By Neil Offen

noffen@heraldsun.com; 419-6646

DURHAM -- The risk-management consulting firm IEM began more than a year ago looking for a new headquarters.

It considered its home base of Baton Rouge, La., and three other potential sites.

"We felt we had to grow to thrive, to make the transition to becoming a larger company, and the question we asked ourselves was how would the location of our new headquarters assist in that growth?" explained Madhu Beriwal, the privately owned company's founder, president and chief executive officer.

"We thought we could put it all in a spreadsheet," she said, "but it was more complicated than that."

But what had been a complex process ultimately pivoted on some simple factors, and those factors led to Monday's announcement of the selection of Durham's Research Triangle Park as the company's new headquarters.

While Beriwal reiterated several times during a news conference at the Research Park Foundation that during its search IEM was looking for "education, innovation and collaboration," she said later that the Triangle's high level of highly educated professionals was first among equals.

"Absolutely, it was the first and most important factor," Beriwal said. "We have working for us more Ph.D.s per capita than many communities. We need highly educated people -- sometimes in some arcane disciplines, like atmospheric science -- and this area, with all its universities, can provide them."

IEM first selected the region, Research Triangle Park, "and then we selected Durham because most of RTP is in Durham County, and Durham is the heart of RTP," Beriwal said.

She also mentioned the Triangle's geographic location, and its proximity to Washington, D.C. "We do a lot of work there," Beriwal said. "It's easy to just get on a plane and be there in 45 minutes. That's very important to us."

One of the Washington-based agencies IEM frequently works with is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Fourth District Rep. David Price, who was at the Monday announcement, chairs the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

That, he said, was "simply a happy coincidence."

"I'm glad if I was able to play a role here," Price added, "but I think their decision [to relocate] was based on the strength of this region, and the unique benefits of being a Research Triangle-based business."

And the relocation will add to the area's strength, officials said.

"This is really a great win for Durham," said Casey Steinbacher, the CEO of the Durham Chamber of Commerce. "It's bringing both new and relocated jobs here. It's incredible exposure for us. It's going to help attact other companies. It's a triple win for us."

It's a win, in fact, for the whole state, said Keith Crisco, the North Carolina Secretary of Commerce.

IEM's relocation, "will in turn lead to and attract others to this part of the world," Crisco said. "This is the type of company we expect to have here. It will offer well-paying, good jobs for people who work here. While we still have issues [with unemployment], I believe we have turned the corner."