Despite the downturn, another local company is gearing up to hire.

Workplace Options, which provides human-resource benefits to other businesses, plans to double the size of its Raleigh headquarters. The company has signed a lease for a 30,000 square-foot building near its existing 25,000 square-foot office, near U.S. 440 and Capital Boulevard.

Founded in 1982, the company now has 175 employees locally and plans to hire 50 more by the end of the year. Workplace Options is led by Dean Debnam, who in 1993 became CEO of the company founded by his wife Stephanie Fanjul, a former Raleigh city council member.