The Moorings/Sunsail is the world’s premier yacht and chartering company and is a wholly owned subsidiary of TUI Travel PLC, a leading international leisure travel company. The 30-year-old firm currently operates in the U.S., the Caribbean, the South Pacific and Europe. With 70 headquarters employees in Clearwater and a fleet of more than 850 yachts across 30 locations, The Moorings/Sunsail has experienced stronger than expected growth over the past five years and quickly outgrew its existing headquarters location in the Arbor Shoreline Office Park on U.S. Highway 19 North. In addition to lacking suitable space to accommodate projected expansion needs, this location did not adequately convey the desired corporate image or market branding. The Moorings/Sunsail contracted with the UGL Equis team in Tampa to help them locate a suitable headquarters site for the company in the Clearwater market; one that would minimize a persistent threat of flooding during hurricane season. The Arbor Shoreline location was situated in a flood zone and Level-1 Evacuation zone (required to evacuate for Category-1 hurricanes). In the past, hurricane activity has caused disruptions to their business. In addition, The Moorings/Sunsail executive team articulated the following needs:

• One floor of contiguous space with an open floor plan

• Adequate space to accommodate projected expansion of staff

• A central location in Clearwater with easy access to Tampa and the interstate highways;

• Class A building to accurately reflect The Moorings/Sunsail’s market branding image as the world's premier yacht chartering company.

UGL Equis delivered a fully integrated solution utilizing transaction experts along with the local project management team. This combination provided The Moorings/Sunsail with an end-to-end real estate partner that drove the entire process from initial site selection to move-in. The transaction team performed an exhaustive survey of the local market and provided The Moorings/Sunsail with seven properties to evaluate before settling on the preferred location. The project management team oversaw all the design aspects of the project including construction, furniture selection, finishes, space planning and low voltage and technology. The entire project was completed under budget in the fastest available timeframe.

The UGL Equis team in Tampa enabled The Moorings/Sunsail to capitalize on market dynamics in order to better align its real estate with operational and branding priorities. The new 25,000 square-foot stand-alone H.Q. building at 95 Park Place Boulevard, Clearwater, affords a better technology infrastructure, is not in a flood zone and allows room for expansion as staffing levels increase from 70 employees to 100. Additional benefits include:

• A 10-year lease term with two, five-year renewal options secured at aggressive rates that allows for expansion.

• The landlord agreed to provide a turn-key build-out per the Moorings/Sunsail's specifications while providing an aggressive, below-market rental rate.

• First privately owned LEED Certified building in Pinellas County. As corporate citizens who have an environmental global business focus, the LEED certification for The Moorings/Sunsail’s headquarters location is a reflection of their overall business philosophy.

• Greater automobile parking efficiency at 4.32 per 1,000.