Fluor Corporation employs roughly 38,000 people worldwide, but only 100 or so were affected directly by the relocation out of California of the company's headquarters to the Las Colinas development near DFW Airport. Several functions will remain in California, and Fluor is hiring about 100 new people who will not enjoy the same financial windfall as their colleagues who made the move east.
"When you have employees who are currently in a $1.5- million house in California and they can move into the same house in Texas for $500,000, they are about to put $1 million of equity in their pocket," notes Steve Van Amburgh, CEO of Koll Development, which built Fluor's new Dallas headquarters. "That's a pretty nice inducement to move with the company."
Koll's role in the project as developer gave Van Amburgh's team an opportunity to demonstrate to Fluor senior management Texas' fondness for business.
Rather than hinder the relocation, permitting, construction and related processes, local and state business development officials cleared a path.
"It took less than eight months from the minute we shook hands to the minute Fluor moved into the building," says Van Amburgh. "That's a can- do state, a place where people feel comfortable making quick decisions as opposed to getting bogged down in bureaucracy." Van Amburgh says comparable buildings take 14 to 16 months to complete in other states.
Here's how the project unfolded, month by month:
MONTH 1
AUGUST 2005
Final shell- site design presented to executives
Building pier drilling completed
Parking garage water injection begins
Revised lobby design approved
Shell building permit drawings submitted to city
MONTH 2
SEPTEMBER 2005
Tilt panel construction commences
Re- plat approved by city
Level 3W SOMD poured
Amenities and auditorium foundations complete
MONTH 3
OCTOBER 2005
Shell and sitework drawings formally approved
Building A & B structure completed
Roof- top units installed
Auditorium tilt wall panels erected
Parking garage piers complete
MONTH 4
NOVEMBER 2005
Final interiors drawings issued
Elevator equipment received on site
Primary electrical service completed
Atrium structural completed
40% of work in place at midway point of schedule
MONTH 5
DECEMBER 2005
Building A & B dry- in achieved
Major subcontractor buy- out completed
Tenant work under way in all available areas
Garage structure columns and walls underway
Site pavement ongoing in available areas
MONTH 6
JANUARY 2006
Working in all areas of the project
Shirt work implemented in lobby to facilitate schedule and safety concerns
Resolved issues with fire department relative to TI work
MONTH 7
FEBRUARY 2006
Interior punchlist established
Receiving first shipment of furniture
Floors receiving first shipment of furniture
Site paving completed
Guard house dry- in achieved
Carpet completed in all office areas
MONTH 8
MARCH 2006
Fixed furniture completed
Certificate of occupancy received from city
Kitchen equipment complete
Project completion eight days early with 10 allowable weather delays.