A creative Katy couple is bringing a new concept of truly “full-service” office space to the greater Katy area.

Their plan is to replicate this same type of facility not only in other areas of Greater Houston and the state, but throughout the nation.

Earl and Jean Stout have opened Katy Commerce Center in Westborough Business Park, one block north of I-10 between Fry Road and Westgreen Boulevard.

“We think that this concept could lead to 500 more facilities like this,” said Earl, who along with wife, Jean, have been brainstorming this project for the past four years.

The Katy Commerce Center can be the next step for many home-based businesses which need short-term office space, storage, shipping and associated executive suite services.

Any size office is available, for a day, a week, a year, with all of the services available, from high-tech communications, to a fork-lift in the 14,000-square-foot warehouse. There’s a receptionist and a facilities manager ready to meet a business need. Executive office space of 12,000 square feet includes conference rooms, a snack bar and a reception area.

“There are an estimated 2,000 home businesses in the Katy area,” said Frank Lombard, vice president of Katy Area Economic Development Council, “and this center can help a lot of these businesses grow and prosper.”

The Stouts envision solving the needs of a businesswoman who may want to avoid making a late night run to a self storage building, or who frequently needs the quiet and privacy from the confines of a growing family. The center will provide resources which can reduce costs and “ maximize productivity and profitability,” Jean said. A user-friendly security system allows 24/7 access plus a safe working environment.

This center makes it possible for a business to enter a market immediately without a long-term lease, investment in equipment, staff or capital expenditures. It’s a likely spot for entrepreneurs, professionals, small businesses and startups.

Jean still is president of Lanstar, the computer furniture business which the Stouts started in 1996. But as the Stouts saw the internet becoming such a revolutionary force to business, they recognized that all small business owners, working from a bedroom or a small office, at home, sometimes needs a meeting room, area for a burgeoning number of files, and the need for other office equipment which can be expensive, and is quickly outdated as electronic technology improves.

Earl, vice president of business development, is a “hands on” executive who can help with the company’s innovative ways of laying floors and framing rooms, to advising businesses on their warehouse and shipping services. In this new facility, all of the electronic connections are in the floor, and can be moved readily, as needed elsewhere. The room sizes may change quickly as the wall, ceiling and door connections are similar to what could be called an adult Erector set.

“We could not find a better place to start our new company, than in Katy,” Earl said. “The addition of the Katy Commerce Center brings needed facilities and services to the rapidly growing Katy area.”

The idea of offering a managed warehouse, executive and virtual offices, and a business identity all relates to outsourcing.

Outsourcing came into the business vocabulary in the 1980s. The decision to outsource usually is in the interest of lowering firm costs and to make more efficient use of labor, technology and resources. The Stouts think that they offer these advantages to a wide variety of businesses.

There’s a website at www.katycommercecenter.com, an email at earl@katycommercecenter.com and a phone number at 281-829-2448.

The Stouts note that Katy Commerce Center is Other Peoples Resources (OPR). All products and services not directly provided by the individual or within a company is outsourcing.