Bell Helicopter opens modern, energy-efficient headquarters

Hundreds of workers at Bell Helicopter have stepped into the future.

With the opening of the company’s new 230,000-square-foot headquarters building at its campus in far east Fort Worth, about 1,100 workers have been brought together from several locations throughout Tarrant County into a modern, energy-efficient workspace.

The four-story facility, at the corner of Texas 10 and Bell Spur, is filled with conference rooms, meeting spaces and natural light, and is designed to help workers be more productive. But it’s also going to save the company a lot of money at a time when it has been forced to cut back due to reduced spending on its V-22 Osprey.

Consolidating multiple departments into the new facility will save Bell $20 million a year, said Robert T. Hastings Jr., senior vice president for communications and government affairs.

Since most of the company’s Fort Worth campus dates to the 1950s, building a new headquarters made more sense than modernizing the old space, he said. By vacating office space at Alliance Airport, in Bedford and in some older buildings on its campus, Bell says it’s reducing its real estate footprint by 1.2 million square feet.

It’s part of a broader $235 million makeover of Bell’s campus designed to attract young engineers and other talent to the 79-year-old manufacturer, owned by Textron Corp. The city of Fort Worth approved a tax-incentive deal worth $13.5 million over 10 years to aid the expansion, with Bell committing to keep 4,500 employees in Fort Worth through 2020 and 3,900 through 2028.

Bell has been tightening its belt in the past couple of years as reduced Pentagon orders for the V-22 Osprey have crimped profits. The company has announced more than 700 layoffs since early last year, including 325 in May after it reported a 25 percent drop in first-quarter earnings. Bell currently employs about 6,500 in North Texas, including 5,000 in Fort Worth.

After spending years getting the V-22 developed and built, Bell is refocusing attention on the commercial market, highlighted by development of its 16-passenger 525 Relentless, the biggest civilian helicopter it has ever built, which is preparing to make its first flight later this year. Another new Bell product is the 505 Jet Ranger X, a new five-seat helicopter aimed at corporate and public safety customers. It also will make its maiden voyage this year.

Bell designed its new headquarters to promote teamwork among its employees. No longer will workers have to travel from Alliance Airport to east Fort Worth to attend a meeting. Now they can quickly gather in dozens of meeting and collaboration rooms throughout the building, outfitted with electronic keypads that allow employees to reserve the space.

Energy efficiency was also a high priority. Dual-pane windows, LED lighting, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and a reflective membrane on the roof all help to conserve energy. Across its campus, the company has reduced electricity usage by an amount equal to 5,000 single-family homes, and reduced its water usage by 14 million gallons.

The company is seeking a LEED Silver Level certification on the new headquarters from the U.S. Green Building Council — which it says would be only the third building in Fort Worth to achieve that designation.

Departments that have moved into the new building include corporate administration, commercial sales, military programs and human resources. There’s a 5,800-square-foot data center and a 6,300-square-foot conference center.

The company will complete its move next year when it finishes a new training academy at its campus and relocates that activity from Alliance Airport. That will return another historic facet of Bell Helicopter to east Fort Worth.

“By this time next year, the skies over this plant will have helicopters flying almost all the time,” Hastings said.

This story was originally published June 28, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bell Helicopter opens modern, energy-efficient headquarters ."