Another large Pittsburgh company is bringing workers back into the office, and it's incentivizing them with a swanky new upgrade.

Why it matters: Logistics company Armada is Pittsburgh's third-largest privately held company — behind Giant Eagle and 84 Lumber — and its new headquarters in Wexford gives it room to expand.

Driving the news: Armada opened its new offices today in the Innovation Ridge development in the North Hills.

• The company gave Axios Pittsburgh a sneak peek yesterday.

Context: Armada was established in 1890 as a meatpacking company on Pittsburgh's North Side and has expanded over the years, mostly in the food service logistics industry, to serve clients in the U.S. and across the globe.

• It generated about $5.8 billion in revenue last year, according to Forbes.
• It was named McDonald's U.S. supplier of the year in 2025.

The big picture: Armada moved from a 15,000-square-foot office in Fox Chapel into a 90,000-square-foot three-story building.

State of play: Over 300 workers will return to a hybrid schedule three days a week in office and two days remote.

• Armada has been mostly remote since the pandemic, with workers coming into the office five days a month.

Zoom in: The new offices include a massive training center on the first floor, 26 conference rooms peppered throughout the building, several private phone and meeting rooms, six desks with attached treadmills, and sweeping views of preserved wetlands and woods.

• Corner spaces are maintained as conference rooms to give the best views for collaboration, not executive leadership.

Between the lines: That's to provide workers with collaborative space and to make it as attractive as possible, according to Armada CEO Chris O'Brien.

• "Connecting the dots is what we do. We are right in the middle of a supply chain, and that takes a lot of collaboration."

Zoom out: Pittsburgh companies like PNC, Highmark and BNY also recently brought workers back to the office.

The bottom line: O'Brien says the company is pushing to expand its reach and name recognition.

• He hopes to expand Armada into general manufacturing and automobiles, as well as Pittsburgh's burgeoning fields of life science, health care and robotics.

Go deeper

Luxury hotel giant Loews Hotels signed a letter of intent to build a 500-room hotel connecting to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced last week.

Why it matters: The $418 million project is part of a larger investment committed by the state, county and city to spur over $600 million in investment in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Zoom in: The hotel will also have a restaurant and will be attached directly to the convention center, similar to the Westin.

• It will be somewhere on Penn Avenue, reports the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Between the lines: Shapiro said the state will expedite the hotel's entry into the PA Permit Fast Track Program.

• The project still needs to clear approvals before construction can start.

State of play: New development and rehab projects continue to hit Downtown Pittsburgh.

• Arts Landing park and a revitalized Market Square opened last month.
• The office tower at 100 First Ave. is being converted into 93 units of affordable housing and set to open by mid-2026, per the Department of Community & Economic Development.
• A conversion of the Gulf Tower from offices to housing, a hotel and retail is set to break ground later this year, per DCED.

The bottom line

⚖️ Rep. Summer Lee (D-Swissvale) held a hearing last week in Palm Beach, Fla., with survivors of crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein.

• She said the Department of Justice is not taking the cases seriously enough and the survivors' stories shouldn't be forgotten. (Press release)

🤠 Country singer Jordan Davis — known for his hit "Buy Dirt" — will perform after the Pirates game on July 12 as part of the team's Country Weekend. (Pirates)

🏠 Allegheny County's population of unhoused people appears to be leveling off after recent spikes, according to new local data. (WESA)

♻️ The city landed a $1.66 million grant to invest in more recycling vehicles and expand waste collection. (Press release)

Pittsburgh's public transit logged more than 485,000 rides over the three days the city hosted the NFL draft.

Why it matters: Pittsburgh Regional Transit said its success in moving people around during the city's record-breaking event showcases the "critical role transit plays in supporting the regional economy."

By the numbers: The three-day ridership total represented a 51% increase compared to the average ridership for two typical weekdays and one Saturday in March, per PRT.

• Nearly 60,000 rides were logged on the Football Flyer buses, which were created to ferry suburban riders directly to the draft.
• Friday, April 24, was the high-water mark, when over 188,000 rides were taken.

Follow the money: The Football Flyer bus routes, the light-rail lines, and the Monongahela Incline were free to ride during the draft thanks to corporate sponsorship and philanthropic support.

• The draft generated more than $1.2 million in new revenue for PRT through advertising, sponsorships, and partnerships, according to a press release.

The bottom line: "PRT helped make the draft accessible to everyone," said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.

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