City of Mason and Seapine Software Announce $7 Million in New Construction

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New tech industry investment retains 100 jobs, brings 40 in next 3-5 years

MASON, OH – Seapine Software, an innovative international software development company, will invest $7 million to build a new 50,000 square-foot technology headquarters on Western Row Road in Mason and bring an additional 40 high-paying jobs in the next three to five years. The move – the fourth announcement of its kind in as many months – begins to solidify Mason’s reputation on the national stage as a technology industry hub for growth and economic development.

“We are very excited to be continuing our growth within the City of Mason,” said Rick Riccetti, co-founder, president and CEO of Seapine Software, Inc. “Strategically, the I-71 corridor provides us both access and visibility to best serve our 8,500 clients nationally and globally.”

“Since locating in Mason in 1999, we have seen the region grow into one of the nation’s top places to live and do business,” said Kelly Riccetti, co-founder and senior vice president. “In addition to being centrally located in the tri-state region, Mason’s excellent schools, well-run government, and ample amenities help us attract the high-tech talent we need to be an industry leader.”

Rick added, “The City of Mason has helped us plan our growth strategy for the past several years. With so many options in the current economy, it was the incredible effort, support, and commitment by their team that really made the decision to expand here an easy one.”

The announcement builds on the City’s strategic vision for the I-71 corridor development, growth of the technology sector and easy connection to Cincinnati and Columbus. Other recent announcements include:

• AssureRx Health announced on October 12 the relocation of its Mason headquarters to a larger 10,000 square-foot tenant space in the newly-renovated Mason Community Center to accommodate an additional 100 employees by 2014.
• Rhinestahl announced November 8 the acquisition of a 120,000 square-foot building on Western Row Road to accommodate its manufacturing growth, bringing an additional 50 new jobs in five years and doubling its workforce.
• Intelligrated announced November 21 the construction of an additional 60,000 to 90,000 square-foot facility to expand its Mason headquarters on Innovation Way, bringing an additional 200 jobs in the next three years.

“There is nothing more inspiring than to see a vision begin to become reality,” said Mason Mayor David Nichols. “We are on the cusp of something extraordinary in Mason as we see the focus and critical planning around creating a technology hub in Mason begin to come to fruition.”

The Seapine announcement coincides with the AssureRx move into its new space in the Mason Community Center on Monday. In his comments in October, AssureRx executive VP and COO Don Wright said, “If you think about how other regions, like Silicon Valley, came to be, those places started with a lot of small companies like AssureRx that became large successful companies like we’re becoming. If we build that critical mass of successful companies, it will feed on itself and everyone is elevated by that community success.”

Seapine will construct a 2-story class A office building on 6 ½ acres adjacent to I-71.  The parcel was preserved through a 2009 Oakpark land agreement between Mason and Al. Neyer Inc. to attract strategic business development at the gateway to the City.  Seapine anticipates immediately occupying the majority of the full facility, which is almost half again as large as their current location. The site plan includes room for a 20,000 square foot expansion in the future.The company will retain 100 fulltime jobs and create 40 additional fulltime jobs within the first three to five years, with a projected payroll of approximately $11 million and an average salary of $80,000. Al. Neyer will design and build the new building for Seapine.

“Securing this technology center housing corporate headquarters, software engineering, and research and development is a significant economic achievement for the City,” said Michele Blair, Economic Development Director for the City of Mason. “Seapine is one of Mason’s top 20 employers, with employment growth of 200 percent over the past decade. We are thrilled with their decision to invest in new development along the I-71 corridor and value our partnership with Al. Neyer that helped make this happen.”

“We had an exceptional team that really helped pull everything together for us, including Michele Laumer, our commercial real estate consultant, Chris Dobrozsi at Al. Neyer, and Michele Blair at the City of Mason,” said Rick Riccetti. “We are so appreciative of their professional expertise and support.”

Today Mason City Council approved granting a $100,000 forgivable loan through the Mason Port Authority to Seapine to allow for future gateway landscaping and infrastructure improvements, as well as securing the creation of additional jobs. Council also approved an abatement under the Community Reinvestment Area Program for 100% of real property improvements contingent upon the company providing compensation to the Mason City School District for the term of the abatement period. 

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About Seapine Software

Founded in 1995, Seapine Software is the leading provider of quality-centric application lifecycle management (ALM) solutions for product development and IT organizations. Their mission is to equip customers with the tools, technologies, and best practices to deliver quality software products on time and within budget. Seapine sells products and services into all industries with solutions specifically targeted to quality-critical industries, such as life sciences, health care, financial services, utilities, game development, and embedded systems. For companies in such industries, quality is critical and most often these companies must meet regulatory compliance requirements. Seapine’s solutions provide the traceability, auditability, and security functionality required to prove compliance, while at the same time helping lower the cost of compliance.

About the City of Mason

Mason, Ohio, is the largest municipality in Warren County, Ohio, just north of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. The Cincinnati region is the 24th largest U.S. metropolitan area with a population of 2.17 million. With more than 300 colleges and universities located within a 200-mile radius and a workforce of over 1.6 million within 50 miles, it is a diverse and strategic location for any growing business. The Mason Port Authority is a strategic development partner allowing Mason to exercise competitive advantages. Mason is also a key partner municipality in the CincinnatiUSA Regional Partnership, the economic development arm of the CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber and CincyTechUSA, the entrepreneurial partnership that facilitates growth of startup technology companies. These organizations are critical to the long-term growth plan and success of innovation companies investing in Mason and the region.  

More than 90 corporate, high-tech and industrial businesses, including global corporations such as Cintas, Procter & Gamble, Luxottica Retail, Mitsubishi, and FANUC Robotics America, call Mason home. In total, they employ more than 20,000 people. The top 10 largest employers generate more than $5.3 million annually in earnings revenue that is reinvested into the community. Overall, it is estimated that there are more than 500 businesses that operate within Mason's 18 square miles.