Carlisle

Carlisle's Phoenix HQ fueled its shift from conglomerate to focused building products leader.

Andrew Foster

Vice President of Corporate Development

A New Way To Headquarter

Carlisle Companies' move to a new Phoenix HQ was the anchor of its transformation from a century-old diversified conglomerate into a focused, innovation-driven products leader.

When Chris Koch took the helm as President and Chief Executive Officer of Carlisle Companies in 2016, the organization stood at an inflection point. For more than a century, Carlisle operated as a diversified industrial conglomerate, but Koch envisioned a new way forward to reshape Carlisle into a pure play building products company — one focused on innovation, operational efficiency and exceptional customer experience.

That transformation demanded more than changes to strategy and structure. It required a new place to call home.

For its first 100 years, Carlisle’s diversified portfolio of businesses ranged from aerospace to medical technology and fluid handling equipment.

Koch envisioned a new way forward, one that offered a fundamental evolution of the company. Carlisle narrowed down its diversified portfolio, focusing on manufacturing products for the building envelope — that’s materials for roof, walls, and below-grade foundations, primarily insulation and weather-proofing material. In doing so, Carlisle aimed to accelerate growth and value creation as a company organized around innovation, disciplined execution, and the attraction and development of top talent.

“There's a trend for companies to move into pure play direction, but it's also difficult for company with 100 years of history to do something that goes against what made them successful for those hundred years,” said Andrew Foster, Carlisle Vice President of Corporate Development. “Becoming a pure play was a bold move for Carlisle.”

To fully realize this vision, Carlisle needed a headquarters that would support a fundamental reset — one that removed friction and enabled the next chapter of the company’s evolution. The goal was not merely to relocate from its Southeast location, but to reimagine what a headquarters could enable the company to do. Carlisle looked for a city that would allow the company to take a new approach without restraints: a place where it could hire and relocate great talent, invest in game‑changing innovation, and move forward without artificial hurdles or objections slowing progress.

The search brought Foster back to his home state.

A Headquarters Built to Match the Strategy

As Carlisle began relocating core leaders and recruiting new capabilities, leadership knew that talent decisions would ultimately determine the success of the transformation. The company could not afford to lose momentum due to hesitations by employees or candidates over cost of living, access to good schools, affordability of energy and utilities, or whether the city offered room to grow and a culture people were excited to join.

Greater Phoenix emerged as a region that eliminated those objections.

“I grew up here as a kid and moved back eight years ago,” Foster said. Here with his family, he has been able to introduce his kids to the activities with which he grew up: mountain biking, hiking at Papago Park or Camelback Mountain, going to community pools like Cactus Aquatic & Fitness Center.

Carlisle’s office location, on the border of Phoenix and Scottsdale, offered an attractive quality of life alongside practical advantages: housing that is more affordable than other major metros, access to strong schools, dependable infrastructure, and the space necessary to build and grow over time. Just as importantly, it offered a culture that people wanted to be part of — one that combined outdoor living, great food, music and entertainment.

“There's a trend for companies to move into pure play direction, but it's also difficult for company with 100 years of history to do something that goes against what made them successful for those hundred years,”

“My wife and I always had a desire to get back to Arizona, so the stars really aligned when the Carlisle opportunity surfaced,” Foster added. “The affordability is quite nice, and just having a backyard has been a game changer.”

Carlisle has been adaptable throughout its history as a company. During World War II, its expertise in rubber helped support the needs of the United States. Its specialty tires for agriculture and construction fueled postwar growth, building America’s infrastructure.

“Carlisle’s growth has mirrored the broader trajectory of the U.S. economy,” Foster said.

Staying on that front line of innovation was central to Carlisle’s strategy. Leadership moved quickly to build an innovation flywheel that would increase the percentage of sales from new products. Achieving that goal required close collaboration across teams, faster decision‑making, and stronger connections to external partners.

Today, over 70% of U.S. commercial buildings have low-slope roofs, and no company has supplied more of them than Carlisle.

The growth was made possible due to the new Phoenix headquarters. Meetings became easier to host, with convenient access in and out of the city, straightforward transportation, and an abundance of affordable hotels near the headquarters. Direct international flights connect the company to global markets and its European locations, supporting Carlisle’s worldwide footprint. This enables teams to collaborate more frequently and more effectively, reducing friction and increasing speed.

Equally important, Phoenix offered proximity to world-class academic and community partners. Carlisle established partnerships with Arizona State University’s (ASU) materials sciences and engineering programs, sponsored schools and hospitals, and intentionally connected the business to the broader community. These relationships were not peripheral — they were designed to strengthen both Carlisle’s innovation engine and its ties to the region it now called home.

A Commitment to Community and Purpose

Carlisle’s move to Greater Phoenix was never solely about business efficiency. It was also about purpose. The company partnered with Phoenix Children’s Hospital to help address teen mental health, aligning Carlisle’s values with meaningful community impact. In partnership with ASU, Carlisle sponsors the Carlisle Performance Center, a world class golf training facility at Papago Golf Course, home to ASU’s golf teams, to help student athletes maximize their potential. These efforts reflect a belief that the company’s purpose should extend beyond products, contributing to the places where it operates.

By investing in education, health and community institutions, Carlisle is setting an example for local companies, extending its impact beyond employment by investing back into the community in which it operates.

“My wife and I always had a desire to get back to Arizona...the affordability is quite nice, and just having a backyard has been a game changer.”

Today, Carlisle’s Phoenix headquarters stands as a physical expression of the company’s transformation. It supports a center‑led operating model, attracts top‑tier talent, accelerates innovation, and anchors a culture focused on contribution and continuous improvement. The move west from North Carolina positioned Carlisle closer to growth markets, enabled stronger collaboration, and reinforced the company’s commitment to building the future rather than being constrained by the past.

By choosing Greater Phoenix, Carlisle created a headquarters aligned with its strategy, people, and ambition, driving its Vision 2030 strategy to innovate for the future. It’s a home built to power the next generation of growth for a modern building products leader.