Considerations can be countless when a director of operations has been tasked with overseeing an expansion of their company. What can make their new mission easier is having fellow professionals as contacts throughout the process. A skilled commercial real estate agent, for example, will be a treat to work with when the hunt for a new building is ongoing. Josh Kurstin was the real estate expert that was instrumental for aerospace company Bell as it searched for a new footprint in the Washington, D.C. area. As the company that’s well-known for its military and civilian helicopters continued development of the V-280 “Valor,” the brass at Bell wanted to be close to U.S. military officials. The end result was a 22,000-square-foot facility that Josh Kurstin and fellow team members at real estate firm JLL helped secure.
Instrumental to Bell’s decision was location. It’s a fact that any landlord or real estate expert will echo and the company wanted to be near both the Pentagon and Capitol building. Retired Army Major General Jeffrey Schloesser knew the importance of having direct access to its contacts as V-280 development was carried out. As executive vice president of strategic pursuits at Bell, Schlosser turned his military experience into a list of “wants” and “needs” as it pertained to helicopter development. According to previous reports, additional considerations included being close to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, having access to the local subway system as well a interior space that would allow Bell to display its work.
“Crystal City was absolutely the best place for us,” said Schlosser. “We’re about three blocks from the Metro, we are five minutes from Reagan airport and we are less than a mile from the Pentagon.” That endorsement of the work JLL and Josh Kurstin completed should sound a lot like “mission accomplished” to those who’ve successfully located new office space.
Making the most of his knowledge of the local market, Josh Kurstin and company would find a facility within the Crystal City neighborhood in Arlington County, Virginia. As one might expect, this search was confidential and the military implications meant all involved had to adhere to strict guidelines. The final product hit all the bullet points that Bell had sought — and more. Visitors to the Crystal City facility can check out the theater space, aircraft simulator, interactive mission board, virtual reality simulators as well as a display center for easy contact with clients and policymakers. Having successfully located a building that made possible plans a true reality, Josh Kurstin and JLL team members were able to add a worthy corporate client to the D.C. business community.
