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Richardson 2011 Business Relocations/Expansions Already Double 2010’s Impact

Aug 5, 2011

Richardson 2011 Business Relocations/Expansions Already Double 2010’s Impact

 

Just halfway through 2011, the jobs and occupancy resulting from Richardson business relocations and expansions are more than double last year’s totals. Through June, 24 completed projects reported by the REDP involve 5,174 new or retained jobs (versus 1,918 in 2010) and the occupancy of 1,334,728 square feet of non-retail commercial space (versus 631,032 in 2010).  

 

Major Relocations:

  • VCE – Governor Rick Perry was on hand for the March 8 announcement that VCE, a new Cloud Computing company created by three world-renowned companies VMware-Cisco Systems and EMC, would be establishing its headquarters in Richardson and spawning 450 very well-paying jobs. The move underscores the fact that Richardson, and North Texas generally, is already a major center for Cloud Computing because of the strong telecom, software, and data center owner/developer sectors in the region.
  • Ericsson – After a nearly decade-long absence, the Swedish telecom giant returned to Richardson in a big way. First, it purchased the Carrier Networks business from a floundering Nortel in 2009, and then in July of this year, Ericsson signed a lease for 460,000 SF at the Richardson Nortel campus to ensure the continued presence of approximately 1,000 former Nortel workers there and to add nearly 1,500 employers from the region. With the new total of 2,500, Ericsson is almost back to its pre-2000 workforce high in the Telecom Corridor.

Business Retention Activity:
 
  • Fossil – Fossil is one of the most
    internationally recognized companies in     Richardson. In March, Fossil
    concluded a very creative agreement with KDC Real Estate Development &
    Investments, whereby Fossil will be able to consolidate its two     Richardson operations into a single
    535,771 SF facility that formerly served as the headquarters for Blue
    Cross & Blue Shield of Texas. KDC made the decision for Fossil easy,
    as it agreed to acquire all of Fossil’s existing Richardson buildings – a
    190,000 SF headquarters and side-by-side 139,000 SF distribution center
    along with a 130,000 SF office building. When the transition is complete
    in October, Fossil’s 1,100 local employees will enjoy a roomy and
    renovated single campus that will become a familiar landmark on     Richardson’s southern
    border.   

 

Trends:
 

Other projects on the 2011 list are indicative of some of the economic trends affect Richardson:

 
  • Data centers are a key element in cloud computing, and Richardson is home to 10 company or operator-owned data center buildings comprising almost 1 million SF with five more planned or under construction. Richardson’s technology-oriented workforce, its secure environment, robust fiber connectivity and access to electricity make it a popular location for data centers.
  • Available office space in large blocks of 100,000 SF or more are in abundance in Richardson. The 460,000 SF space that enabled Ericsson to quickly find a home for 1,500 workers was just the tip of the iceberg. Remaining are another eight or nine spaces that offer outstanding quality, pricing, access and visibility.
  • Technology growth is evident, as more than 50% of the 24 companies represent technology-centric businesses. Factors that favor Richardson for a tech company relocation are:
    • Superior access to the region’s skilled technology workers
    • The presence of major technology companies
    • UT Dallas’ educational resources
    • Richardson’s history in launching many of the great technology companies that have come out of North Texas

 

What’s Ahead:
 

Considering the fragile state of the national company, it is unlikely there will be a major overall economic uptick in Richardson environs. However, in niches like data centers and specific technologies, there should be some positive movement. With significant speculative office development still at least several years away and with relative scarcities in other northern suburban markets, Richardson’s abundance of large blocks of available office space will be an important factor going into the latter portion of 2011. 

 
 
2011 Richardson Business Expansions and Relocations
# COMPANY BUSINESS TYPE FROM  OCC.  ADDRESS  SQ.FT.  TYPE SPACE  JOBS  BROKER 
1 Southern Graphic Systems Packaging design graphics/printing Expansion Richardson  Lease  901 International Pkwy #180  27,800  Flex  15 
Susan Singer
BRADFORD 
2 Stream Data Center Data center operation for hospitals Relocation Denver, CO  Lease  3300 Essex  20,000  Flex  10  Brian Olney
JLL 
3  Pisa Group b Customer service for newspapers like DMN  Relocation St. Louis, MO  Lease  1220 E. Campbell  9,540  Flex  100 
Jeff Pappas
Arledge 
4  Agilent  Calibration & measuring devices  Expansion  Richardson  Lease  1200 E. Campbell  11,134  Flex  30 
Mike McCartan
MARK V 
5  Maverick Technologies  System integrator for industrial systems  Expansion  Richardson  Lease  1717 Firman  8,800  Flex  20  Mike McCartan MARK V 
6  Applied Materials  Semiconductor mftg equipment  Expansion  Richardson  Lease  1717 Firman  6,290  Flex  25 
Mike McCartan
MARK V 
7  SSG, Limited  Oracle-related bus. applications  Expansion  Richardson  Lease 801 E. Campbell #350  6,680  Office  20 
Deborah Borum
BELTWAY 
8  Performance Pulsation Controls  Noise control devices for piping and drilling  Relocation  Plano  Buy  3309 Essex  5,693  Flex  20 
Brett McMillan
VANTAGE 
9  Calix Networks  Broadband access equipment  Relocation  Petaluma, CA  Lease  1701 Plano Rd. #150  3,543  Flex  15 
Travis Sapaugh
CBRE 
10  VCE  IT products and services  Relocation  Addison  Lease  1500 N. Greenville  87,650  Office  434 
Greg Langston
CRESA 
11  Concept Laboratories  Small batch cosmetic design & production  Expansion  Richardson  Lease  3305 Essex  11,387  Flex  15 
Brett McMillan
VANTAGE 
12  Fossil  Watches, fashion accessories  Relocation  Richardson  Lease  901 N. Central Expy.  535,771  Office  1,100 
John Brownlee
KDC 
13  FlexLink  Designs & makes conveyor systems  Relocation  Plano  Lease  3321 E. Renner Rd. 25,390  Flex  20 
George Tanghongs
LEE 
14  Westbrook Dental Lab  Fabricate dental implants  Relocation  Garland  Lease  3309 Essex  5,694  Flex  15 
Brett McMillan
VANTAGE 
15  MetroPCS  Mobile phone carrier  Expansion  Richardson  Lease  2350 Lakeside  25,000  Office  100 
Bo Bond
JLL 
16  MobilComm Wireless services Relocation  Plano Buy  465 PGBT Bldg. B  18,420  Office  10 
Janice Peters
HUDSON PETERS 
17 
 Senderra Pharmacy Provides drugs and counseling for arthritis  Relocation  Dallas  Lease  1301 Arapaho  10,000  Flex  15 
Travis Ewert
Transwestern 
18  MobileComm Ventures LLC  Tech services for wireless comm.  Relcation  Plano  Lease  465 SH 190  11,994  Office  40 
Rick Rensi
CBRE 
19  Phoenix Health Systems  IT outsourcing for hospitals  Expansion  Richardson  Lease  1130 E. Arapaho  8,500  Office  30 
Preston Dunn
MOHR PARTNERS 
20  Lonestar MGA  Auto insurance  Expansion  Richardson  Lease  1130 E. Arapaho  5,059  Office  20 
Tommy Nelson
STREAM 
21  Extend Health, Inc.  Health insurance  Relocation  Salt Lake City, UT  Lease  1350 N. Glenville  25,000  Office  250 
Michael Peinado
LINCOLN 
22  BB&T Corp.  Branch of NC-based bank  Relocation  Winston-Salem, NC  Lease  801 E. Campbell  3,699  Office  15 
Deborah Borum
BELTWAY 
23  Ericsson  Communications equip. & services  Relocation  Plano  Lease  2201-2202 Lakeside  460,000  Office/Lab  2,800 
Mike Wyatt
C&W 
24  Samsung Telecommunications America  Mobile communication  Expansion  Richardson  Lease 2505 N. Plano Rd.  20,104  Office  80 
Pat O’Keefe
CBRE 

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