SmartDraw Software is joining a growing list of savvy, forward-thinking companies who have relocated to Texas. Leaving behind the sunny beaches of San Diego, the technology firm has chosen The Woodlands as the location of its new corporate headquarters to provide its team members with a low cost of living and high quality of life in a business-friendly environment.
Tipping the scales heavily in favor of a business relocation to Texas is the lack of state income tax, while California’s personal income tax is the highest in the country. In addition, 2019 housing costs in California were approximately 60% higher than in Texas, according to MIT’s living wage calculator.
“Texas is a business-friendly state with a reasonable regulatory environment and a cost of living that is vastly lower than found in San Diego,” said Paul Stannard, Chief Executive Officer of SmartDraw. “We decided to relocate to Texas—and specifically to The Woodlands—for many reasons, including the opportunity for our employees to become homeowners. That was something that was out of reach for many of them in San Diego. The Woodlands offers an outstanding work-life experience in a beautiful natural setting, and it was clear that our employees and our company would thrive in this community, which is the ultimate office perk.”
Consistently ranked one of the top master planned communities in the nation, The Woodlands proves a solid choice to work and live. With 220 miles of hike/bike trails, 7,665 acres (28%) of open green space, plus a 1,000-acre shopping, dining and entertainment town center, it provides the perfect combination of nature and urban walkability.
SmartDraw is in good company, adding to an impressive list of other like-minded businesses which have relocated to Texas, including Hewlett Packard Enterprises, Tesla and Oracle. “We believe these moves best position us for growth and provide our personnel with more flexibility about where and how they work,” Oracle spokesperson Deborah Hellinger recently told Business Insider.
“We are thrilled to welcome SmartDraw to The Woodlands and to the Howard Hughes family of corporate tenants. We know that once decision makers from organizations such as SmartDraw come to our community and visit our trophy assets, The Woodlands sets itself apart in terms of the exceptional quality of life and work-life balance that has been curated here over the last 46 years. We are excited to add this unique and growing technology business to our community and appreciate the trust they have given to our community and to Howard Hughes as they selected The Woodlands for their new home,” said Jim Carman, President of the Houston Region for The Howard Hughes Corporation.
SmartDraw is a privately held, growing technology firm whose software is used by more than half of the Fortune 500 and by over 250,000 public and private enterprises of all sizes around the world, including law firms, police departments, health systems, technology companies, and more.
“The Woodlands offers an ideal corporate environment for growing firms like SmartDraw which will benefit from recruitment opportunities offered by the community’s educated workforce, as well as enjoy the unprecedented amount of open green space integrated into an amenity-rich, walkable urban core,” added Carman.
To learn more about the benefits of relocating your business to The Woodlands, click here.
Alex Hancock
Senior Vice President, National Sales & Leasing
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