SmileDirectClub Opening Austin-Area Headquarters

AUSTIN, TX — Here's something area economic development officials are smiling about on Tuesday: SmileDirectClub has announced relocating its Access Dental Lab headquarters to the nearby town of Kyle — creating 850 regional jobs in the process.

Officials of SmileDirectClub’s Access Dental Lab Texas said their new hub will occupy 150,000 square feet of space that will be used to manufacture aligners to its customers. The company's business model features a direct-to-consumer "medtech" platform aiming for improved smiles through the firm's "teledentistry" technology.

Landing the site was a cooperative effort among the ity of Kyle, Opportunity Austin, the Greater Austin Chamber's five-county prosperity initiative, and the Greater San Marcos Partnership, officials said in a press advisory. Upon completion, officials noted, SmileDirectClub’s Access Dental Lab Texas will be the largest private employer in the City of Kyle.

"We feel like SmileDirectClub and the City of Kyle are a match that will get everyone smiling," City of Kyle Director of Economic Development Diana Blank-Torres said in a prepared statement. "We have been working diligently through the City of Kyle economic development efforts to really focus on recruiting quality jobs in target industry sectors. This project spans several of those targets as a high-tech, biomedical, manufacturing company. We are extremely excited to welcome Access Dental Lab Texas to the City of Kyle."

Austin Chamber Opportunity Austin Chair Gary Farmer touted the development: “Opportunity Austin is delighted SmileDirectClub's Access Dental Lab has chosen Kyle for a major expansion,” he said in a prepared statement. “With 850 new jobs requiring a broad spectrum of skill levels, our regional workforce will benefit tremendously from these new opportunities. Our regional talent pipeline will surely help SmileDirectClub continue to grow, innovate and prosper in Central Texas.”

Added SmileDirectClub’s Access Dental Lab Global Head of Supply Chain Dan Baker: “Thanks to support from the mayor, the City of Kyle staff and the city council office, SmileDirectClub's Access Dental Lab has the great privilege to bring hundreds of quality jobs to the City of Kyle and to become the city’s largest private employer," he said in a prepared statement. "The leaders, citizens and talent in the greater Austin region take pride in where they live and work, which aligns with SmileDirectClub’s culture of innovation, collaboration and inclusion. We are looking forward to collaborating with these communities to fill more than 800 jobs, grow our supply chain, and accelerate our mission to help millions of people around the world unleash the power of their smile through safe, affordable and convenient teeth straightening solutions.”

Kyle Mayor Travis Mitchell publicly thanked economic development officials and others for the assist in landing the lab: "I am incredibly grateful to the Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Greater San Marcos Partnership for collaborating with us to help attract a large employer to locate their business in Kyle," the mayor said in a prepared statement. "This project wouldn't have been possible without their support as well as the partnership with the governor's office and Hays County.

Mitchell expounded on the impact the site would have regionally: "This is the biggest jobs announcement in the history of Kyle, and it didn't come out of nowhere," he said. "For several years, our team has been laser-focused on creating an attractive environment for employers, because we know that local primary jobs are essential to improving the quality of life for those who call Kyle home."

Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark Jones echoed similar sentiments: “High-tech, ISO-certified manufacturing is a very welcome addition to the mix of companies starting up in and relocating to Hays County,” he said in a prepared statement. “SmileDirectClub brings with it a variety of job opportunities for area residents at competitive salaries, and they confirm our reputation as a great place to live, work, and raise a family. The County welcomes SmileDirectClub and extends our thanks to the Greater San Marcos Partnership, City of Kyle, Austin Chamber, and the Office of the Governor for their cooperative effort to relocate them to Hays County.”

Officials provided no details on when ground would be broken at the site or a date for the facility's expected completion. Kyle is just under 22 miles south of Austin.