Comm-Works grows in Plymouth

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal – May 29, 2009 – Comm-Works Holdings is moving its headquarters and expanding in Plymouth.

The telecommunications consulting firm signed a lease for 60,000 square feet in a building at 1405 Xenium Lane in Plymouth, owned by Carlson Real Estate Co.

About 40,000 square feet of the new lease will be office space; the rest will be used as a warehouse space.

In September, Comm-Works will move 140 employees from 30,000 square feet of office space at its existing headquarters at 3550 Annapolis Lane in Plymouth, and from 36,000 square feet of warehouse space it leases at two other locations in Plymouth, said Comm-Works Chief Financial Officer Jim Stewart.

The company’s growth is fueling the move, he said. Comm-Works’ revenue has increased from $57 million in 2006 to $130 million in 2008.

Stewart said the firm “is in a pretty good state” and had a good first quarter. In a down market, Comm-Works has an advantage over its competitors because it uses subcontractors to do its voice and data infrastructure instillations around the country.

Matt Van Slooten, president of Carlson Real Estate, said the lease will allow the firm to start a $2 million conversion of the building from a single-tenant property to a multitenant one. Carlson Companies occupies slightly more than half of the 625,000-square-foot building.

Carlson is in the final stages of selecting a general contractor for the renovation, which will include updating the lobby and renovating the five major building entries.

Jim Freytag and Dave Marschinke, brokers at CB Richard Ellis represented Carlson Real Estate in the lease deal. Jeff Jones, a broker at Minneapolis real estate firm Area, represented Comm-Works.

Carlson Real Estate Company iis an affiliate of Carlson, a global group of integrated companies providing hotel, marketing, restaurant and travel services directly to consumers, corporations and government entities. Carlson Real Estate Company is dedicated to developing long-term client relationships by operating with caring and integrity and providing innovative and accommodating solutions. Its portfolio of office and flex/industrial space concentrated in Minnesota, Arizona, and North Carolina exceeds 6 million combined square feet. For more information about Carlson Real Estate Company, visit www.carlsonrealestate.biz.