Baan plans $40 million facility, 1000 new jobs
Ashburn - Governor Jim Gilmore today attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Baan Company at the 281-acre site in Ashburn that will include the company's U.S. headquarters. Announced last October, the $40 million dollar facility will house more than 400 employees and students, growing to 1,000 employees, as necessary to meet the demands of the expanding ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and other business application software markets.
"This groundbreaking signifies Virginia's emergence as the Information Technology State," said Governor Gilmore. "This project represents one of the largest investments to take place in Loudoun County history and Virginia's dedicated workforce will contribute to the Baan Company's growth and profits."
The headquarters are being leased as part of a site that has been purchased and is being developed by Baan Investment, B.V. In addition to serving as the site for Baan Company's U.S. headquarters, other tenants will include the Baan Institute, an educational facility operated by Baan Investment, and will also provide facilities for other Baan Investment operations.
The Netherlands-based company is a leading worldwide provider of best-in-class software components that address core business processes common to companies of all sizes and industries. More than 3,000 Baan installations are deployed in more than 5,000 businesses worldwide including Boeing, Hitachi, and Mercedes Benz US. The construction of its 2.5 million square foot dual-headquarters and training campus in Virginia reinforces its commitment to the U.S. market. The Baan Company also maintains operations throughout the U.S. with offices in major metropolitan areas including Atlanta, Georgia, Boston, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Santa Clara, California, and in more than 58 countries worldwide.
After a thorough search of possible locations around the nation, the Baan Company was attracted to the Northern Virginia area by its economic health, dedicated work force, proximity to three major airports and a strong technology talent pool. The Baan Company's much anticipated move to Virginia will bring a corporate complex unlike any other to the area. The Baan Company's unique culture and structure are the foundation for its record of success, and should enable the Baan Company to serve as a driver of growth and development in Northern Virginia.
"The positive responses from local and state officials to our proposal to build an environmentally sensitive facility, housing major Baan Investment and Baan Company interests in Loudoun County was a definite factor in our decision to locate to the Commonwealth of Virginia," said Jan Baan, founder and CEO, Baan Company.
Located at Janelia Farm in Loudoun County, the second arm of the Baan Company's corporate headquarters will eventually house Baan Institute Americas, an executive training facility for information technology practitioners. The tract of land is located on the Route 7 corridor east of Leesburg and has frontage on the Potomac River. Janelia Farm includes a three-story Normandy-style manor house and an adjacent carriage house which are listed on the National Historic Register. Similar to the company's headquarters in The Netherlands, the campus will maintain a family-like setting. The first phase will restore and renovate the manor house and related gardens. The property is the former residence of the late artist, Vinton Pickens and was named after her daughters, Jane and Cornelia.
With 1997 revenues of $680 million, the Baan Company is one of the world's leading providers of scaleable enterprise business solutions. The Baan Company's Web of software developers, technology platform partners, resellers, and consulting firms allows it to meet the unique needs of each customer. The Baan Company was founded in 1978 by Jan Baan.
Baan Investment, B.V. is a Dutch private limited liability company, controlled by Jan and Paul Baan, and is a principal investor in Baan Company. It is active in initiatives relating to enterprise applications software. Baan Investment facilitates ongoing global solutions to support and accelerate the BaanWeb, bridging the gap between business and IT for the benefits of Baan customers.
Governor Gilmore presented a Virginia flag to Jan Baan as a token of the Commonwealth's appreciation. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development assisted the company with its decision.
# # #