From its inception, Columbia was seen in terms of human values, not just in terms of economics and engineering. Begun in the early 1960's, this "new town" was designed to eliminate uncontrolled sprawl and the inconveniences of then current sub-division design. But even more, Columbia was built on the premise that a community could foster a true coming together for all of its residents. Columbia would be a better place to live and work. A place for all people, embracing different races, religions and income groups. This vision is reflected in Columbia's physical layout and in many innovative programs whose benefits residents enjoy today.

Columbia's business mix is as diverse as its population. The city's central Washington/Baltimore location, its transportation systems, its established financial and high technology professional communities -- for every reason, having a business in Columbia just makes sense.
In Columbia, companies can draw on one of the most highly educated labor pools in the country. In addition, corporate, political and financial centers from Washington, D.C. to New York and Boston are easy to reach. It's also one of the few cities where a person can both live and work comfortably.

Office, R&D or industrial space, and land is available in business parks located throughout Columbia, suitable for both small and large users, from professional offices to regional or national headquarters.

Among the domestic and foreign firms already located in Columbia are:

American Healthways
American Home Mortgage
Arbitron, Inc.
BGE Home Products & Services, Inc.
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Bowles Fluidics Corporation
CIGNA Healthcare
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.
Corporate Office Properties Trust
Enterprise Development Corporation
Ford Motor Credit Company
General Growth Properties, Inc.
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc.
Johns Hopkins University
Magellan Health Services
Maxim Healthcare
MICROS Systems, Inc
Motorola
MTH Electric Trains
Northrup Gruman
PEAK Technologies, Inc.
SAIC - The Ideas Group
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
U.S. Food Service, Inc.
Wachovia Bank
W.R Grace and Company

Office/Industrial/R&D Parks

Broken Land South: 24-acre business center adjoining Broken Land Parkway near MD Route 32
Columbia Gateway: 584-acre corporate business park on MD Route 175 and I-95
Corridor Industrial Park: 286 acres rail-served, located at intersection of U.S. 1 and MD Route 32
Dorsey Hall Business Park: 34-acre business center at U.S. Rt. 29 and MD Rt. 108
Gateway Commerce Center: 440-acre industrial park located on Snowden River parkway, near I-95 and MD Route 175
Guilford Industrial Park: 250 acres rail-served, located just north of MD Route 32, near I-95
Hawthorn North: 32 acres adjacent to Howard County General Hospital, at the intersection of Cedar Lane and Hickory Ridge Road
Hillcroft Executive Park: 44 acres adjoining Broken Land Parkway, near US. Route 29
Oakland Ridge Industrial Center: 245 acres located on MD Route 108, just east of U.S. Route 29
Owen Brown South: 26-acre business center adjoining Snowden River Parkway and Broken Land Parkway, near MD Route 32
Patuxent Woods Business Park: 51-acre business park west of the junction of Snowden River Parkway and Broken Land Parkway, adjacent to MD Route 32
Rivers Corporate Park: 350 acres adjacent to MD Route 32, between U.S. Route 29 and I-95
Sieling Business Park: 254 acres located between MD Routes 175 and 32 on Snowden River Parkway
Twin Knolls: Twin Knolls North (36 acres) and Twin Knolls South (39 acres) on MD Route 175, adjacent to U.S. Route 29

Development to Date:

Office (square feet):
Downtown - 2,567,000
Broken Land South - 342,000
Columbia Corporate Park - 503,000
Columbia Gateway - 2,741,000
Dorsey Hall Business Park - 131,000
Guilford Industrial Park - 5,000
Hawthorn North - 147,000
Hillcroft Executive Park - 324,000
Oakland Ridge Industrial Center - 290,000
Owen Brown South - 118,000
Patuxent Woods Business Park - 375,000
Rivers Corporate Park - 547,000
Sieling Business Park - 131,000
Twin Knolls - 351,000
Village Centers - 79,000
Others - 47,000
Total: 8,698,000

R&D (square feet):
Columbia Gateway - 1,627,000
Corridor Industrial Park - 66,000
Guilford Industrial Park - 311,000
Oakland Ridge Industrial Center - 1,748,000
Patuxent Woods Business Park - 190,000
Rivers Corporate Park - 1,256,000
Sieling Business Park - 1,032,000
Total: 6,230,000

Industrial (square feet):
Corridor Industrial Park - 1,963,000
Gateway Commerce Center - 2,016,000
Guilford Industrial Park - 2,205,000
Oakland Ridge Industrial Center - 167,000
Sieling Business Park - 537,000
Total: 6,888,000