A local IT company is looking to expand.
Earlier this month Zachary Lewallen, owner of Hypertek Solutions, submitted a request, to rezone 3197 Ray Owens Rd. in Appling from Residential Agricultural (R-A) to Special (S-1).
The parcel is a wooded property, just under four acres, where Lewallen plans to build a new headquarters for his company, currently operating out of a 2,000-square foot building in Martinez.
Hypertek, which Lewallen launched in 2013 after earning his cybersecurity degree from Augusta University, specializes in data storage, software development, cybersecurity and other IT services. In 2022, the company developed and released Thin Blue Defend, a web app, currently used by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department, that helps law enforcement officers gather data during use of force incidents to use in case of litigation.
Lewallen’s plan entails constructing a 12,260 building for offices and server storage space for Hypertek’s secure data center, and 4,436-square foot workshop to house equipment. He notes in the narrative document accompanying the rezoning application that the office would be private and not open to the public.
According to that same document, Hypertek projects construction to begin in May of next year, for completion of the data center and office by the end of 2026.
The Columbia County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the request in its meeting on Dec. 5.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
