Ahern Agribusiness Corporate Headquarters

Ahern Agribusiness had occupied an industrial warehouse facility in Otay Mesa for more than 25 years. Although the existing offices were well improved for the submarket, the location created a lengthy commute for company principals living in north-central San Diego County and no longer projected the image they wanted for a corporate headquarters.

With facilities throughout Mexico and the United States, Ahern is a leader in the agribusiness industry specializing in seed development and hybrids. The assignment required a high-quality facility that could satisfy the company’s specific space requirements while presenting the image and amenities appropriate for a successful, high-revenue corporate organization.

The Voit team began with an in-depth discovery meeting at Ahern Agribusiness’ existing headquarters. It quickly became clear that the company maintained an unusually high standard of office finish, which significantly narrowed the field of acceptable alternatives.

We developed a comprehensive survey of logical opportunities in Del Mar, Solana Beach, Torrey Pines, University Town Center, Sorrento Mesa, and surrounding north-central San Diego submarkets. The search included both traditional office and flex/R&D properties. Ahern strongly preferred a ground-floor location, easy access, and ideally no occupants directly above the premises.

Given the softer R&D and life science market conditions, we also evaluated high-quality projects traditionally designed for research, development, and life science users that could be repositioned effectively as a corporate headquarters.

After reviewing more than 20 alternatives on paper and touring more than a dozen properties, we identified several viable options. The final decision came down to one location in University Town Center and another in Sorrento Mesa.

Ahern selected the Sorrento Mesa property because it offered the best overall combination of image, accessibility, amenities, and functionality. The ground-floor premises provided convenient access without occupants above, while the project offered a professional corporate setting with a common-area meeting and conference center, an on-site café, and a quality fitness center.

The result was a headquarters location that better reflected Ahern Agribusiness’ stature, improved convenience for its leadership team, and positioned the company in a high-quality north-central San Diego business environment.