It is anticipated that at least 300 corporate headquarters jobsare to move from Marietta, GA, to a new corporate campus on WestRiver Road in North Minneapolis. The move, beginning with about 200jobs in September, will enable the Coloplast to double the size ofits facilities to 500,000 sf for office, research and developmentand production activities. The move was announced Thursday byColoplast CEO Sten Scheibye and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. As theowners' representative for the real estate expansion needs ofColoplast, United Properties will oversee the project to design newfacilities, assemble additional property, obtain governmentalapprovals and construct any additional facilities required byColoplast. RSP Architects has been selected as architect for theproject. Other project team members will be selected during thenext several months.

Ward Einess, acting commissioner of the Minnesota Department ofEmployment and Economic Development (DEED), says the state willprovide a forgivable $500,000 Minnesota Investment Fund loan tohelp with the costs of corporate location. DEED also has offered toprovide workforce training and technical assistance to the company.Coloplast expects to begin its headquarters relocation in Septemberand to complete the move into a Minneapolis facility by the end ofnext year.