RICHARDSON, Texas — Read this story and more North Texas business news from our partners at the Dallas Business Journal
Austin Circuit Design, a globally oriented design and sourcing firm, has relocated its headquarters to Richardson Innovation Quarter, a district known for pioneering innovation and technology.
The company, which employs 17 people, made the move from Garland to its new 7,600-square-foot office space at 1850 N. Greenville Ave, also known as Campbell Square, owned by Maverick Commercial Real Estate.
The company outgrew the space in Garland, Mark Cottam, chief operating officer of Austin Circuit Design, told the Dallas Business Journal in an interview.
“We were really looking for an environment that suited our type of business,” he said. “We were very aware of the Richardson IQ and the type of firms that were here and the support that both the city of Richardson and the Chamber of Commerce have provided.”
Proximity to the University of Texas at Dallas, a university with a strong engineering and design focus, also factored heavily in the decision to relocate, Cottam said.
Before the move, Austin Circuit Design didn’t have space to house their five new hires, he added.
Richardson City Manager Don Magner expressed excitement over ACD joining the Richardson IQ, emphasizing the company's innovative and global reach.
“We are very pleased to welcome ACD to the Richardson IQ,” Magner said in a prepared statement. “It joins the many dynamic technology companies, entrepreneurs and researchers that already call The IQ and Richardson home. We look forward to supporting ACD’s future success and novel solutions as they continue to emerge, like so many others, from our burgeoning innovation district.”
Cottam said the city of Richardson sponsored ACD’s first year membership in the Chamber of Commerce as an incentive for the company to relocate, but no other financial incentives were involved in the move. The biggest incentive for the company is the support that the city offers through the networking opportunities, meetings and memberships, Cottam added.
ACD is a full-service advanced design firm specializing in mechanical, industrial, hardware and software design, sourcing and manufacturing. Originally founded in Austin in 1985, it was purchased by Chairman Michael Tieu and CEO Minh Nguyen in 2015 before relocating to Garland.
"We have a sister company by the name of National Circuit Assembly, NCA, and that is a manufacturing facility," Cottam explained. "They're what you would call a contract manufacturer. They take the products of the boards that we design and turn them into physical goods."
Initially, he said it made sense to be in the same location with NCA; but with the growth of the company, it became necessary for Austin Circuit Design to be in a more tech and innovation-focused district, Cottam said. The move positions ACD for continued growth, innovation and customer satisfaction, he said.
The Richardson Innovation Quarter, spans 1,200 acres and is a leading tech and entrepreneurship hub in Texas. Often referred to as Richardson IQ, the district is home to technology and telecommunications companies such as Argo Data, Digital Realty, Ericsson, Honeywell, id Software, Raytheon, Siemens and Verizon, along with various smaller nano and technology operations.
Cottam said based on the existing projects ACD is working on, he envisions that the company will hire upwards of 10 new employees within the next year.
"Our plan is very strategic," he said in the interview with the Business Journal. "It's based on continuing to work with our existing partner/customers, and to grow the business with them as well as bring on additional partners. We are very active, locally and nationally, working with different customers and bringing new customers on board. So we have a real emphasis on new business development.”
The contract for the space is a three-year lease with a three year extension option, Cottam said.
Besides its Richardson location, ACD operates in Atlanta; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; San Jose, Calif.; and the Vietnamese, Chinese and Malaysian markets.
