Lilac Solutions is a clean technology company that specializes in the development of lithium extraction technologies. The company was founded in 2013 with the goal of becoming a leader in the sustainable production of lithium, a key component in the manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and portable electronics.
Since its inception, Lilac Solutions has focused on the research and development of innovative and environmentally friendly methods for extracting lithium from brine, a naturally occurring solution found in salt flats and other geological formations. The company’s proprietary technology is designed to extract lithium in a more cost-effective and sustainable manner compared to traditional methods.
IPG Services Provided
The client relied on IPG’s services to facilitate and support their multi-phase growth.
Lilac needed expansion for its rapidly growing needs, with office space for its engineers and non-technical employees and the new manufacturing division. We surveyed the market high and wide and decided to separate two requirements into finding an off-site office for non-technical personnel and an additional industrial site for the new manufacturing division.
We successfully identified and almost fully negotiated two leases for office space in San Francisco and a separate industrial site in San Leandro. Continuous deep-dive market research discovered a struggling company in the neighborhood with a magnificent office building adjacent to an industrial site that fit Lilac’s needs, but only if combined with the office building.
After complex negotiations, Lilac was able to expand its office and industrial footprint, all within a minute’s walk from its existing HQ. They are on the way to creating a neighborhood coalition and forming a science campus in the heart of West Oakland.
The Challenges
1
Limited selection of industrial sites with heavy office component
2
Urgent timing
3
Desire to keep the company close together
The Success
1
Finding a best-case scenario with a substantial office and industrial space expansion
2
Significantly under budget compared to the 2-site scenario with more space for both divisions
