Staff Report
Published June 19, 2009

Downtown Columbia leaders and merchants have been concerned about the vacuum created by SCANA’s exit from the downtown market.

That effect will be somewhat lessened when HealthPort relocates 140 employees to downtown. HealthPort, a health care information technology company, announced it will relocate its main solution services facility from Northeast Columbia by the end of the year.

The company, headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga., recently signed a lease for more than 30,000 square feet of office space at 1401 Main St.

HealthPort was formed in June 2007 from the merger of two health information companies: Smart Document Solutions and Companion Technologies.

The company serves more than 10,000 hospitals and 27,000 physicians, offering a wide range of solutions designed to improve business processes and help connect the paper reality of today with the electronic health records of tomorrow.

“We never seriously considered the possibility of moving downtown due to the relocation costs,” said Larry Armold, vice president and general manager of the solutions services division. “However, we were able to identify several options that met our goals and objectives. This new location resulted in a solution that not only fits our budget, but also provides a more efficient, culturally desirable work environment for our associates.”

CresaPartners of Atlanta represented HealthPort in the financial analysis of alternatives and lease negotiations.

“With the impending departure of SCANA, we welcome HealthPort’s more than 140 employees to downtown Columbia,” Mayor Bob Coble said. “This is certainly a win-win situation for both the city of Columbia and the company.”

David Loy of Executive Management and Leasing represented the owner of the 1401 Main St. property, MS Joint Ventures. The 13-story building was constructed in 1976 and has more than 200,000 square feet of rentable space. SCANA previously occupied several floors in the building before moving to its new corporate campus.