SAN JOSE—As a hub for the tech industry, the Bay Area continues to be a market of choice for many companies looking to expand, resulting in the need for new construction and an increase in rent growth throughout the region. C.W. Driver, a builder serving California for nearly a century, is increasing its Northern California scope to capitalize on the improving economy. To assist in that effort, the company has promoted Andy Kirby to vice president of the region.
We spoke with Kirby about his new role which will be to oversee the office, client relations and all Northern California projects.
GlobeSt.com: What are your goals in your new position in terms of office and client relations?
Andy Kirby: My goals for the office are to have steady growth in the market and focus on providing quality service to our clients, as well as creating a great work environment for our people. Our first priority will always be to deliver on our clients' goals and cultivate those relationships. Additionally, we want to focus on our most important asset which is our employees. Each and every one of them makes a difference in our business and without them, we would have nothing. Our goal is to be known as one of the best places to work in Silicon Valley.
GlobeSt.com: C.W. Driver is moving to a new office in San Jose to accommodate the company's growing team. What was the reason for the move from San Mateo?
Kirby: The Bay Area market is booming with growing corporate and tech companies that need new space, and lots of it. These demands create a great deal of opportunity, and we are enthusiastic about what's to come. Our move to San Jose better positions us geographically to our target markets and clientele, and our current clients requesting repeat business.
GlobeSt.com: How has steady growth in construction affected consumer confidence?
Kirby: The construction industry in Northern California has grown in multiple sectors including healthcare, biotech/tech, education and multifamily. With these multiple sectors increasing at the rate that it has, this crosses most company business plans and involves most of the general contracting and subcontracting community. This can affect consumer confidence by increasing the cost of goods and housing within the area. In addition, the job growth in the area also has a major effect on the construction industry and qualified personnel to work on projects. With the higher cost of living, it costs more for workers or they have to live further away from jobs. This in turn, drives up prices for construction costs and is ultimately passed on to the consumer.
GlobeSt.com: Tell us more about some of the projects you will be seeking out.
Kirby: We expect to continue to pursue hospitality work as this will continue to be a hot market with the high occupancy rates and nightly fees being asked. We will continue to seek out multifamily projects because of the high demand on housing in the Bay Area and specifically Silicon Valley. The education market is also a priority for C.W. Driver. We have a long tradition of higher education work throughout the state and expect to continue that routine. Lastly, technology merged with commercial office and is one of our emerging markets in the Bay Area. Leveraging our past technology and corporate clients will help us with future work in this sector. With the booming technology companies and demand for space, this market sector is far from reaching its maximum.
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Lisa Brown
Lisa Brown is an editor for the south and west regions of GlobeSt.com. She has 25-plus years of real estate experience, with a regional PR role at Grubb & Ellis and a national communications position at MMI. Brown also spent 10 years as executive director at NAIOP San Francisco Bay Area chapter, where she led the organization to achieving its first national award honors and recognition on Capitol Hill. She has written extensively on commercial real estate topics and edited numerous pieces on the subject.
