It takes something really extraordinary to put an entire industry into play, but that’s what may be happening to the guns and ammo sector in the U.S.

The Newtown, CT school massacre moved gun safety legislation front and center on the national and state levels. Proposed new gun-control measures, including universal background checks, an assault weapons ban and limits on high-capacity magazines are moving towards key votes in Congress.

Meanwhile, several states already have acted to tighten their gun control laws. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed through a measure in January requiring registration of an estimated one million guns already in circulation. Other provisions in the NY package require five-year renewals of handgun licenses statewide; direct mental health professionals to notify authorities of patients deemed likely to seriously hurt themselves or others; and require federal background checks for private gun sales in New York.

New York’s new law–the first new gun restrictions in the nation following the Dec. 14 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown–also lowers the capacity limit of weapons magazines from 10 rounds to seven. In Colorado, Gov. John Hickenlooper bucked a strong tradition of gun ownership in the state and succeeded in enacting a landmark new law expanding background checks on gun purchases and limiting the size of ammunition clips. Several other states are moving forward with new gun restrictions, including New Jersey, Illinois and Connecticut.

Predictably, the National Rifle Association and its allies are mounting legal challenges to the new restrictions. This week, the NRA joined the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, other sportsmen’s groups, firearms businesses and individual gun owners in a lawsuit that aims to overturn New York’s law, citing the second and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

As the national debate heats up over new gun-control legislation, some weapons manufacturers are threatening to leave inhospitable states for less-regulated locations.

Colt Manufacturing President and CEO Dennis Veilleux told Fox News that Connecticut legislators’ proposals to enact ammunition restrictions, expand an assault weapons ban, curtail bulk purchases of handguns and create a new gun offender registry risk putting Colt and its 700 employees “in the crosshairs.”

Colt has called Connecticut home for over 175 years. Veilleux made it clear the gun maker is closely watching state legislative activity, especially Gov. Dan Malloy’s promise to ban both the purchase and sale of AR-15 rifles–one of Colt’s key products. Last week, Colt sent 400 of its employees to Connecticut’s state Capitol to personally lobby against new gun-control legislation. Meanwhile, a Malloy spokesman has stated that the governor does not want gun manufacturers to flee the state. In Colt’s case, it would mean a loss of $1.7 billion for the state’s economy

In Colorado, following the passage of Gov. Hickenlooper’s bill banning the sale of magazines capable of holding more than 15 rounds, munitions magazine manufacturer Magpul announced it will shut down its operations in the state .

As in any relocation paradigm, one community’s loss is another’s gain. In Montana, they ‘re moving quickly to put out the welcome mat for gun and ammunition manufacturers from across the country. In fact, local economic development agencies are openly targeting weapons producers.

The details of this effort were reported this week by Jeremy Vannatta, Director of Outreach, Recruitment and Marketing for the Big Sky Economic Development Authority (EDA), during a joint meeting of the Executive Committees for the EDA and its sister organization, the Big Sky Economic Development Corporation (EDC).

Vannatta said that a committee has been formed and they have compiled a list of some 300 prospective companies. Sixteen of those companies already have connections to the state and are considered prime candidates.

“We do have an industry here already,” Vannatta told the Big Sky Business Journal. There are ten gun manufacturers in the state, he said, as well as companies which manufacture components for guns manufactured by other companies.

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The new Detroit Electric sports car will be revealed in April 2013. (PRNewsFoto/Detroit Electric)

After an absence of over 70 years, Detroit Electric has returned to the legendary Motor City, promising job creation and a range of exciting 100% electric vehicles for the mass market. Heralding the rebirth of the original electric car brand, Detroit Electric has announced the establishment of its corporate headquarters on the 18^th floor of the iconic Fisher Building, located in downtown Detroit, with Don Graunstadt, CEO, North America Operations at Detroit Electric, signing a long-term lease.

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