Ontario technology firm makes $44 million investment with move to Langford

Victoria -

Plexxis Software is not only making a $44 million investment by moving its headquarters from Brampton, Ont. to Langford, it is also bringing 100 new jobs to the West Shore community.

City of Langford staff have been working with the technology firm for the past 18 months to finalize the plan to move to the new Plexxis Tower under construction in the Westhills neighbourhood.

Plexxis selected Langford as the location for its new headquarters because of the city’s lifestyle and recreation options, in addition to its affordable housing choices. Company co-founder and CEO Chris Loranger says the move from Brampton to Langford offers his employees a better quality of life than what they are currently experiencing in the Greater Toronto Area.

“It’s the idea of no commute and no mosquitoes, to be honest with you,” said Loranger, when asked about the reasoning behind the move.

“It’s really fun to come to a place where you can get everywhere in five minutes and, more importantly, a lot of our team members all live close to each other. We support each other like a mini-community.”

The 80,000-square-foot building will include flexible workspaces and lifestyle amenities, such as a gym and lounge areas for Plexxis staff. There will also be 50,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial lease space, including two ground-floor units for future restaurant use.

“You know, this is big, this is our largest influx of tech jobs,” said Langford Mayor Stew Young. “To have (Plexxis) move here, buy homes here and be part of our community is a real bonus for us and our community.”

Young says by making affordable housing a priority and creating recreation opportunities for families, Langford has built a community that technology companies look for when choosing a location.

“What we’re doing here in Langford is creating a culture that we can get things done,” said Young. “We have the ability to attract investment, which is good for our families because living and working in your own community is important.”

Loranger says he expects as many as 45 employees will make the move from Brampton to Langford in the coming year. He says the move means his team members have more opportunities work and play together.

“A lot of people say companies build products, but we like to say we build teams first and those teams build products,” said Loranger. “A team is only a team if they live, work and play together, and we’re moving to Langford for a quality of life and to be more of a community.”

Loranger says the Plexxis Software move is expected to create 100 new jobs at its Langford headquarters. He says the building should be ready for staff to move in by the end of 2022.

City of Langford staff say the Plexxis Tower will be the beginning of Westhills’ commercial district: Lakepoint. When completed, the Lakepoint district will be 32 acres of residential and mixed-use commercial space.