By Mark Genovese
Saratoga high-tech firm Informz is bursting
at the seams, which is good news for
downtown Saratoga Springs.
“Our business has grown dramatically
over the years,” said Lori Ely, Informz director
of marketing. “We’ve been in this
building close to 10 years. We’ve added so
many employees, we’re split between two
floors and filled each to maximum capacity.”
Informz currently has 69 employees at
its 92 Congress St. location – a 58 percent
increase since 2008, the company said – and
plans to add 32 more over the next five years
to keep up with demand. To accommodate
the new staff, it will move next March into
new, larger space at 19 Railroad Place, the
building under construction at the corner
of Division Street that will house Bow Tie
Cinema on the ground floor.
It’s adjacent to the structure that already houses Price Chopper, Feigenbaum Cleaners, Greenhouse Salad, Spot Coffee and apartments.
“In this new facility, we’ll all be in one location, on one open floor,” Ely said. “This will create an environment that will foster the collaboration and innovation that’s driven this company’s success.”
This location will be beneficial for downtown businesses, as well. As with most tech companies, the bulk of Informz employees are in their 20s and 30s. This younger demographic tends to take a lot of its work outside the office holding informal meetings at local restaurants and coffee shops.
The company’s new offices will be the anchor of a six-story office, residential, and retail complex, developed by Bonacio Construction, that will bring more businesses and entertainment opportunities to the downtown area. Construction is already well-underway.
“We’re thrilled to have Informz as our tenant,” said Larry Novik, director of operations for Bonacio Construction. “It’s the employees of companies like theirs that drive downtown vitality and fuel the success of the type of mixed use development we love to build.”
Informz will be located on the building’s third floor. The offices are being designed by Grand Avenue architectural firm Phinney Design Group.
Office space on the second floor will be available for other businesses to lease. The upper floors will include one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Topping it all will be a 3,500 square foot outdoor green roof – which can be used for events and recreational activities.
“We are so excited to be making the move right into the heart of downtown Saratoga Springs,” said Joe Tyler, company CEO.
“This new space will be absolutely beautiful and will enable our team to enjoy everything that downtown Saratoga has to offer.”
“We’re planning to hold our company meetings in the IMAX theater,” Ely said of the facility Bow Tie Cinema facility that will be open to company meetings during the day. “This will be fun for our employees.”
Founded in 1997, Informz provides audience- engagement services and technology solutions for the association and nonprofit markets. It serves more than 1,100 clients worldwide with more than 11,000 individual users of its products and services.
The company said its revenue has increased 113.8 percent since 2008, making it the Capital Region’s seventh fastest growing company.