C.TRAC information solutions had been leasing space for 33 years, including a dozen or so at its previous facility. But the company, which specializes in direct mail and document management, had evolved beyond the capabilities of the space it was in.
“Our business mix had changed,” says Mike Adams, the company’s president. “The layout of the building was not very efficient. Additionally, we did not have a dock door. Customers had to pay to do business with us because they had to have everything scheduled for inside delivery with trucks that had lift gates.”
With double-digit growth over the last few years and too much time being wasted moving materials because of a design that no longer met its needs, Adams opted to look for a new space with the help of a real estate agent.
“We looked in a lot of different areas and looked at existing facilities,” says Adams. “We couldn’t find anything that met our needs and had the look we were looking for. We are a professional services company and we needed to make sure we portrayed that image.
“We didn’t want to be in an area that, when you drive into it, all you see is a bunch of dock doors and steel frame buildings. We wanted something with a more upgraded look to it.”
The company ultimately chose to remain in Strongsville and construct a new facility. Part of the reason was a 10-year tax abatement, but another city had offered 15 years, so it wasn’t just about the money.
“We had a commitment from the mayor, the council and the economic development director to do everything they could to make sure we could get into the new building on time,” says Adams. “They fulfilled that. When it comes down to it, it’s about where you have your comfort level.”
The company constructed a $1.5 million, 15,000-square-foot building on a six-acre site on the Foltz Industrial Parkway. C.TRAC got the image it wanted in the industrial park, because the building fronts have to be brick and loading docks and HVAC equipment cannot be visible from the road. The move into the new facility was completed in November of last year.
Adams says there are three critical points to consider when constructing a new facility.
* Choose a location you are comfortable with and make sure the city you choose wants you and your business. Staying in Strongsville gave C.TRAC executives the comfort level they were looking for and eliminated the threat of losing employees because of increased commute times.
* Choose a builder who takes the time to understand your needs and understands the subtle needs and requirements of the city you are building in. Being familiar with the nuances of the city will speed up the approval process and limit the number of revisions necessary to your plan.
* Choose the right banker. C.TRAC executives talked to four banks about financing their project. “We were looking for someone that would act like a business partner,” says Adams. “We actually switched banks as a result. If you don’t see your banker or talk to them on a regular basis, there is probably something wrong.”
“You cannot rush a building,” says Adams. “We put a lot of time in the front end of this project, laying out exactly what we needed. If you rush it, you’ll be sad because sooner or later, it will come back to bite you.”How to reach: C.TRAC, (440) 572-1000 or www.ctrac.com
Technology upgrade
A move is the perfect time to evaluate everything from your computer systems to your phone service. C.TRAC, which relies heavily on technology for its business, used a move to a new facility to do exactly that.
“We looked at what we were using and what we weren’t using,” says Bob Kubicki, vice president of operations for the company. “The move allowed us to look at all the infrastructure and workstations, communications, vendors — the whole bit.”
The company examined what its needs were likely to be and wired the building with the best cabling available to be able to handle future demands. Servers were converted to rack mounting to save space, extra jacks were wired in anticipation of growth, emergency power was installed and the HVAC and security systems can be monitored remotely.
A redundant conduit was run from the building to the manhole in the street so if any additional cables are needed in the future, the parking lot won’t have to be dug up.
Because the company deals with HIPAA compliance issues, security cameras protect information systems and keycard readers to limit access.
“We evaluated, priced and put in the technology that was best for the employees,” says Kubicki.
