Kulicke & Soffa, an international equipment manufacturing company, has signed a 13-year deal to relocate its regional headquarters from Irvine to Santa Ana.
The company has leased 66,538 square feet in Irvine Corporate Center, a two-story office building at 1821 E. Dyer Road in Santa Ana.
Kulicke & Soffa is expected to move in by this summer after it completes construction on office and lab space, said Wade Clark, an executive vice president with Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. He added that the flexibility of the property appealed to Kulicke & Soffa.
“It was a very efficient layout for them,” he said. “They’re building out office and R&D/lab space (and) there’s a component of warehousing and access to loading.”
Clark, along with colleague Joe Bevan, represented the landlord. Kenneth Ward and Dillon Dummit, both of Cresa Orange County, represented Kulicke & Soffa.
Headquartered in Singapore, Kulicke & Soffa specializes in the design and manufacture of tools to assemble semiconductors and LED devices. The company, which has about 2,200 employees, was started in 1951.
The lease deal is a coup for real estate firm Hines, which partnered with investment firm Oaktree Capital Management LP to acquire the 126,251-square-foot Irvine Corporate Center in December. The property is now about 50 percent leased, Clark said.
The landlord is currently in the middle of extensive property improvements.
“They are completely renovating the landscaping, the building lobby, creating outdoor seating areas and upgrading the common areas of the building,” Clark said.
The building, built in 1976, sits on about 6.8 acres near John Wayne Airport and features a large glass façade and flexible floor plates.
Bank holding company signs Irvine lease deal
California First National Bancorp has inked a deal to move its Irvine headquarters about half a mile away.
The company, the parent of California First National Bank and California First Leasing Corp., signed a five-year lease in excess of $3.2 million for about 36,000 square feet at 28 Executive Park. The company is expected to move into the space by September.
Ralph Simmonds, who represented California First National, said the standalone three-story office property appealed to the company, which currently occupies a portion of a larger high-rise at 18201 Von Karman Ave. The new space also offers signage rights and simplified parking, added Simmonds, the president and founder of Simmonds Realty Group Inc.
Irvine Co.’s Rick Wandrocke represented the landlord.
Anaheim industrial property trades hands
The owner of 4222 E. La Palma Ave. in Anaheim has sold the 6,950-square-foot light industrial building for about $1.1 million.
The 32-year-old property offers about 2,300 square feet of office space and 16-foot ceiling heights, according to data provider CoStar Group Inc.
David Williams, a principal with Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services Inc., represented the seller, L&L La Palma Property LLC.� Sean Ward, a first vice president with CBRE, represented the buyer, Rethmeier Family Trust.
Contact the writer: rclough@ocregister.com or 714-796-7922
