Kitware partners with Abele Builders to relocate headquarters–firm to invest over $10 million to lease and outfit 43,000 s/f of office space

Clifton Park, NY Construction is underway on the new corporate headquarters for Kitware, a software research, development and consulting company based in Saratoga County. The company is relocating from Halfmoon to a larger facility at 1712 Rte. 9 to accommodate current and future growth, with plans to add over 40 jobs over the next five years.

Kitware will invest over $10 million to lease and outfit more than 43,000 s/f of office space at the new facility.

“As a company dedicated to innovation, we thrive in settings that encourage creativity and collaboration,” said Lisa Avila, the CEO of Kitware. “Over the past year, we gathered feedback on our work environment from over 100 team members in Clifton Park and used it to mold our new floorplan.”

The floorplan has team rooms, single and multi-person offices, areas for video conferencing, a rooftop patio, a combined kitchen and auditorium, a dedicated area for computing resources and a large server room. The floorplan also has open work spaces that are similar to those in the company’s office in Carrboro, N.C.

Kitware coordinated the floorplan with Abele Builders. The two established a working relationship in 2004, when Kitware first came to thier Corporate Dr. facility. At the time, Kitware had 14 team members in the area.

“We brought 16 team members and 14 interns to our headquarters last year,” Avila said. “Thanks to the new building by Abele, we will not only have more room for our current team, but we will be able to more comfortably hire moving forward.”

In conjunction with Abele Builders, Kitware partnered with the Town of Clifton Park Industrial Development Agency (IDA). As a qualified tenant, Kitware was eligible for property tax incentives through the IDA’s payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program. Kitware has also joined Empire State Development’s Excelsior Jobs Program and is eligible for performance-based tax credits.

“The expansion of this great New York company is great news for the Capital Region and further adds to the region’s high tech economy,” governor Andrew Cuomo said. “We will continue to support businesses and economic growth in New York, in turn creating quality job opportunities across the state.”

Founded in 1998 in the Capital Region, Kitware is a software research, development and consulting company. The company began with five employees and has grown to over 160 with offices in New Mexico, North Carolina and France. Its portfolio of services includes data and analytics, high-performance computing and visualization, medical computing, computer vision and software process development, with customers in academia, government and various other industries.

Kitware specializes in open-source software, which utilizes licenses that allow others to freely use, modify and redistribute source code. Through the open-source model, the company can focus on innovation and deliver cost-effective, tailored solutions to customers. Researchers, developers, scientists, engineers and clinicians around the world use such solutions in healthcare, national security, energy and other fields.

Avila said, “Our success is fueled by our talented team members. It is their passion for developing innovative open-source software platforms that enables us to fulfill our mission to advance the frontiers of understanding. Our new headquarters will allow us to grow, and with new team members, we will explore new areas of innovation. We are thankful to New York State for supporting our growth.”

Empire State Development president, CEO and commissioner Howard Zemsky said, “The Capital Region’s innovation economy continues to flourish, with world-class companies like Kitware expanding their operations and adding new high-tech jobs. They are a true home-grown New York State company, and we are proud to work with them on this project.”