Lawson Software Parent Considers Moving From St. Paul

Infor, which owns the former Lawson Software, is on the hunt for new space to house its Twin Cities employees—although it’s also possible the firm could remain at its current St. Paul location.
 
Infor’s current lease at Lawson Commons on St. Peter Street is set to expire in mid-2015, Infor spokesman Dan Barnhardt told Twin Cities Business in a Wednesday e-mail. He added, “As any lease approaches term, the company explores additional options to house our area employees, which includes remaining at Lawson Commons.”
 
Lawson Software, which used to be among Minnesota’s 40-largest public companies based on revenue, was acquired by an Infor affiliate in July 2011.
 
At the time of the acquisition, Lawson employed roughly 650 workers in St. Paul, and Barnhardt said Wednesday that the number of Twin Cities-based employees has been “virtually unchanged” since Infor bought it.
 
“The company stands firmly committed to our presence in the area,” Barnhardt said. “However, increased productivity of a mobile work force and our new customer visit and training center in Infor’s New York headquarters has reduced our need for physical space in St. Paul.”
 
News that St. Paul could lose one of several major employers comes on the heels of other recent announcements about significant changes to the area.
 
Macy’s said in early January that it plans to close its longstanding department store at 411 Cedar Street this spring, which will reportedly leave downtown St. Paul without a major department store for the first time in 130 years.
 
Then last week, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe announced plans to buy two hotels in downtown St. Paul. The band didn’t disclose the names of the hotels, but unnamed sources have told various media outlets that they are the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront at 11 East Kellogg Boulevard and the DoubleTree by Hilton at 411 Minnesota Street, both of which have been on the market.