Datacard Group, the world leader in secure ID and card personalization solutions, today announced that the company will relocate its corporate headquarters from Minnetonka to Shakopee, Minn.
Datacard Group has outgrown the 35-year-old headquarters location in Minnetonka and wants to maintain its headquarters presence in the Greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area. After extensively researching areas that would fit their growth now and in the future, the company is confirming that they have chosen to buy and renovate a 370,000-square-foot facility at 1187 Park Place in Shakopee. The move is planned to take place in 2014.
"Datacard Group is very proud of our heritage in Minnesota, and having our headquarters and manufacturing in Minnetonka for over 35 years has been a wonderful experience," stated Todd Wilkinson, president and CEO of Datacard Group. "We worked very closely with the City of Minnetonka to locate a new facility that would suit our growing needs, but were unsuccessful. We appreciate the continued support they have given us throughout the years we've been headquartered there."
Given the global demand and success of the organization's secure identity and transaction solutions, Datacard Group has grown considerably over the four decades it's been in business. With 1,400 employees worldwide, approximately 680 of those are located in Minnesota. All of the Minnesota colleagues will be moved to the new location in Shakopee with future plans of hiring more to accommodate growth.
"We are very excited that Datacard Group has selected the City of Shakopee to move its headquarters to," said Brad Tabke, mayor of Shakopee. "This is a testament to Shakopee's continuous development opportunities and strong resources available to businesses in the metro area, and we look forward to a long and prosperous future with Datacard Group as we welcome them to this outstanding community."
For the next year, Datacard Group plans on making renovations to the Shakopee facility. This includes the conversion of some office and manufacturing space, expansion of the cafeteria, adding a high-end workout facility and increasing the number of parking spaces to accommodate all of the employees.
"The Shakopee location will be a great move for us as a company," added Wilkinson. "I'm proud that we will be staying in the Greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area and have no doubt that the new facility in Shakopee will accommodate our needs now and in the future. The move will give us tremendous capability to help streamline our operations and manufacturing, provide a better customer experience and enrich our colleagues' work environment."
Gary Shelton, Scott County Administrator, also commented on the company's decision to move.
"Datacard Group is one of the top private companies in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area and their investment here is not only great for the City of Shakopee, but for Scott County as a whole," said Shelton. "We couldn't be happier about this move and look forward to them becoming an integral part of the local economy."