Newswise — CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 16, 2015-- UNC Charlotte has reached an agreement with Sealed Air Corp. to lease temporary research and development space and office space at the University’s PORTAL building.
The partnership calls for the University to house the company’s research and development personnel for 18 months or longer. The arrangement provides temporary work space for the company’s researchers while a permanent facility is being built in Charlotte.
“One of the reasons Sealed Air is moving to Charlotte is its strong reputation for technology and innovation. In addition to allowing us to house newly hired and specially selected R&D staff, PORTAL provides an ideal collaborative workspace conducive to continuing our research and development work while construction on our new facility is completed,” said Robert Tatterson, vice president of research and development for Sealed Air.
University officials said the agreement advances UNC Charlotte’s standing as North Carolina’s urban research university. It also is a tangible illustration of the University’s commitment to foster partnerships with private industry.
The four-story, 96,000-square-foot, PORTAL building sits on a prominent site at the entrance of the Charlotte Research Institute campus. The facility was designed to stimulate business growth and job creation along with promoting research and innovation. There is nearly 30,000 square feet of office space available for companies who want to locate on campus.
“Our agreement with Sealed Air is a great example of the value we offer to our R&D partners,” said Bob Wilhelm, vice chancellor of research and economic development. “Companies like Sealed Air come for the R&D environment, the talent and easy entry and access to our facilities, services, and infrastructure. We have top quality facilities that our partners can immediately move into.”
Sealed Air is currently building a state of the art, environmentally sustainable campus in Charlotte that will become the headquarters for its divisions, research and development facilities, and corporate offices. The new campus is scheduled to open at the end of 2016.
The partnership with UNC Charlotte will enable Sealed Air to accelerate its move to Charlotte while continuing to drive its innovation initiatives forward.
Sealed Air also operates a temporary research and development facility in Racine, Wis., for its Diversey Care business. The company will also operate facilities in Duncan, S.C. for its Food Care business and New Jersey and Connecticut for its Product Care business until the new R&D center is complete in early 2017. Sealed Air is the type of company the University wants to attract to the Charlotte Research Institute campus, Wilhelm said.
“In the next year, we expect that Sealed Air employees will have the best of both worlds,” he said. “They can continue their R&D efforts at PORTAL in a controlled environment as they do at their other locations. At the same time, they can connect daily with our talent, set new research agendas, access our facilities, and recruit our students by simply walking across the hall or across the street.”
About Sealed Air
Sealed Air Corporation creates a world that feels, tastes and works better. In 2014, the company generated revenue of approximately $7.8 billion by helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals in the face of today’s biggest social and environmental challenges. Our portfolio of widely recognized brands, including Cryovac® brand food packaging solutions, Bubble Wrap® brand cushioning and Diversey® cleaning and hygiene solutions, enables a safer and less wasteful food supply chain, protects valuable goods shipped around the world, and improves health through clean environments. Sealed Air has approximately 24,000 employees who serve customers in 175 countries. To learn more, visit www.sealedair.com.
About UNC CHARLOTTE
UNC Charlotte is North Carolina’s urban research university. With fall 2015 enrollment of nearly 28,000 students, the University leverages its location in the state’s largest city to offer internationally competitive programs of research and creative activity, exemplary undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, and a focused set of community engagement initiatives.
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