From Transition to Transformation: Flagship’s Journey with a Leading Life Sciences REIT

Categories: Ancillary Staff Management, HVAC, Library, Life Sciences, Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing (MEP)

This company is a leading real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in Life Sciences campuses in innovation hubs across the country. At Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina, the client supports groundbreaking Life Sciences organizations by providing state-of-the-art facilities designed to advance innovation and discovery.

The Challenge

The client’s RTP portfolio comprises 41 buildings (plus a Central Utility Plant) spanning 4.5 million square feet, which house some of the world’s most innovative Life Sciences organizations. Maintaining these high-performing properties requires a specialized team capable of overseeing all base building operations, including everything from HVAC to electrical and plumbing.

When Flagship was selected to manage the client’s RTP portfolio, the transition presented several key challenges. Retaining the existing facility employees was identified as a top priority to ensure business continuity and maintain institutional knowledge. To achieve this, Flagship needed to align its benefits and coverage with the client’s competitive offerings.

Additionally, Flagship faced the task of elevating service quality across the portfolio, while meeting the client’s commitment to providing white-glove service to its tenants. Balancing these demands required a strategic approach to both workforce integration and facility operations.

The Solution

Flagship worked closely with the client to meet these challenges head-on.

Key initiatives included:

Employee Transition and Retention: Flagship’s HR team conducted a comprehensive review of the client’s benefits and coverage, making necessary adjustments to align Flagship’s offerings with the client’s standards. These changes ensured a seamless transition for employees while maintaining high morale and satisfaction.
Staff Augmentation: Flagship supplemented the existing team with top-tier engineers, mechanics, and technicians, assembling a workforce of 26 highly skilled employees dedicated to maintaining the RTP portfolio.
Process and Communication Improvements: New processes were introduced to streamline operations, enhance communication, and deliver measurable improvements in service quality.

The Outcome

Over the past three years, Flagship’s partnership with the client at RTP has grown into a strong and collaborative relationship. The successful transition of employees established a solid foundation for a high-performing team, and continuous improvements in service quality have been widely recognized by both the client and its tenants.

Building on its proven success in facilities management, Flagship has begun expanding its role by supporting the tenants in the client’s incubator labs with specialized equipment services. Looking ahead, Flagship plans to further enhance its partnership by introducing lab support services for tenants, adding even greater value to this thriving Life Sciences community.