Western Digital, one of the world's leading vendors of hard disks, solid state drives and other storage-related products, has just announced that it has completed its plans to move its headquarters and consolidate its Southern California operations into a single facility. Currently located in Lake Forest, Calif. and Aliso Viejo, Calif., the storage product vendor is planning to move its operations to a location in Irvine, California, beginning in the fourth calendar quarter of 2010.

“Consolidating all our Southern California personnel under one roof will facilitate tighter team collaboration, improve operational efficiencies, rationalize facilities costs and offer flexibility for future growth,” said John Coyne, president and CEO.

According to Western Digital, the move will enable a more centralized business model, as the company has been operating with two locations since March 2009. Western Digital has had its operating headquarters and engineering operations located on the Lake Forest Drive, in Lake Forest, in a three-building campus. Over the past ten years, the storage vendor has seen a significant growth, which required the expansions into several additional nearby locations, and back in March this year the acquisition of SiliconSystems led to a new location in Aliso Viejo.

Scheduled to move to Park Place, the company is expected to occupy approximately 365,000 square-feet. According to the vendor, the relocation will occur over the course of two phases, which are planned to take place between late calendar year 2010 and late calendar year 2011.

“Selection of this location is the result of a comprehensive, year-long search,” said Ray Bukaty, senior vice president administration, and general counsel for WD. “It is close to where our employees live, structured to fit our unique needs for laboratories and office space, offers our employees improved amenities and is more cost effective than our current locations.”