Energizer moving headquarters to Clayton in deal that halves footprint

The battery maker will lease 41,000 square feet at Forysth Boulevard and Maryland Avenue, according to real estate firm CBRE — roughly half the space it has occupied at its longtime headquarters at Interstate 64 and Highway 141 in Town and Country. The Post-Dispatch reported in May that the company was eyeing Clayton for the move.

Energizer will move into the new space, the Apex Oil Building at 8235 Forsyth, at the end of the year, the company said in a statement to the Post-Dispatch.

“Like many organizations, Energizer Holdings has embraced flexible ways of working in recent years,” according to the statement. “We have also been exploring office space options within the St. Louis area to create the most efficient, engaging and collaborative working environment possible for our colleagues.”

Businesses in all industries are rethinking their office needs following the coronavirus pandemic, which popularized remote working. Over the past few years, companies like agribusiness giant Bayer, global footwear retailer Caleres and electrical equipment manufacturer Emerson have all downsized or announced plans to do so. The shift has increased pressure among landlords, who are spending millions to upgrade their buildings and offering more concessions in order to attract and retain tenants.

Bayer kept half of its Creve Coeur campus on Lindbergh Boulevard, selling the other half to a Metro East developer, which has plans for housing and commercial space.

Caleres is selling its Clayton campus, just east of Interstate 170, to the Clayton School District. Caleres is expected to remain at that property for the next year after the deal closes in February. It’s unclear where the company would move to then.

Emerson will leave its Ferguson campus for a new Clayton office tower that will bear its name, located a block east of Energizer’s new headquarters.

Energizer’s move to Clayton further solidifies the city’s status as the premier office market in the St. Louis region.

Rental rates for office space here average a little over $30 a square foot — 31% higher than the metro area’s average, according to the latest data from real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Energizer has spent more than 20 years at its current headquarters at 533 Maryville University Drive.

The company has been on the hunt for a new office for a while, with commercial real estate firms advertising the company’s entire space online for several years.

Last month, the company reported a 3% decline in revenue for the latest fiscal year, with $2.9 billion in net sales.

The company employs over 5,000 people across the globe. Energizer did not answer a question about how many people it employs locally.