ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announces the association has purchased a new headquarters building, and will move its offices to 1605 King Street, Alexandria, Va., in the spring of 2018. 

OPEI President and CEO Kris Kiser said the trade association outgrew its current space. The new building will be better equipped for the association’s needs.

“OPEI has been dealing with a problem for a couple years now,” Kiser said. “And it’s a great problem to have: We’ve increased our membership and increased our member engagement to a point that we’ve outgrown our current location and meeting space.”

The new OPEI headquarters will include a state-of-the-art conference center that can seat 50 people for in-person and virtual meetings. This new space will enable OPEI members around the country and overseas to participate more fully in association business and activities.

“As a trade group with members in Europe, Japan, China and across the United States, we have global meetings, and we wanted to be able to host them in person and virtually. Now, we’ll be better suited to host ISO, IEC and other international gatherings,” said Kiser. “Alexandria has been our home for 30 years. When we looked to make this decision, we considered other locales, and our board of directors chose to reinvest in Alexandria due to its proximity to Washington, D.C., airports, hotels, as well as its historic character and lifestyle.”

OPEI’s new King Street location is on the historic main thoroughfare in the bustling heart of Old Town Alexandria, and is within walking distance to several hotels. It is one block from the King Street Metro station, the second subway stop from Washington National Airport. It will also have private offices reserved for members when they visit the D.C. area.

OPEI closed on its new location on Aug. 15, and the move represents a multi-million-dollar investment. OPEI has retained OTJ Architects of Washington, D.C., for the project.

“In 1987, OPEI’s board was prescient and chose to relocate from Washington, D.C. to Alexandria and built its current building. The current building met our needs for three decades and appreciated considerably. Our new building prepares us for future growth and engagement,” said Kiser.

About OPEI
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) is an international trade association representing more than 100 power equipment, engine and utility vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. OPEI is the advocacy voice of the industry, and a recognized Standards Development Organization for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and active internationally through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the development of safety and performance standards. OPEI is managing partner of GIE+EXPO, the industry’s annual international trade show, and the creative force behind the environmental education program, TurfMutt.com. OPEI-Canada represents members on a host of issues, including recycling, emissions and other regulatory developments across the Canadian provinces. For more information, visit www.OPEI.org.