Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A., a global provider of customer experience (CX) solutions for digital-native and vertical leading brands in Luxembourg, has announced it will occupy 35,000 square feet of space across two floors in the 211 West Fort Class A office building north of Huntington Place in downtown Detroit.
The deal marks the first major leasing announcement for commercial real estate in the central business district since the start of COVID-19.
Majorel has offices in 41 countries across five continents, with more than 75,000 employees and an expertise in 60 languages. Its clients include automotive and financial brands, among others.
In addition to tech-augmented front-to-back-office CX, the company offers digital consumer engagement, CX consulting, and a suite of what it calls “Proprietary Digital Solutions” for industry verticals.
In June, Majorel announced a proposed merger with Sitel, and Sitel’s majority shareholder, the Mulliez family. The company, based in Miami, provides CX products and solutions and has 165,000-plus employees.
Combined, the two companies would employ more than 240,000 employees across 300-plus locations globally, serving some 1,000 clients in more than 70 languages.
At 211 West Fort, Majorel’s space can accommodate more than 600 employees at full capacity. Majorel states it had hired more than 500 new employees as of July 1.
In February, Majorel announced it selected Detroit out of 50 possible U.S. locations after a national search that included working locally with the Detroit Regional Partnership. It also partnered with Wayne County, the City of Detroit, Detroit Economic Development Corp., and Detroit at Work to promote job opportunities, starting with hosting job fairs at the Renaissance Center.
“Ultimately, the talent is what brought us to Detroit,” says Gus Gikas, vice president of operations for North America of Majorel. “Of course, you can train employees on the technical side of customer service, but success in this role takes compassion, a collaborative attitude, and positive thinking.
“Without those qualities, it’s hard to deliver a satisfying experience to customers. Once we started going through applications and meeting prospective employees, it became clear that the City of Detroit offer exactly the right mix of skills to deliver those satisfying experiences.”
Bradley Foster, managing partner of Foster Financial Co. Inc., which owns the 27-story, 500,000-square-foot office tower, says “landing Majorel as an anchor tenant at 211 is a big win for our company.” He adds the building offers “full turn-key solutions, in-house design services, and unlimited parking with (the company’s) recent acquisition of the newly renovated Joe Louis Parking Deck (The JOE Garage).”
In recent weeks, Foster Financial completed a full renovation of the lobby, including the addition of a large living plant wall, a marble security desk in the center of the lobby, new furniture, and a custom 12-by-15-foot installation by Detroit artist, Mike Hahn.
Foster is seeking a restaurant operator for the first floor that offers a 1,500 square foot outdoor terrace. The potential restaurant space offers 25-foot ceilings which easily can accommodate a loft concept with private dining above. Foster financial is seeking a strategic dining partner to help transition the building to a destination.
Other amenities to open at 211 West Fort include Detroit coffee consultant and roaster CoffeeHaus, which plans to launch a café and bar concept called “The Coffee Bar” in early 2023.
With direct access from the building’s lobby, as well as from the alley that connects to W. Congress St., The Coffee Bar will offer an array of coffee drinks and other fare and in the evening make available craft cocktails, coffee-based alcoholic drinks, charcuterie, and other selections.
“Majorel’s choice of 211 West Fort is a great move because it will bring hundreds of new jobs to a signature building in our city’s growing downtown, and a lot of those jobs were filled by residents of the city, thanks to Majorel’s commitment to prioritize Detroiters through Detroit at Work,” says Mayor Mike Duggan. “We are looking forward to a major international company like Majorel establishing a presence in our city once their new space opens.”
Warren C. Evans, Wayne County Executive, states: “There are a lot of good things to be said about Majorel’s decision to locate their new office in Detroit. However, what stands out to me is that a company with such an established reputation could have gone anywhere. But there was something about Detroit that clicked. I think that Majorel saw the true Detroit — the city Detroiters have known about all along, a city with the potential to not just meet expectations but exceed them.”
After working to attract Majorel to the city, Maureen Donohue Krauss, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership, says the company’s hiring success reflects its commitment to the city and region.
“Attracting a company of this caliber reflects how the region is emerging as a top tech hub where innovators can expand and thrive,” Krause adds. “Our talent, business climate, and quality of life are tough to beat and will continue to attract leading companies, like Majorel, from traditional tech markets as word spreads about the return on investment in the city and the surrounding eleven counties.”
To learn more about Majorel, visit majorel.com.
