SugarOak Announces Acquisition of Spalding Exchange Office Park in Norcross, GA

Herndon, VA - October 26, 2011 - SugarOak, a Virginia based owner/developer of commercial properties, announced the acquisition of the Spalding Exchange Office Park, 55,000 sq ft, in Norcross, Georgia.

Spalding Exchange is located off of Holcomb Bridge and is comprised of eight separate, Williamsburg style buildings. 

“We see tremendous upside potential for Spalding Exchange” said John MacDonell, asset manager for SugarOak. “We will move aggressively to revitalize the property and are confident it can once again be one of the premier office parks within the area.”

SugarOak is a full service real estate company offering investment, management, and construction services across multiple property types. Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, SugarOak has ownership interests and management portfolios across the U.S. and Canada.

It's All in the Details -- in McLean, Va.

 At SugarOak, we are committed to meeting your needs with personalized service. The key to our success is a blend of quality craftsmanship, professionalism and a willingness to go the extra mile to fulfill your expectations. 

An example of such was the remodel and addition on a 1920s home, which brought us a new carpentry challenge. While simple in appearance, this beautifully understated arched opening to the porte-cochère was anything but simple. Prior to construction, the architect casually commented that he thought that “any good carpenter could do this,” but we knew that it would take one of the best and most experienced carpenters to achieve this detail.

Look closely and you will see that the cedar shakes are bent in two directions, and that the shakes have varying radius bends. Our site superintendent, a highly accomplished carpenter named Steve, designed and built a custom steam box, fueled by a water filled turkey fryer. He experimented by steaming and bending red and white cedar shakes to see which bent better across the grain.

He then created a custom press box to bend the shakes across the grain and a series of jigs to bend them with the grain. The steaming process started long before the arch was installed, as it took many days to steam and dry small batches of shakes.

Once dry but prior to installation, the shakes were primed on all sides. The arched shakes required slight beveled rips on both sides – a couple of degrees – to keep the joints consistent to the run.

The carpenter started installation at the center and worked towards each corner. Even steaming could not get a shake to accommodate the complex intersection vertical to the arch. Since lacing the shakes was not an option, a mitre was required. The verticals were coped into the arch and back cut to get the tightest possible fit. The arched shakes were similarly coped into the vertical sides. The end result is a stunning sweep of shakes that both curve into and rise up and over across the arched opening.

SugarOak has been building luxury custom homes, additions and remodeling since 1983. We firmly believe that building your “dream” home should be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The SugarOak advantage is our team of professionals who provide an integrated, cooperative approach to the design and construction process.

If you would like more information about SugarOak Custom Homes, please contact Josila Smith at 703 435-9335 or go to http://www.sugaroak.com/



Janet Northcutt's kindergarden class enjoys the new slides at Daleville Elementary School



DALEVILLE -- Daleville Elementary School students have a new way to have fun on the playground. SugarOak Holdings last spring donated seven "like-new" slides from the playground area at the former Daleville Outlet Mall-turned-business park, now known as Heartland Business Center.

Daleville's Parent-Teacher Organization, with $10,000 already set aside to get new playground equipment, was able to refurbish the slides to almost new condition.

With the supervision from American Playground, Eagle Scout Brad Edwards helped organize the installation of the slides last month.

"I just really wanted to help the elementary school kids. I wanted to give them something they could get exercise on and have fun on," Edwards said.

"We haven't had slides for a while, so it's really great to have these. The students really love them. They line up waiting to use them," Assistant Principal Kim Beard said.

The installation of the slides took two weeks, around 20 volunteers and 12 hours of work, and was completed Sept. 17.

"My favorite part is being able to see all the kids playing on [the slides], and know that I made that possible," Edwards said.

175 recently hired for IBM customer service center at Heartland



Heartland Business Center
9301 S Innovation Drive, Daleville IN



DALEVILLE, Ind. — With the recent announcement of IBM’s new customer service center employing 175, the Heartland Business Center is nearly full.

The 220,000-square-foot business center was once an outlet mall and has been developed into a business center over the past several years, said Terry Murphy, vice president of the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance.

About 20,000 square feet remains at the center.

IBM opened its first business center three years ago and is now located both at the Heartland Business Center and in the 63,000-square-foot space it shares with Jarden Home Brands that was once Burlington Motor Carriers’ corporate office.

“IBM is one of the most globally recognized companies in the country,” Murphy said. “For them to have a growing presence here in this part of the country is great. It gives instant name recognition for companies looking to locate here and expand. We are encouraged by the fact that a company of the caliber of IBM has made a substantial investment in this community and continues to grow.”

IBM doesn’t disclose the number of employees at its centers, but the company has about 700 employees in Daleville. The new, trained employees began work Monday.

“This expansion gives us the opportunity to work for future projects,” Murphy said. “Other corporations can see we are a community that has a successful track record. That’s a plus for us.”

The Heartland Business Center is a boon for central Indiana, Murphy said, pointing out it is a great synergy of businesses and a good way to reuse an existing facility.

IBM officials have said their desire to expand locally came from their satisfaction of the local job force.

“IBM opened its first center on Commerce Drive three years ago,” said Kent Holcomb, IBM senior state executive. “(Monday’s) announcement is directly tied to the skill of our employees and superior customer service being delivered in Daleville.”

One of IBM’s consumer electronics customers in Daleville has been given the Call Center Excellence Award North America, which ranks it as one of the top five companies in the country for consumer feedback. The award is sponsored by the International Quality and Productivity Center and is based on consumer satisfaction survey ratings. And company officials have said that IBM’s work for health care providers — the company doesn’t disclose company names — has increased productivity by 38 percent and maintained quality measurement at more than 99 percent for more than 160,000 clients.

Murphy said the Alliance, Delaware County commissioners and Delaware County Redevelopment Commission all were critical to making the expansion happen. The Redevelopment Commission approved the use tax increment financing funds as an incentive to help bring the new jobs and investment to Daleville.

IBM is now one of Daleville’s biggest employers and other incentives could bring its employment levels to as high as 1,000.

In addition to the area’s quality work force, Holcomb said the company decided to expand in Daleville because of the business environment in the area is a positive one and because the first center has been so successful — in terms of productivity, efficiency and customer service satisfaction.

It was a “natural next step forward,” he said.

The employees at the center are customer service representatives providing technical support for consumer electronic products, Holcomb said. The center also provides health care processing directly assisting more than 150,000 clients of a major insurance company so the customers can receive payments on claims.

Heartland Business Center is managed by SugarOak.  SugarOak is a full service real estate company offering investment, management, and construction services across multiple property types. Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, SugarOak has ownership interests and management portfolios across the US and Canada