JLL helps bring Excelitas Technologies Corp. to Pittsburgh

JLL today announced that Excelitas Technologies Corp. (Excelitas) has chosen Pittsburgh as the new home of its headquarters, moving from Waltham, Massachusetts. Excelitas, a photonics technology leader, will occupy a 45,000-square-foot space at 2545 Railroad St. in Pittsburgh’s fastgrowing Strip District neighborhood. The company will invest $2.3 million in the relocation and the headquarters will be open by summer 2024.

On behalf of Excelitas, JLL’s Dan Adamski, Senior Managing Director and Dennis Davin, Senior Vice President, led the site selection and transaction advisory services for the company’s new riverfront headquarters.

The site selection was part of a nationwide search for an optimal headquarters location, and Pittsburgh was chosen over highly competitive regions including Ohio and Texas. Pittsburgh’s Strip District became an ideal location for the company’s headquarters because of the area’s surging momentum attracting high-growth technology companies across the robotics, biotechnology and autonomous vehicle (AV) industries.

“Companies like Excelitas are choosing Pittsburgh, and more specifically the Strip District, to fuel growth and innovation into the future,” said Adamski. “The area’s intersecting offerings of riverfront amenities, proximity to world-class universities, and the ability to live, bike and walk to popular new retail and entertainment venues continue to draw companies seeking the vibrant environment needed to attract top talent today. Excelitas’ move is a signal of how Pittsburgh and its dynamic neighborhoods are evolving rapidly, making it an ideal location for any growth-minded company’s headquarters.”

The Strip District has become a highly desired work-live-play neighborhood attracting companies like Excelitas and sought-after workforce talent alike because of area’s diverse amenities, notably Class A office space, desirable housing, popular retail and hospitality establishments and convenient transportation.

Based on 2023 data from the Strip District Neighbors, a local non-profit, the neighborhood saw a 316% increase in residents since 2015, several new retailers and restaurants and highly rated transportation scores as the Strip District is an important east-west connector from downtown to many other residential neighborhoods. Over $1 billion of development funds have been invested into the neighborhood over the past decade with an additional $1 billion in the pipeline for current under construction or planned projects.

“The JLL team, in partnership with state leaders and a number of other partners, made our site selection a collaborative and seamless experience in selecting Pittsburgh for our headquarters,” noted Ron Keating, Excelitas CEO. “The area is a flourishing global technology hub with vibrant amenities and a dynamic environment that our employees will enjoy in the years to come.”

Excelitas is a photonics technology leader focused on delivering innovative, high-performance, market-driven solutions to meet the technology needs of their customer bases serving the life sciences, microelectronics, automation, aerospace and defense end markets. The Excelitas team consists of more than 8,000 professionals working across 33 locations in North America, Europe and Asia to serve customers worldwide.

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