| RELATED INFO |
| * Purdue Research Park |
| * EDS |
| * Indiana Economic Development Corp. |
| * Holladay Properties |
| * City of West Lafayette |
Officials to celebrate opening of international technology company's new software center in Purdue Research Park
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - |
"Innovation Center is one of the finest examples of how collaborations among Purdue officials, state and local representatives, and company leaders can make positive things happen even in a challenging economic climate," said Purdue University President France A. Córdova. "The presence of EDS in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette means even greater job opportunities for those looking for jobs right now."
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Secretary of Commerce and Chief Executive Officer for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. Mitch Roob, West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis, Purdue Research Foundation Senior Vice President Joseph B. Hornett and others collaborated to bring EDS to the state and to West Lafayette.
"EDS will draw upon the local talent pool to develop technology solutions that enable our commercial and government health-care clients to become more efficient, more cost effective and better able to serve millions of Americans," said Rick Shaffer, vice president of global health care at EDS, an HP company. "EDS has been in the state for nearly a quarter century, so we have a long, positive history here. We look forward to working with Purdue University to best identify and meet our clients' needs."
The Innovation Center, 3400 Kent Ave., will provide 45,000 square feet of space for more than 200 software engineer and business analyst positions created by EDS. The remaining space will be used by other park companies.
"EDS is a cornerstone in Innovation Center, and their decision to move into the Purdue Research Park was an important one for them, for us and for our community because of the employment opportunities and expansion possibilities," Hornett said. "Innovation Center also provides us with the much-needed space for other new or expanding companies that want to move into the park."
The 725-acre Purdue Research Park currently provides nearly 364,000 square feet of office, research and work space to its more than 160 companies. The 105,000-square-foot Herman and Heddy Kurz Technology Center also is under construction in the park and will be dedicated in May. More than 3,700 people work in the Purdue Research Park.
The Purdue Research Foundation and South Bend-based Holladay Properties Inc. formed a joint venture to develop Innovation Center as part of the recruitment of EDS to West Lafayette.
"Innovation Center is just one of the many partnerships we've had with the Purdue Research Park," said John Phair, president and CEO of Holladay Properties. "We also have partnered with them in the development of the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana and the Purdue Research Park at AmeriPlex-Indianapolis. We are doing this because we believe in the economic strength of Indiana and of the Purdue Research Park system."
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered EDS up to $300,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans.
"There was strong competition from other states for this opportunity, so we are especially pleased that EDS chose Indiana for its new software center investment," Roob said.
The city of West Lafayette provided $1.5 million in incentives to bring the company to the area.
"The recruitment of EDS to West Lafayette is another example of the unique partnership the city has with Purdue Research Park and Purdue University, and that is why the city leaders worked hard to give EDS an economic incentive to locate in our area," Dennis said. "We are fortunate to have such a strong engine for business development in our city, especially in this economic environment. The end result is that we have more than the 200-plus jobs that will add to the whole area's economy and that will create other jobs outside the park."
According to the October 2007 Battelle study "Characteristics and Trends in North American Research Parks: 21st Century Directions," every job in a university research park generated an average of 2.57 jobs in the economy.
About Purdue Research Park
Purdue Research Park (https://www.purdueresearchpark.com) encompasses 725 acres in West Lafayette, Ind., and is home to the nation's largest university-affiliated business incubator complex. Within the park, 160 businesses, of which more than 100 are high-tech, employ more than 3,700 people. The Association of University Research Parks recognized Purdue Research Park for Excellence in Technology Transfer in 2005, and the park received the organization's Research/Science Park Company of the Year Award of Excellence in 2004.
About Holladay Properties
Holladay Properties, established in 1952 by well-known architect Wallace F. Holladay, has grown and diversified from building single-family tract housing to become one of the largest privately held developers, design-build firms and fully integrated real estate companies in the eastern half of the United States. Holladay Properties combines its longevity and professional expertise with a solid, financially strong corporate structure to successfully complete projects of all sizes and scopes, primarily in five market areas: build-to-suits (commercial and industrial), land development, hotels, health care and retail. With a total project valuation of more than $2 billion, Holladay Properties has built projects ranging from $750,000 to $75 million in more than 15 states.
About IEDC
Created by Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Daniels. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Mitch Roob serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. For more information about IEDC, visit https://www.iedc.in.gov
To the Purdue Research Park, https://www.purdueresearchpark.com
Note to journalists: Interviews, publication-quality photos and video b-roll are available prior to and after the dedication. A multbox will be at the site. A news release and photos will be issued at the event and will be available after the event on the Purdue Research Park Web site at https://www.purdueresearchpark.com. For questions regarding the announcement, contact Cynthia Sequin, Purdue Research Park, at 765-413-6031, casequin@prf.org
IMAGE CAPTION:
Innovation Center's 80,000-square-foot facility is the newest building to be dedicated in the 725-acre Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Ind. The structure, which was built in partnership with Holladay Properties Inc., will be home to a national software solution center for EDS, an HP company.
A publication-quality image is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/+2009/innovation-center.jpg
Purdue Research Park contact:
Cynthia Sequin, 765-588-3340, 765-413-6031 (mobile), casequin@prf.org