Over the last two years, California-based global capital equipment company KLA, has been actively growing its second U.S. headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI. Currently, KLA is operating out of a 58,000 square foot temporary office space. The new 230,000 square foot KLA headquarters and parking structure, both of which are currently under construction, are on track to open in the summer of 2021 at the Ann Arbor Technology Park.
According to a news release, KLA decided several years ago to open a second North American site. “The cost of living and the ability to get talent and retain it is just really hard in the Bay Area in California,” said John McLaughin, KLA’s Ann Arbor site leader and a UM alum. “We were looking for a place that had a strong pipeline of engineering talent, high quality of life, but a lower cost of living.” A team of consultants looked at more than 390 sites across the nation and analyzed quality of life, proximity to an airport, the cost of housing and the quality of talent. Ann Arbor fit those categories, said McLaughlin, who also served as a corporate relations director for the UM College of Engineering.
Construction of the new KLA headquarters includes a six-story building with a monumental atrium which will anchor the Ann Arbor campus. Inside the new building will be a cafeteria with a coffee shop and fitness center with onsite classes for KLA employees. The project also includes a 460-space multilevel parking structure. As consultants to the lead architect, SmithGroup, Rich & Associates provided parking consulting, architectural and structural engineering design services. This project represents the 8th parking garage project that SmithGroup and Rich & Associates have completed together over the past 5 years.
https://www.kla-tencor.com/advance/life-at-kla/ann-arbor-update-new-team-and-campus-take-shape
Since joining Rich & Associates in 1986, David has served in a variety of roles including work on parking planning studies and design/build projects. As Vice President/Director of Business Development, he is responsible for establishing new business and maintaining client relationships. David can be reached at dnrich@richassoc.com