The City of Carlsbad is always looking to attract new businesses, and we recently welcomed activewear manufacturer prAna to Carlsbad.
The city is actually welcoming prAna back to Carlsbad. Company founder Beaver Theodosakis and his wife, Pam, started the company in their Carlsbad garage in 1992, and are moving from their Vista headquarters to a new building on Lionshead Avenue in the Carlsbad Raceway development.
"It will be so great to be back on Carlsbad soil," Theodosakis said. "We raced motocross at the famed Carlsbad Raceway in the late '70s and fell in love with the coastal climate, the terrain and the people. The company has outgrown its current space in Vista and we are literally back on track in the Raceway Business Park!"
The move is a boost for Carlsbad's economy?the company is growing?and an affirmation of the City of Carlsbad's focus on high standards and high quality of life.
The company designs and manufactures clothing for yoga and climbing. The company values an active lifestyle and outdoor culture, making it a great fit for the Carlsbad community, with the city's 45-mile trail network that will continue to expand and focus on a healthy outdoor lifestyle.
The company sees its new home as a near perfect fit for its 120 employees, too. Its new quarters will occupy 74,000 square feet and will feature open areas and lots of sunshine inside the building. It also will incorporate LEED principles by using recycled materials and heating its water with solar power.
"Everything we did in building out our new space stressed openness," said prAna Marketing Director Nikki Larson. "The idea was to build a community where people can exchange ideas freely."
"We built a very large kitchen that will open into a beautiful outdoor gathering space. We have a gym and a yoga studio in the building, and people can go hiking on their lunch hour. There are trails right outside our door.
It's gratifying to hear that the city's investment in its trails is paying off by attracting new businesses. The City of Carlsbad believes that quality attracts quality, and we welcome prAna back to our growing community of recreation equipment and apparel companies, such as Orange 21, Osiris Shoes, Reef, SKLZ and TMAX Gear.
Another piece of good news is that prAna is expanding and expects to add to its staff over the next five years.
We also see prAna's move as a hopeful sign for 2012.
Dennis Visser, prAna's real-estate agent, said there is activity in Carlsbad's commercial and industrial sector that will become evident in the first quarter this year.
"In general, we're seeing an increase in transaction velocity across Carlsbad's industrial and research and development markets, particularly in larger deals over 30,000 square feet," said Visser, an agent with Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial. He said we can expect to see the vacancy rate for that sector begin to come down in the first half of 2012.
He said prAna was attracted to Carlsbad largely because the city stresses high-quality development and has demonstrated a "business friendly" culture, starting with Mayor Hall and penetrating throughout the staff.
"PrAna was looking for quality environment that matches prAna's culture," said Visser. "The City of Carlsbad and this Carlsbad Raceway Business Park location have provided exactly that, with well-designed infrastructure and high-image development balanced with nearby open space, trails and public amenities."
The company joins a number of other businesses that have relocated to Carlsbad recently, such as Anchor Audio, a leading manufacturer of public address systems, and BREG, which makes medical products such as braces for knees, elbows and wrists.
The city is actually welcoming prAna back to Carlsbad. Company founder Beaver Theodosakis and his wife, Pam, started the company in their Carlsbad garage in 1992, and are moving from their Vista headquarters to a new building on Lionshead Avenue in the Carlsbad Raceway development.
"It will be so great to be back on Carlsbad soil," Theodosakis said. "We raced motocross at the famed Carlsbad Raceway in the late '70s and fell in love with the coastal climate, the terrain and the people. The company has outgrown its current space in Vista and we are literally back on track in the Raceway Business Park!"
The move is a boost for Carlsbad's economy?the company is growing?and an affirmation of the City of Carlsbad's focus on high standards and high quality of life.
The company designs and manufactures clothing for yoga and climbing. The company values an active lifestyle and outdoor culture, making it a great fit for the Carlsbad community, with the city's 45-mile trail network that will continue to expand and focus on a healthy outdoor lifestyle.
The company sees its new home as a near perfect fit for its 120 employees, too. Its new quarters will occupy 74,000 square feet and will feature open areas and lots of sunshine inside the building. It also will incorporate LEED principles by using recycled materials and heating its water with solar power.
"Everything we did in building out our new space stressed openness," said prAna Marketing Director Nikki Larson. "The idea was to build a community where people can exchange ideas freely."
"We built a very large kitchen that will open into a beautiful outdoor gathering space. We have a gym and a yoga studio in the building, and people can go hiking on their lunch hour. There are trails right outside our door.
It's gratifying to hear that the city's investment in its trails is paying off by attracting new businesses. The City of Carlsbad believes that quality attracts quality, and we welcome prAna back to our growing community of recreation equipment and apparel companies, such as Orange 21, Osiris Shoes, Reef, SKLZ and TMAX Gear.
Another piece of good news is that prAna is expanding and expects to add to its staff over the next five years.
We also see prAna's move as a hopeful sign for 2012.
Dennis Visser, prAna's real-estate agent, said there is activity in Carlsbad's commercial and industrial sector that will become evident in the first quarter this year.
"In general, we're seeing an increase in transaction velocity across Carlsbad's industrial and research and development markets, particularly in larger deals over 30,000 square feet," said Visser, an agent with Cassidy Turley BRE Commercial. He said we can expect to see the vacancy rate for that sector begin to come down in the first half of 2012.
He said prAna was attracted to Carlsbad largely because the city stresses high-quality development and has demonstrated a "business friendly" culture, starting with Mayor Hall and penetrating throughout the staff.
"PrAna was looking for quality environment that matches prAna's culture," said Visser. "The City of Carlsbad and this Carlsbad Raceway Business Park location have provided exactly that, with well-designed infrastructure and high-image development balanced with nearby open space, trails and public amenities."
The company joins a number of other businesses that have relocated to Carlsbad recently, such as Anchor Audio, a leading manufacturer of public address systems, and BREG, which makes medical products such as braces for knees, elbows and wrists.