Former Houston tech campus sold to local liquor distributor

The sale comes after Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s move to Spring

Mexcor's Eduardo Morales with 11445 Compaq Center West Drive (LinkedIn, Google Maps, iStock)
Mexcor's Eduardo Morales with 11445 Compaq Center West Drive (LinkedIn, Google Maps, iStock)

One Houston’s biggest tech firms sold its former campus to a local liquor distributor just before its long-awaited move to the suburbs.

An affiliate of Mexcor International, an importer and distributor of spirits and beverages, acquired the former Hewlett Packard Enterprise campus in northwest Houston, according to the Houston Chronicle. The campus is on 66 acres at 11445 Compaq Center West Drive, at the intersection of State Highway 249 and Louetta Road.

Mexcor, which also owns the neighboring 28-acre, 250,000-square-foot property at 11177 Compaq Center West Drive, will immediately occupy a portion of the former HPE space, said JLL, which represented the seller. Mexcor now has 2.3 million square feet of commercial space across 94 acres.

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JLL didn’t disclose the price. Two HPE properties along Compaq Center West Drive totaling about 63.7 acres were valued at about $87 million as of Jan. 1, 2021, according to Harris County Appraisal District records.

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The sale comes as HPE relocates to CityPlace, a 60-acre mixed-use project in Springwoods Village, a master-planned community in the Houston suburb of Spring. The company will open its new headquarters on Monday.

Built between 1984 and 1988, the campus was originally home to Houston-based Compaq before the company was acquired by HPE’s predecessor, Hewlett-Packard in 2020 after its move from San Jose, California.

The campus spans 2 million square feet and includes five office buildings and two manufacturing and distribution buildings. It also includes four additional buildings used for maintenance or amenities, a full-service cafeteria, fitness center and an outdoor covered pavilion with a kitchen area for corporate events.

Founded in 1989, Mexcor distributes over 2,000 different brands of beverages and spirits. The company manages brands such as Agavales Tequila, Don Ramon Tequila, Jarana Tequila, FRIO Beer, El Padrino Tequila, as well as Texas-based brands such as Giant Texas Bourbon Whiskey made by Gulf Coast Distillers.

“Things aligned with HPE moving,” said CEO Eduardo Morales. “The combined 94-acre campus will position Mexcor for continued growth of our distribution and logistics operations and also diversify into various technology driven ventures.”

[Houston Chronicle] – Maddy Sperling