Peak 10 Expands In Atlanta, Seeing A Big Data Opportunity

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Racks inside a data center operated by Peak 10, which has been expanding its footprint in the Southeast. (Photo: Peak 10)

IT infrastructure provider Peak 10 is adding space in Atlanta, looking to capitalize on predicted high growth in the market. The new location is located on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta’s High Tech Corridor, where Peak 10 will build out three 15,000 square foot phases for three separate data centers, with the completion of the first phase expected in Spring 2014. The new facility sits on 12 acres, providing plenty of room for further expansion.

The company entered the Atlanta market in 2007 through greenfield facility acquisitions, and this latest expansion speaks to its continued success. The new building brings Peak 10’s entire Atlanta footprint to more than 100,000 square feet. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Peak 10 operates data centers in 10 markets, primarily in the southeastern U.S.  Less than a year ago, Peak 10 completed a 2,500 square foot addition to its second data center on its Norcross campus to accommodate additional customers.

“We have been very selective with this expansion in Atlanta," said David Jones, the president and CEO of Peak 10. "We will be investing significant capital into this site, a campus that will afford Peak 10 exceptional expansion capabilities. We anticipate continued exponential growth for our Atlanta operations and the Windward/Alpharetta area affords us all of the essentials for demand growth, stable power infrastructure, multiple fiber carriers and access to a technology-oriented employment community.”

Big Data is big business in Atlanta. According to Reuters, Big Data will grow by 45% annually to reach a $25 billion industry by 2015.  Peak 10 believes Atlanta is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this growth trend due to its diversity of data-centric sectors, from transportation to finance, logistics, retail, and healthcare.

A History of Calculated Expansions

Peak 10 has been around since 2000, safely navigating through the dotcom bubble as well as the major economic downturn in 2008. How has the company survived, and even thrived? Historically it has followed a conservative game plan, choosing to focus on smaller, regional data centers rather than speculative builds. It staffs these regional data centers with local talent that knows the area, quickly establishing Peak 10 as a staple in local business communitie. The company takes smart, calculated plays in markets showing potential.

Peak 10's product strategy  has evolved with the times, offering a unique mix of colocation, managed hosting, and most recently, cloud. It provides tailored solutions, often winning a piece of a customer’s IT infrastructure and further growing the relationship as time goes on.

The company survived by avoiding the irrational exuberance displayed by many providers. In the early 2000s, it began to target SMBs in addition to Fortune 500 companies, and now the company is equipped to accommodate a broad range of customers. In 2004, it brought managed services in house. In the last 10 or so years it has expanded to several regional markets with high demand

Peak 10 has continued to add capacity in its core markets while expanding selectively into new markets. With each expansion to a new market came the hiring of local professionals and a general manager that knew the scene.

Expanding in Alpharetta

Alpharetta is a northern suburb of Atlantas that has become a popular destination for data center operators. T5 Data Centers, ByteGrid and Blackberry have data centers in Alpharetta.

“We chose Alpharetta for our expansion because of its strong commitment to the IT industry,” said Angela Haneklau, vice president and general manager for Peak 10’s Atlanta operations. “We look forward to serving as IT advisors and trusted business partners to the organizations in the North Fulton County technology and business communities and beyond.

The City of Alpharetta is excited to welcome Peak 10,” said Peter Tokar, economic development director for the City of Alpharetta. “As a major hub for technology and Big Data in the Metro Atlanta Region, Peak 10’s location in Alpharetta will provide yet another wonderful asset to our business community and our network of high tech companies.”

Its conservative roots gave the company a strong reputation. When Peak 10 chooses to expand, it’s because the company knows that there is the demand to fill the space. Predominantly located in the southeast, the company has been expanding westward in the last few years. Expansion has significantly picked up in the last five years, so it’s hard to call it a conservative company still, but rather a smart one. Conservative roots and its repeatable approach of establishing itself in new markets has made the company a major contender.