Quality Technology Services
{{Short description|Data center company in the US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Quality Technology Services (registered as QTS Realty Trust, Inc.)
| | trade_name = Quality Technology Services
| industry = Computing
| founded = {{Start date and age|2003}}
| founder = Chad L. Williams
| location_city = Overland Park, Kansas
| location_country = United States
| | products = Data centers
| revenue = {{increase}} $480 million (2019)
| net_income = {{increase}} $31 million (2019)
| assets = {{increase}} $3.223 billion (2019)
| equity = {{increase}} $1.444 billion (2019)
| num_employees = 612
| num_employees_year = 2019
| parent = Blackstone Group (2021–Present)
| homepage = {{URL|https://qtsdatacenters.com/}}
| footnotes = {{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1561164/000155837020001789/qts-20191231x10k1d834c.htm | title=QTS Realty Trust, Inc. 2019 Form 10-K Annual Report | publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission}}
}}
Quality Technology Services (QTS or QTS Data Centers) is an American provider of carrier-neutral data centers and provides colocation services within North America and the Netherlands and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qtsdatacenters.com/company|title = Data Center Company | QTS | Leading Provider of Data Center Solutions}} The company's largest operating areas are: Northern Virginia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Hillsboro, Oregon and New Jersey in the United States and United Kingdom, the Netherlands in Europe.
In 2019 and 2020 the company was named the most sustainable company in the data center industry for two years in a row by World Finance Magazine.{{Cite web|title=Sustainability Awards 2020|url=https://www.worldfinance.com/awards/sustainability-awards-2020|access-date=August 10, 2021|website=www.worldfinance.com|language=en-US}} The company is also a member of the RE100, a global corporate leadership initiative bringing together influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.{{Cite web|title=RE100 Members|url=https://www.there100.org/re100-members|access-date=August 10, 2021|website=RE100|language=en}}
On August 31, 2021, QTS announced that companies affiliated with the Blackstone Group had completed the acquisition of the company for approximately $10 billion.{{Cite news|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blackstone-funds-complete-acquisition-of-qts-realty-trust-301366364.html/|title=Blackstone Funds Complete Acquisition of QTS Realty Trust|work=PR Newswire|access-date=December 30, 2022|language=en-US}}
History
= Timeline =
In 2003, Chad Williams founded the company with the purchase of a data center in Kansas.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2005/02/28/story7.html | title=CEO takes salvage job at old PVI site and finds whole new line of business | first=Charlie | last=Anderson | work=American City Business Journals | date=February 27, 2005}}
In October 2005, the company acquired Deltacom's e^deltacom business unit and its data center in Suwanee, Georgia for $26 million.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2005/10/03/story6.html | title=$26M deal kick-starts Overland Park tech firm | first=Charlie | last=Anderson | work=American City Business Journals | date=October 2, 2005}}
In October 2006, the company acquired a 960,000 square foot data center in Atlanta as well as Globix Hosting LLC for a total of $161 million.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2006/10/16/story12.html | title=QualityTech bets $135M on data centers | first=Charlie | last=Anderson | work=American City Business Journals | date=October 15, 2006}}{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20061109005293/en/Quality-Technology-Services-Completes-Acquisition-Globix-Hosting | title=Quality Technology Services Completes Acquisition of Globix Hosting LLC | publisher=Business Wire | date=November 9, 2006}} The company also acquired NTT USA LLC, which owned a 130,000 square foot facility in the New York City area.{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20061025005518/en/Quality-Technology-Services-Purchases-NTT-Data-USA | title=Quality Technology Services Purchases NTT Data USA LLC | publisher=Business Wire | date=October 25, 2006}}
In December 2007, the company acquired the customers of First National Technology Solutions.{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20071212005708/en/Quality-Technology-Services-Acquires-New-Customers | title=Quality Technology Services Acquires New Customers | publisher=Business Wire | date=December 12, 2007}} The company also acquired 120,000 square feet of data center and office technology space in Silicon Valley.{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20071214005011/en/Quality-Technology-Services-Expands-California-Market | title=Quality Technology Services Expands in California Market | publisher=Business Wire | date=December 14, 2007}}
In April 2008, the company expanded into Florida.{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080408005233/en/Quality-Technology-Services-Expands-Florida-Market | title=Quality Technology Services Expands into Florida Market | publisher=Business Wire | date=April 8, 2008}}
In 2010, the company acquired the former Qimonda semiconductor site in Richmond, Virginia and converted the property into a 1.3 million square foot mega data center. The MAREA and BRUSA subsea cable systems operated by Telxius terminate in this facility, forming the QTS Richmond Network Access Point.{{Cite web|url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2010/04/05/qts-plans-huge-virginia-data-center|title = QTS Plans Huge Virginia Data Center|date = April 5, 2010}} The QTS Richmond Network Access Point or the NAP was co-founded by Clint Heiden, former Chief Revenue Officer of QTS and Vinay Nagpal, President of InterGlobix, LLC.
In 2011, the company acquired a data center in Lenexa, Kansas.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/print-edition/2011/06/17/quality-technology-services-invests.html | title=Quality Technology Services invests $20M in Lenexa site | first=Krista | last=Klaus | work=American City Business Journals | date=June 17, 2011}}
In January 2013, the company acquired Herakles LLC and its 92,000 square-foot data center in San Francisco.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2013/01/03/quality-technology-services-expands-in.html | title=Quality Technology Services expands in Northern California | first=Alyson | last=Raletz | work=American City Business Journals | date=January 3, 2013}} In February that same year the company acquired 40 acres in Irving, Texas for construction of a data center facility.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2013/02/13/quality-technology-services-buys-large.html | title=Quality Technology Services buys 40 acres in Irving for data center | first=Candace | last=Carlisle | work=American City Business Journals | date=February 13, 2013}} In October, the company became a public company via an initial public offering.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qts-realty-trust-inc-prices-initial-public-offering-227053661.html | title=QTS Realty Trust, Inc. Prices Initial Public Offering | publisher=PR Newswire | date=October 9, 2013}}
In April 2014, the company acquired the former Chicago Sun-Times plant with plans to convert it into a data center.{{cite news | url=https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20140430/CRED03/140429730/qts-plans-data-center-at-former-sun-times-printing-plant | title=Data center planned at former Sun-Times plant | first=Ryan | last=Ori | work=Crain Communications | date=April 30, 2014 | url-access=subscription}} In June 2015, the company acquired Carpathia Hosting for $326 million.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qts-realty-trust-announces-closing-of-carpathia-hosting-acquisition-300100151.html | title=QTS Realty Trust Announces Closing of Carpathia Hosting Acquisition | publisher=PR Newswire | date=June 16, 2015}}
In June 2016, the company acquired a data center campus in New Jersey from DuPont Fabros Technology for $125 million.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qts-acquires-dupont-fabros-38-acre-new-jersey-data-center-campus-300280302.html | title=QTS Acquires DuPont Fabros' 38-Acre New Jersey Data Center Campus | publisher=PR Newswire | date=June 6, 2016}}{{cite news | url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/technology/article82135407.html | title=Overland Park-based QTS Realty Trust buys New Jersey data center | first=Mark | last=Davis | work=The Kansas City Star | date=June 6, 2016}}
In January 2017, the company acquired a 260,000 square foot data center in Irving, Texas for $50 million.{{cite news | url=http://www.fortworthbusiness.com/news/qts-completes-purchase-of-data-center-in-fort-worth/article_1e7ee2a4-e810-11e6-9060-8fd7a2549f74.html | title=QTS completes purchase of data center in Fort Worth | work=Fort Worth Business Press | date=January 31, 2017}}
In May 2017, the company acquired a 3.4-acre parcel next to its Atlanta facility for $1 million.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2017/05/30/qts-buys-westside-property-next-to-massive-campus.html | title=QTS buys Westside property next to massive campus, eyes more expansion | first=Douglas | last=Sams | work=American City Business Journals | date=May 30, 2017}}
In April 2019, the company acquired 2 data centers in the Netherlands (Groningen and Eemshaven) for $44 million.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qts-expands-international-platform-with-the-strategic-acquisition-of-two-data-centers-in-the-netherlands-300841237.html | title=QTS Expands International Platform with the Strategic Acquisition of Two Data Centers in the Netherlands | publisher=PR Newswire | date=April 30, 2019}}
In November 2019, the company announced the expansion of its Atlanta data center campus, totaling more than 250,000 square feet of leasable capacity.{{Cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qts-announces-expansion-of-atlanta-metro-mega-data-center-campus-300951024.html | title=QTS Announces Expansion of Atlanta-Metro Mega Data Center Campus | publisher=PR Newswire | date=November 4, 2019}} Development finished in 2020.
In 2020, the company expanded its commitment to environmental sustainability by partnering with American Forests{{Cite web|title=Corporate Partners|url=https://www.americanforests.org/about-us/corporate-partners/|access-date=August 10, 2021|website=American Forests|language=en-US}} and World Vision.{{Cite press release |publisher=QTS Realty Trust |title=QTS Partners with World Vision to Make Clean Water Accessible to Thousands of Families Globally |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qts-partners-with-world-vision-to-make-clean-water-accessible-to-thousands-of-families-globally-301192926.html |access-date=August 10, 2021 |language=en}} The company also started development on its greenfield data center campus in Hillsboro, Oregon with completion in 2021. The data center facility is run entirely with renewable energy.
In 2021, the company announced a total of eight data center facilities utilizing renewable energy to power operations.{{Cite news|title=Four more QTS data centers now sourcing renewable energy|language=en|url=https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/four-more-qts-data-centers-now-sourcing-renewable-energy/|access-date=August 10, 2021}}
In April 2025, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Chad Williams decided to step down and return to his position as CEO of Quality Group of Companies (QGC), a diversified real estate and business services family office investment company from which QTS was originally founded. Current QTS executives, David Robey, Chief Operating Officer and Tag Greason, Chief Growth Officer, have been appointed Co-CEOs.{{cite web | url=https://qtsdatacenters.com/news/qts-ceo-chad-williams-to-step-down-after-founding-and-leading-qts-over-20-year-career/ | title=QTS CEO Chad Williams to Step Down after Founding and Leading QTS over 20+ Year Career }}
= Acquisitions and expansions =
In 2021, Blackstone Group Inc.'s infrastructure unit, Blackstone Infrastructure Partners and its nontraded real-estate investment trust, known as BREIT, have agreed to pay $78 a share for QTS.{{Cite news|last=Gottfried|first=Miriam|date=June 7, 2021|title=WSJ News Exclusive {{!}} Blackstone to Buy Data-Center Operator QTS Realty Trust for $6.7 Billion|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/blackstone-to-buy-data-center-operator-qts-realty-trust-for-6-7-billion-11623063600|access-date=August 10, 2021|issn=0099-9660}} The acquisition was completed on August 31, 2021.
Data center locations
QTS operates{{when|date=February 2025}} 28 data center locations across the United States and Netherlands in the following areas:
=== United States ===
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Texas
- Virginia
- Ohio
- Colorado
- Iowa
- South Carolina
- Utah
= Netherlands =
- Eemshaven
- Groningen
= United Kingdom =
- Cambois, Northumberland (Proposed){{cite web | url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/commercial-property/receivers-hail-new-chapter-britishvolt-29000801 | title=Receivers hail 'new chapter' for Britishvolt site amid £10bn data centre plan | date=April 15, 2024 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw4rx2zxy7wo | title=Northumberland battery factory ditched in favour of data centre | date=April 15, 2024 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/business/britishvolt-factory-plans-scrapped-for-blyth-power-station-site-with-ps10bn-data-centre-project-now-lined-up-4591568 | title=Britishvolt project scrapped with new £10bn proposals for the Northumberland site lined up | date=April 15, 2024 }}{{cite web | url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24254264.jobs-former-britishvolt-cambois-site-house-data-centre/ | title=Hundreds of jobs promised as data centre development proposed for Britishvolt site | date=April 15, 2024 }}
{{when|date=February 2025}}