Digital marketing firm Listrak announced in June 2017 that it would hold a free community open house at its new Lititz headquarters on Thursday, June 22, from 4 to 7 p.m.
A new home
Listrak officially moved in April 2017 into the 93,000-square-foot building at the intersection of Millport and Buckwalter roads. The company occupies the entire building, which sits on a 27-acre parcel purchased from Sechan Electronics in 2015.
The facility housed about 300 employees at the time and had room for up to 600. The move let Listrak leave its former headquarters at 529 E. Main St. in Lititz, two locations in Manheim Township and a smaller downtown Lititz office. The company also kept a West Coast office in Newport Beach, California.
“Our main reasons for building have been to get all our local employees under one roof, and to have room for expansion,” said Ross Kramer, Listrak’s CEO and co-founder. “We have always valued collaboration, and this new location certainly provides for that.”
Designed with employees
Listrak leaned heavily on employee input for the design and took cues from technology headquarters such as Google and Facebook.
An expansive open floor plan features shared spaces meant to encourage cross-department teamwork and creativity, along with state-of-the-art teleconferencing and an on-site gym.
A cafe called The Hub is run by TFB Restaurants, operators of Annie Bailey’s in Lancaster and Gravie Kitchen + Commons at Rock Lititz Pod 2. The Hub gives employees more room to relax and collaborate.
Rapid growth
Listrak more than doubled its staff between 2013 and 2017. Once known mainly for its email marketing technology for retailers, the company expanded into new markets, including e-commerce for travel and tourism and the media and publishing industry.
Committed to Lititz
“Lititz has been extremely good to us, so rather than relocate to a ‘tech corridor’ like Silicon Valley, New York or even King of Prussia, we remain committed to the area,” Kramer said. “Since our move, there has been a lot of curiosity about Listrak and this building. This event will provide a great opportunity for the community to see what we’re all about.”
The open house
An invitation-only event for VIPs, media and area businesses was held earlier in the day. The afternoon open house was free and open to the public, with guided tours and light refreshments.
A tech employer in a small town
Listrak’s decision to stay and grow in Lititz added to a cluster of technology and creative employers in the area, including the Rock Lititz campus for the live-event industry. Together they brought hundreds of skilled jobs to northern Lancaster County and helped reshape the area’s economy beyond its manufacturing and agricultural roots.
For a borough of about 9,000 people, landing a large, growing tech headquarters was notable. Many employees live in and around Lititz, supporting local restaurants, shops and housing.
What it meant for downtown
The consolidation also freed space in the borough as Listrak left its East Main Street headquarters and downtown office, opening those buildings to new tenants.
Open houses and community ties
Corporate open houses give neighbors a look inside buildings they drive past every day and help companies recruit by showing off their workplace. For a growing employer, connecting with the surrounding community can pay off in goodwill, talent and local partnerships. Visitors to events like this often include job seekers, students curious about technology careers and residents interested in how the new building fits into the area.
Tours were expected to draw a steady stream of curious neighbors.
This article was originally published in June 2017.