420,000 SF Cloud Computing Campus Takes Shape

SOMERSET, NJ-Following a Nov. 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, its architects, contractors and more than 200 employees, SHI International opened its new cloud data center and headquarters at 290 Davidson Ave. here.

The 420,000-square-foot building is the conversion an AT&T facility that had been vacant for 10 years into an industrial-grade cloud computing hub. “SHI’s new Cloud Computing Campus and headquarters makes a big statement about New Jersey, its technology leadership, and quality of employees,” Guadagno says in a statement. “Under the leadership of Thai Lee, SHI has grown from a $1 million company into an international player in IT products and solutions, and now aims to transform cloud computing with a world-class facility and service based here in New Jersey.”

Under construction for 15 months, according to SHI’s blog, the complex is three times larger than its former headquarters in New Jersey. It was the largest interior commercial renovation in the state, according to an SHI announcement earlier this year, generating 500 construction jobs.

The complex includes two five-story towers, a third ancillary building and parking for 2,000 cars. The project was designed by Cornerstone Architectural Group, and engineered by Becht Engineering, with interior spaces following LEED guidelines. Solar panels on the roof can provide 500 kilowatts annually. Construction was led by Turner Construction and Unity Construction.

SHI International, a $3.5 billion woman-owned technology company, has grown 25% and 30% respectively over the last two years, respectively. The Somerset location employs nearly 1,000 workers. One of the 100 largest privately owned companies in America, it also is the largest woman- and minority-owned business in the country.

“Cloud computing holds vast implications for just about every sector of the American economy,” Thai Lee, SHI President and CEO, says in a statement. “The issue facing many enterprises is finding providers that can offer next-generation cloud computing that promises fail-safe continuity, security, and infrastructure to support mission critical applications. Our new facility offers industrial-grade cloud computing, the most robust and secure solution available.”