FHO Partners Announces 65,000-Square-Foot Lease Expansion for Epsilon in Wakefield

WAKEFIELD, MASS. — October 03, 2011 — FHO Partners, leader in the commercial real estate services field with extensive experience in the greater Boston office market, today announced a lease expansion for Epsilon, the industry's leading marketing services firm. Epsilon will expand into an additional 65,000-square-feet at both 601 and 701 Edgewater Drive in Wakefield's Edgewater Office Park, increasing its total footprint at their Wakefield Corporate Campus from 119,000-square-feet to 184,000-square-feet. Epsilon plans to create approximately 200 new jobs through its current expansion during the next 12 to 24 months, after which this location will house over 800 employees.

"Massachusetts takes pride in the state's growing innovation economy, including industries such as information technology," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. "As our administration continues to support existing as well as expanding companies in the state, we look forward to Epsilon's expansion in Wakefield, which will yield significant new jobs, support the company's business services, and foster long term growth in the Commonwealth."

Lieutenant Governor Murray previously visited Epsilon to highlight the strength of Massachusetts' information technology sector, and recognize the company for its decision to expand in the Bay State. The Patrick-Murray Administration's Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development worked with state and local officials to facilitate the construction of an upgraded power line to support the company's expansion.

According to Epsilon President and CEO, Bryan Kennedy, "We are thrilled to continue to expand our presence in Wakefield. Although our corporate headquarters are in Irving, Texas, we have a long history in the Boston area where the company was founded. We look forward to continuing to grow in the region and add more talented marketing executives who can provide unparalleled knowledge and expertise for our large global client base."

John Boyle, Partner at FHO Partners, coordinated the transaction on behalf of the tenant, Epsilon, and Chip Batchelder, Managing Director of Wyman Street Advisors, represented Hobbs Brook Management, LLC, owner of 601 and 701 Edgewater Drive. Built in 2001, 601 and 701 Edgewater Drive are the newest Class A office buildings in the established 1M SF Edgewater Office Park, which is located at the intersection of Routes 93 and 128, and is wholly owned by Hobbs Brook Management. The five-story buildings overlook a protected marsh and include a variety of amenities including on-site maintenance and security, state-of-the-art energy management systems, full-service dining, a comprehensive recycling program, and covered parking.

"Despite recent economic uncertainty, successful firms like Epsilon are continuing to grow, while fostering technological innovation," said Boyle. "We are pleased to assist Epsilon with its continued expansion here in Massachusetts."

"Epsilon has been a long-term tenant within our park and we are extremely pleased they have chosen to expand their current location," said Donald Oldmixon, first vice president of real estate, construction and leasing for Hobbs Brook Management, LLC. "As Hobbs Brook continues to offer more Class A office space in Wakefield, we welcome the expansion of tenants like Epsilon who continue to grow and contribute to economic recovery in Massachusetts."

Epsilon is the industry's leading marketing services firm, with a broad array of data-driven, multi-channel marketing solutions that leverage consumer insight to help brands deepen their relationships with customers. Services include strategic consulting, acquisition and customer database technologies, loyalty management, proprietary data, predictive modeling and a full range of direct and digital agency services, including creative, interactive web design, email deployment, search engine optimization and direct mail production. In addition, Epsilon is the world's largest permission-based email marketer. Epsilon is an Alliance Data company. For more information, visit www.epsilon.com or call 1-800-309-0505.

As both owner and operator, Hobbs Brook Management LLC is committed to providing its tenants and their employees with a reliable and fully functional business environment. For leasing information, please visit www.hobbsbrook.com.

FHO Partners is a commercial real estate firm offering a full range of brokerage, consulting, strategic planning, research, lease administration, marketing, lease auditing, lease portfolio and transaction management services for corporate and institutional clients alike. The senior partners of the firm have worked together for over 20 years providing customized advisory consulting and brokerage services to an extensive range of corporate and institutional clients, both locally and on a national and international basis. For more information, visit www.fhopartners.com or call 617-249-4555.