Until recently, Viasat employees were spread among four separate offices in College Station and adjacent Bryan, one of them a 20-minute drive from the others. That less-than-ideal scenario ends this month as those 200 employees move into their new corporate campus.
“There were times I’d spend a good portion of my day driving between our different facilities,” said Chief Operations Officer Cody Catalena. “Having everybody under one roof will give us huge efficiency, not to mention more comfortable work surroundings. It’ll give us a sense of community and pride, which probably results in better work output. It’s a major upgrade for us.”
Viasat hosted a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting at the new campus April 10. County commissioners, city leaders, the president and chancellor of Texas A&M and several local politicians were among the invitees.
“This is pretty significant for this area,” Catalena said, adding that few other area companies “have this large of a presence with a real corporate campus feel to it.
“Our employees will be working in the best facility in Bryan/College Station.”
The three-story, 97,000-square-foot building is designed with individual and collaborative workspaces to cater to the needs of both millennials and traditional employees, and spark brainstorming sessions.
Employees here specialize in wireless technology, providing Wi-Fi and voice services to military members stationed at bases around the world. They also support the company’s managed Wi-Fi services business, including its new Community Wi-Fi product in Mexico and Latin America.
College Station is headquarters for Viasat’s Global Business Solutions team, which provides satellite connectivity services to businesses worldwide. About half of the new building’s first floor is designated as a customer support call center.
The design also includes ample opportunities for relaxation. The new campus has a café, fitness center, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts and an outdoor grill area.
The highlight might just be the patio, designed with a big screen so the Viasat crew can easily root for the fightin’ Aggies. The parking lot is rigged for tailgating with power and water hook-ups for RVs.
The College Station site is about 4 miles from Texas A&M’s Kyle Field.
Its proximity to the university also gives Viasat an ideal opportunity to recruit potential employees.
Designed to hold 300 employees, the building will be about two-thirds full with the current staff, leaving room for growth.
Viasat established its presence in College Station in 2014 when it acquired NetNearU, which designed and managed Wi-Fi network services for customers worldwide.
“I was one of the founders of NetNearU,” said Catalena, president and CEO of the company during the acquisition. “When Viasat acquired us, it was a big change but the culture was really very similar. The work ethic and people in general fit together really well. I think that’s what made it one of the more successful acquisitions.”
Viasat’s new campus is part of a master-planned community focused on technology and wellness. Amenities just outside the office door include restaurants, a championship golf course, boutique hotel, lake, jogging trail, and an event pavilion with live music, yoga and a farmer’s market.
College Station has been named America’s No. 1 college town and ranked No. 3 on Kiplinger Magazine’s List of 10 Great Places to Live.