BATS Global Markets (BATS) today announced the signing of a 10-year lease renewal at its Kansas City-area global headquarters, as well as plans to open a Chicago office and expand its New York City presence due to the Direct Edge Holdings merger.
BATS, based at 8050 Marshall Drive in Lenexa, Kan. since September 2008, occupies about 35,000 square feet in the building with 104 associates. The Chicago office will be located at 200 South Wacker Drive.
In New York, BATS recently leased an additional 14,900 square feet encompassing an entire floor at 17 State Street, with plans to include a bell ringing platform and broadcast studio. The new space, which will house all of the firm’s area employees, brings the firm’s presence in the financial district building to nearly 22,000 square feet.
“Since launching BATS in a North Kansas City storefront almost 10 years ago, we’ve been committed to providing a great work environment for our associates. We’re proud to be based in Kansas City and we consider our headquarters to be one of the keys to our success with the region’s deep pool of technology, operations and management talent helping us to become one of the largest stock exchange operators in the world,” said BATS CEO Joe Ratterman. “We’re also excited to open a Chicago office to support our many customers in the Chicago area, a key center of U.S. equities and options trading, while expanding our New York presence at 17 State.”
BATS, which also operates the leading equities exchange in Europe, operates an office in London with 59 associates. The office is located in the heart of London’s traditional financial center.