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By W. Scott Bailey – Senior Reporter, San Antonio Business Journal
Jun 27, 2022

The automaker's ambitious Alamo City buildup is tied to the port's next-gen expansion strategy

DeLorean Motor Co. planted its new corporate headquarters flag at Port San Antonio in April with a handful of hires and some temporary office space, but the new automaker has ambitious plans for the Alamo City and its ramp up could draw the attention of other companies interested in establishing a presence here.
DeLorean is launching with a modest crew and could have roughly 40 to 50 people working out of its temporary headquarters space by the end of the year.
“We've hired our first dozen people now,” DeLorean CEO Joost de Vries said. Some of the workforce who will ultimately call San Antonio home, including employees from the engineering side currently in places like California, Florida and Michigan, for example, are waiting on the school year to end before making the move.

Among those making the move are DeLorean’s head of engineering, chief operating officer and chief marketing officer. But the company is already beginning to add to its San Antonio workforce with local hires in multiple departments, including human resources and accounting. De Vries said the company’s corporate headcount could hit 200 by the end of 2023. “By the following year, you double that,” de Vries said. “The group is growing fast.” DeLorean was interested in San Antonio in part because it has a deep talent pool and a strong local academic ecosystem. But it’s somewhat constrained in its current space, which de Vries said can comfortably accommodate about 40 personnel.

Once finish-out work is completed on an existing building nearby, DeLorean expects to make another temporary move, potentially before the end of the year.
The bigger move is part of Port San Antonio’s next-gen expansion plan that includes the construction of a new office tower spanning some 300,000 square feet. The structure would provide a permanent home for DeLorean and allow the company to get its corporate headcount to 450 employees. Port San Antonio CEO Jim Perschbach wants to see work on the new tower begin before the end of the year. “We need that building up and operational by the first quarter of 2025,” he said.
The commitments by DeLorean and Port San Antonio could fuel more investment in San Antonio — and potentially spur more headquarters opportunities.
“What I'm seeing and what I'm hearing is that San Antonio is a hidden pearl,” de Vries said. “It is more livable than Houston. It is definitely more livable than Austin.”