If you still think the Hewlett Packard Enterprise headquarters is nestled in some sun-drenched corner of Silicon Valley, you're about four years behind the curve.
It’s in Texas. Specifically, a place called Spring, just north of Houston.
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In late 2020, HPE dropped a bombshell that sent shockwaves through the tech world: they were packing up their San Jose bags and heading for the Lone Star State. It wasn't just a move; it was a statement. While most people still associate "HP" with a garage in Palo Alto, the "Enterprise" half of the split is now firmly rooted in a 440,000-square-foot campus at 1701 East Mossy Oaks Road.
Honestly, the move was kind of a big deal. It signaled the "Silicon Hills" and "Silicon Bayou" era was more than just marketing fluff.
Why the move happened (It wasn't just taxes)
Most folks assume companies flee California just to dodge taxes. Sure, that’s part of the math. But for HPE CEO Antonio Neri, the decision was deeply personal and strategic.
For one, Houston was already a massive hub for them. They had thousands of employees there already, many working out of an old Compaq campus that—to put it bluntly—had seen better days. That old site actually flooded during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Imagine trying to run a global tech giant while your server rooms are literally underwater. Not fun.
The move to the new Hewlett Packard Enterprise headquarters in the City Place development (formerly Springwoods Village) was about starting fresh. They wanted a "state-of-the-art" home that wouldn't require a snorkel to enter after a thunderstorm.
Texas offered a lower cost of living for employees, a massive talent pool from local universities, and a business-friendly environment that made the San Jose overhead look like a bad joke.
The "Edge-to-Office" Reality
Walking into the Spring campus isn't like walking into a 1990s cubicle farm. It’s weirdly quiet in some spots and buzzing in others.
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That’s because of their "Edge-to-Office" model.
Basically, about 80% of their staff are considered "edge" workers. They don't have assigned desks. They work from home, or a coffee shop, or a plane, and only come into the headquarters when they actually need to talk to someone face-to-face.
- The Desk Situation: There are nearly 600 open workstations you have to reserve like a hotel room.
- Privacy Pods: They have 72 soundproof pods for when you need to yell at a screen in peace.
- The Lab Factor: Unlike a lot of "tech" offices that are just people on MacBooks, this place has 12,000 square feet of actual lab and data center space.
It’s a bizarrely flexible way to run a Fortune 500 company, but it seems to be working for them. They realized that after the pandemic, forcing everyone into a 9-to-5 commute was a great way to lose your best engineers to a startup that doesn't care if they wear pants.
The "Makerspace" and Campus Life
One of the coolest—and most under-discussed—parts of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise headquarters is the Makerspace.
It’s basically a high-tech playground. We’re talking 3D printers, laser cutters, and even welding equipment. Why? Because HPE wants their people to actually build things. Even if you're in marketing, they kind of want you to understand what it feels like to create something physical.
The campus itself is two five-story buildings joined by glass bridges. It’s very "future-chic."
They’ve got:
- A fitness center (obviously).
- A pharmacy (super convenient).
- A basketball pavilion where I assume some very intense coding-related arguments are settled.
- Native Texas landscaping that doesn't drink all the water in the county.
The whole place runs on 100% renewable energy generated offsite. They even recycled about 87% of the construction waste. It’s LEED Silver certified, which is basically the "A-" of green building, but in the Texas heat, that’s actually quite an achievement.
What it means for Houston
For a long time, Houston was "Energy City." Oil and gas. That was it.
When HPE moved its global headquarters there, it gave the city a massive boost of "tech cred." Suddenly, Houston wasn't just where you went to drill for oil; it was where you went to build cloud infrastructure and AI systems.
The campus is located in City Place, which is this 2,000-acre "walkable" community. It's right near the ExxonMobil campus. This little pocket of Spring, Texas has quietly become one of the most powerful corporate corridors in the United States.
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Is Silicon Valley dead?
Not really. HPE still keeps a massive presence in San Jose. They didn't abandon California entirely; they just moved the "brain" of the operation to a place where it could breathe (and where the taxes don't suffocate the bottom line).
It’s a "hybrid" approach to corporate geography. They want the California innovation vibe but the Texas scale and stability.
Visiting or Contacting the Headquarters
If you’re planning to drop by, don't expect a tour like it's Disney World. It’s a secure corporate facility. However, they do have a 14,000-square-foot Executive Briefing Center designed specifically to wow big-ticket clients.
Address:
1701 E Mossy Oaks Rd
Spring, TX 77389
If you need to reach them the old-fashioned way, their main line is usually routed through their corporate switchboards, but most business happens through their "customer engagement" portals online.
Actionable Insights for Tech Pros and Investors
If you're watching HPE, keep an eye on how they use this space. This isn't just a building; it's a giant experiment in the future of work.
- Watch the "Edge" Model: If HPE can maintain productivity with 80% of staff working remotely, other tech giants will follow suit to slash real estate costs.
- Energy Efficiency: As AI demands more power, look at how HPE integrates its high-performance computing (HPC) labs with sustainable energy. This campus is the blueprint.
- Talent Migration: The "Great Move to Texas" isn't over. Check out the job boards for the Spring area; the concentration of high-paying tech roles in this specific zip code is still climbing.
The Hewlett Packard Enterprise headquarters is a reminder that in the 2020s, "where" a company is matters much less than "how" it works. By moving to Texas, HPE proved they were willing to break their own tradition to stay relevant.
Next Steps for You:
If you're an IT professional or job seeker, set your LinkedIn alerts for "Spring, TX" instead of just "Austin" or "San Jose." The "Silicon Bayou" is real, and it's anchored right there on Mossy Oaks Road. For investors, keep an eye on the company's "GreenLake" as-a-service revenue, which is the primary focus of the teams operating out of this new hub.