A long standing Sunshine Coast tech company has secured the remaining commercial space across two levels (1,500 m2) of Evans Long’s A1 building at the new Maroochydore CBD.

Retail Express which was acquired by Canadian based Global Software company Maropost on January 1 this year for $55 million employs around 150 staff in Queensland (350 globally) and services over 7000 retailers & merchants internationally with more than $60 billion in transactions processed to date.

Aaron Blackman is the founder of Retail Express and has gone onto become Managing Director of Maropost Australia said he was thrilled to base their new Australian headquarters in the Maroochydore CBD.

“Maropost will be the largest global tech company based on the Sunshine Coast and we plan to attract and employ over 200 staff at our new headquarters in areas covering engineering, sales, marketing, support and senior management.

“We are really excited to soon be fitting out a world class office space across two floors within the new Maroochydore CBD, it’s an exciting world class precinct with the added bonus of access to the international sub-sea data cable.

“We are also looking forward to engaging with the local community including business and Council as we work towards our vision to become the global leader in Retail, eCommerce and Marketing Automation software, I am certain that our new office will play a vital role in attracting and retaining local staff,” Aaron said.

Evans Long Development Manager Sujay Singh said the Maropost deal was the largest commercial deal in the Sunshine Coast this year and all but wraps up the commercial offer within the A1 building.

“We are thrilled to have leased such a large space of the building to a business which commenced on the Sunshine Coast and now has offices in Brisbane, Stockholm, Toronto and India. This is a significant milestone for Evans Long as we only commenced construction of A1 in September last year, it’s very pleasing to have all of the commercial space within the building committed and we now turn our attention the the ground floor retail offer to those tenants who we believe will be the right mix for the A1 building and the CBD,” Sujay said.

Ryan Parry of CBRE Sunshine Coast negotiated the Maropost deal and said his client were looking for a central Sunshine Coast location to house a significant number of their staff for their Australian headquarters.

“This is the last sizeable, A Grade commercial office space available in Maroochydore and across the region the office vacancy rate is sitting at around 2-3%.  This is Maropost’s first office location outside a CBD so it’s a real feather in the cap for A1 as well as the Sunshine Coast and the new Maroochydore CBD to attract such an internationally renowned e-commerce tenant,” Ryan said.

Maropost joins local professional services firms Sunshine Coast Property Accountants, Sherrin Partners and Yield Advisory who have committed to the building.

Maropost has committed to a 5 plus 5 year lease and while the rental rate was not disclosed it is understood to be at the asking rate of $425/sqm, excluding outgoings.

The $18.5 million A1 commercial and retail development is located on a prime 1,173m2 site at the gateway to the new CBD on First Avenue Maroochydore. A1 is a five level architecturally designed building by Cottee Parker whose brief has been to deliver a contemporary building which will embrace its gateway location and take advantage of the local environment and climate.

Evans Long is committed to achieving a 5-star NABERS energy rating for A1 which provides significant long term environmental benefits and cost efficiencies for the building’s owner and its tenants.

A1 follows the company’s first CBD development Foundation Place which is now 100% tenanted and was purchased by listed fund manager and investor Primewest late last year.

A1 will be the only commercial building to be completed in Maroochydore (aside from Council’s Town Hall) this year with completion scheduled for August 2022.

To request leasing information on the above transaction please contact the leasing agent Ryan Parry of CBRE Sunshine Coast via the below contact details. 

Below L to R: Ryan Parry of CBRE Sunshine Coast and Evans Long Development Manager Sujay Singh.