Brasfield & Gorrie Breaks Ground on $110 Million Office Campus in Cary, N.C.

November 4, 2013

Highwoods Properties Chooses Brasfield & Gorrie to Build New Global Technology and Operations Hub

Raleigh, N.C. (Nov. 4, 2013) — Brasfield & Gorrie has broken ground on a $110 million office campus in Cary, N.C. for Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW). A groundbreaking ceremony to kick-off the development was held at the site which fronts Lake Crabtree on Weston Parkway.

“From conceptual core and shell design to the completion of tenant interior fit-up, we are collaborating with the owner, tenant and design team to bring this project to life,” said Brasfield & Gorrie Vice President and Division Manager Eric Perkinson. “We are very excited to break ground on this project and honored to have been selected by Highwoods and MetLife (NYSE:MET) to build this new campus in Cary.”

The campus is being established for MetLife’s new Global Technology and Operations Hub.

The 427,000 square foot project is seeking Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®) certification. It will include construction of two seven-story Class A office buildings; a four-level, 934-space precast parking garage; a four-level, 1,020-space precast parking deck; and 170 surface parking spaces. Site amenities will include fitness areas, covered walkways, exterior courtyards and walking trails.

Construction is expected to be completed during the first half of 2015. The architect of record is Rule Joy Trammel + Rubio LLC, of Atlanta, Ga.

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About Brasfield & Gorrie

Brasfield & Gorrie is one of the nation’s largest privately held construction firms, providing general contracting, design-build, and construction management services for a wide variety of markets, including healthcare, commercial, institutional, federal, municipal, industrial, infrastructure, and water/wastewater treatment. We serve clients from offices in Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Raleigh, North Carolina. Brasfield & Gorrie has approximately 2,900 employees, and its 2012 revenues were $2 billion. Engineering News-Record ranks Brasfield & Gorrie 31 among the nation’s “Top 400 Contractors” for 2013.

About Highwoods Properties

Highwoods Properties, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a publicly traded (NYSE:HIW) real estate investment trust (“REIT”) and a member of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. The Company is a fully integrated self-administered REIT that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. At September 30, 2013, Highwoods owned or had an interest in 305 in-service office, industrial and retail properties encompassing approximately 33.1 million square feet and owned 592 acres of development land. The Company’s properties and development land are located in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. For more information about Highwoods Properties, please visit our website at www.highwoods.com.