Small businesses keep the U.S. economy humming. Selling everything from technical support to solar panels to video game design to business consulting services, more than 33 million of these dynamos employ more than 61 million Americans – about half of the private workforce. In Irvine, more than 1,800 small firms enjoy a competitive edge: flexible, premium, move-in-ready office space they can lease from Irvine Company.
Some owners call the program, known as Flex+, a competitive advantage as they scale their businesses.
On a recent sunny day at Innovation Office Park, a few employees from Next IT Solutions took a break from coding to toss cornhole bags on the lawn outside their building – a scene embodying the company founders’ ideal of the close-knit spontaneity that a mission-driven startup might provide. Just a few years ago, co-founders Justin Singleton and Josiah Schaffer were fixing computers on a workbench in a garage. Today, their IT support firm has a staff of 30 and has doubled in size every year.
“Flex+ was a game-changer for us,” Singleton says. The program, designed with small firms in mind, lets the company move seamlessly from one smartly furnished office to another as it grew – without long delays or major costs. Spaces are move-in ready, and tenants enjoy expertly designed offices and Fortune 500-grade amenities such as concierge services, state-of-the-art gyms and on-site dining.
Orange County Solar has a similar story. Founder and CEO Vince Curcie says his fast-growing solar-installation company has upsized three times in four years. “The only reason why we’re able to accomplish that is because we’re with Irvine Company,” he says. “We love the quality and reputation of Irvine Company and their willingness to work with us, so we’re never locked down or confined.”
Strategic support
Irvine Company, one of California’s largest providers of commercial space, understands the power of small business – more than half its customers fall into that category. Since launching the program in 2019, the company has invested millions in the portfolio, now totaling 5.2 million square feet, with plans to continue investing heavily in Flex+ through 2030. Projects in the pipeline include a new floor of Flex+ suites at 7515 Irvine Center Drive, ranging from 2,700 square feet to 11,000 square feet, and 13,000 square feet of flexible space under construction at Pacific Arts Plaza in Costa Mesa.
Irvine Company plans to expand its Flex+ workspaces to make up more than a fourth of its office portfolio over the next five years, anticipating market trends. A recent CBRE survey showed that 58% of respondents said they were seeking more flexible expansion and contraction options for new or renewed space.
“Our goal as we’re growing is to have the professionalism and scalability of a large Fortune 500 company but to have the passion and closeness of what makes a small business so beautiful.”
Josiah Schaffer, Next IT Solutions
These strategic investments help explain why Irvine Company ended the last fiscal year with nearly 90% of its office portfolio leased – well ahead of the national vacancy rate of more than 20%.
While customers praise the logistical support and ease of moving in and out, they clearly also value the campus feel of Flex+ properties. Indoor-outdoor workspaces, game tables and sunny green spaces help attract employees who want to come to the office, even in the era of remote work.
“Our goal as we’re growing is to have the professionalism and scalability of a large Fortune 500 company but to have the passion and closeness of what makes a small business so beautiful,” Schaffer says. Support like Flex+ puts both goals within reach – helping local entrepreneurs remain a hardy backbone of the U.S. economy.
