Corridor gets new business
12:12 AM CDT on Saturday, September 20, 2003

By Steve Quinn & Ieva M. Augstums / The Dallas Morning News

The city of Richardson has a big reason to smile.

OraMetrix Inc. – which sells an orthodontics technology that speeds up the teeth straightening process – is moving its headquarters from Dallas to North Richardson. The move to 2350 Campbell Creek Drive, about a block south of the Collin County line, will be finished by Monday, company officials say. About 55 employees will be based there.

OraMetrix is no stranger to Richardson – or to the technology industry. The company got its start in 1999 with the help of a $150,000 investment from STARTech Early Ventures LLC, a Richardson-based business incubator.

"OraMetrix was actually the first company STARTech invested in", says Matt Blanton, STARTech's founder and chief executive.

Dan de Silva, OraMetrix's vice president of marketing, says the company has been growing so fast that it needed more space for its headquarters. In Richardson, OraMetrix will have 25,000 square feet of space, with the option to lease an additional 15,000 square feet. "We will grow as our customer base grows," says Mr. de Silva.

Fourteen orthodontists nationwide – including one in Dallas – have signed on to use OraMetrix's SureSmile System, which works with braces to straighten teeth faster than braces alone. The company says the technology can cut treatment time in about half.

John Jacobs, senior vice president of the Richardson Economic Development Partnership, says OraMetrix will diversify the type of technology firms in the Telecom Corridor. "Bringing OraMetrix to Richardson helps us continue to meet our economic development goals," says Mr. Jacobs.

Q&A on Collin County Business runs Tuesday and Saturday. This column was compiled by Ieva M. Augstums.

E-mail collinbusiness@dallasnews.com

Back to News