Trane pushes Hub & Spoke occupancy to 94%

Trane Technologies’ local commercial division is moving from its Indianapolis office of nearly two decades to join the first group of new tenants in the Fishers Hub & Spoke building.

Roger Penn, area general manager for Ireland-based Trane, said the company’s commercial arm has co-located with its retail parts division in a 20,000-square-foot space at 5355 N. Post Road for the past 17 years. The parts service will remain on Post Road, Penn said, while the commercial division’s 100 employees move to the smaller Fishers space and adopt a flexible work environment.

“We wanted to rework this office to give associates the flexibility to manage their time the way they need to. We’re allowing the associate to choose for the day if they want to work from home or come into the office,” Penn said. “That’s a big culture shift for Trane. We have always been a company that has a dedicated space for an employee.”

Trane’s 11,000-square-foot lease in the Hub & Spoke building at 8100 E. 106^th St. in Fishers brings the 94,000-square-foot design center to 94% occupancy.

Hub & Spoke Co-founder Travis Tucker said the building’s launch in April was stunted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and occupancy was only around 70%.

“The launch was a little bit slower with people staying at home, but everybody in the building was part of the critical workforce,” Tucker said. “That still allowed a lot of tenants to get their space open, conduct business and see some clients.”

Eight of the 10 businesses to open in the space are new to Fishers and bring a combined 140 jobs to the city.

Aside from Trane, the group includes:

• aCo, Hub & Spoke Co-founder David Decker’s kitchen, bath and flooring company;
• Battersby Danielson Azbell & Associates, a distributor/manufacturers representative for the plumbing and hydronics industries;
• Haven, a marketing agency for design and construction professionals;
• Community Connect, Haven’s extended coworking space;
• Oasis Outdoor, a landscaping firm;
• Digital Sight and Sound, a company providing digital audio, video, lighting, alarm and security solutions; and
• High Frequency Arts, an art consulting and procurement service.

Two other businesses at Hub & Spoke, Plumbers Supply and Becovic Management Group, were already in Fishers.

When Trane opens its new office in April, Penn said, customers will be able to interact with the company’s products and integrated climate control software. The space will also feature a large training room and customer lounge to bring a “more residential feel” to those flexible office spaces.

Penn said Trane chose Hub & Spoke for its proximity to other construction industry professionals, the opportunity to network, nearby amenities, and Fishers’ billing as a technology hub. He said downsizing and the flexible work environment help reduce energy consumption, which fits with the company’s new image.

“The rebranding has been from Trane to Trane Technologies, and they want to demonstrate that with this new office space,” Tucker said.