TechSmith construction commences near MSU campus; partnership with MSU brings technology, software, and innovative opportunities for students and community members.
TechSmith today announced the company is moving its headquarters from its Okemos location to Michigan State University’s campus. MSU and the Michigan State University Foundation are partnering to develop a 62,500 square-foot, two-story office building in the south portion of Spartan Village for this new tenant. The office building will be located on approximately five acres of land at the corner of South Crescent and Harrison Road, 14 Crescent Rd., East Lansing Michigan 48823.
“In a growing tech company, it’s all about attracting and enabling the right talent,” said Wendy Hamilton, TechSmith CEO. “We look forward to providing a world-class tech facility to our amazing team that reinforces our culture, creativity, and collaboration. We are also committed to supporting Michigan State University and the Lansing region as community stakeholders.”
TechSmith is returning to East Lansing, where they started more than 30 years ago. The new headquarters will enhance employee wellbeing, connectedness to one another, talent opportunities, community partnerships and involvement, local brand awareness, and internship programs. Construction for the new facility began June 1, 2021 and is anticipated to conclude June 2022.
“We’re pleased to welcome TechSmith to the MSU Innovation Network” said Samuel L Stanley, Jr., M.D., MSU President. “They have been a great collaborator with the University for over a decade and this move affirms our mutual desires to build upon our relationship.”
TechSmith has been a long-time sponsor of MSU, bringing interesting projects to MSU computer science students in the College of Engineering, such as Teacher’s Virtual Toolbelt, Cloud Based Video Tracking and Video Sentiment Analysis.
“The College of Engineering’s capstone programs and Design Day would not be possible without the continued support and sponsorship from TechSmith” said Dr. Leo Kempel, Dean of the MSU College of Engineering and Dennis P. Nyquist Endowed Professor of Electromagnetics. “Their generosity, time and coaching of our capstone teams gives our students real world challenges required in the next generation of engineering graduates.”
In addition to their Design Day sponsorship, TechSmith recruits between 20-30 undergraduate students for summer internships each year. Many of those internships are extended beyond the summer, providing students the ability to work between 10-25 hours per week during their semester.
Currently, TechSmith employs approximately 300 employees, and intends to hire around 30 additional full-time positions across several areas of the business.
“Our proximity to campus is a competitive advantage,” says Hamilton. “TechSmith will continue to recruit and retain talented individuals from MSU, while becoming a foundational partner in the MSU Innovation Network.”
The MSU Innovation Network creates dynamic partnership opportunities to industry, government and independent entities in ways that help translate the vitality of the MSU discovery and innovation engine into economic and community value. MSU Innovation Network and its partners are committed to discovery and innovation that advance our communities, state, and region.
The project is made possible by several organizations beside TechSmith and MSU. Through the leadership of Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), both the City of East Lansing and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation provided incentive packages directly to TechSmith as part of the program. “This project will create and retain good, high paying jobs in a booming industry and at an internationally known local company – precisely the high-value targeted jobs people want, and the type of jobs we need in the region,” said Bob Trezise, President and CEO of LEAP. The MSU Foundation will serve as the developer for this new headquarter building and The Christman Company will serve as construction manager.