By Nick Wood
Acting Editor-in-Chief
ASHWAUBENON – “Oh my god,” receptionist Donna Nikodem said when asked how she liked her company’s new dig at the US Venture Center building on the west end of Ashwaubenon’s Titletown neighborhood.
“It’s so bright with all the windows – I’ve been in the other building for 21 years – it’s just wonderful,” she said. “In addition, there is a grocery store right next door. I like that it is so central.
Nikodem is one of approximately 125 employees of the accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP (CLA) who were on hand to greet members of the media for an open house last Friday with representatives from Titletown Office Partners – the real estate development partnership led by the Green Bay Packers and Commercial Horizons.
Formerly located in a 5-story building on Riverside Drive in Allouez, CLA took up residence on the entire 30,000-square-foot open-concept second floor of the seven-story office tower on May 23.
Brad Frank, general manager of the CLA office, said that for 32 years, employees were spread over five separate floors in the old building.
“We were due for a refresh,” Frank said. “There is a lot of inspiration and energy created by an office environment with plenty of natural light. It’s better for our team, which means we’re doing a better job for our customers. We have now consolidated five floors – with a refrigerator and microwave on each floor – into a central café. There’s a lot more collaboration when you can actually see people instead of just passing them in the parking lot as you walk in or out. »
In addition to the single-story layout, all workstations and departments are surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows – many of which overlook Lambeau Field and the Titletown district – and internal conference rooms and client meeting rooms have glass walls to let the natural light fill the office.
“Everyone benefits from the light,” Frank said. “Architects call it the right to light.”
Local atmosphere
Before moving in, Frank said the building was just an empty shell.
Working with Minneapolis-based architect and design firm BDH, he and COO Jen Strebel, along with input from their team members, wanted to give the space a decidedly local feel.
Large, colorful photographs adorn the walls and feature scenes from Door County, Wequiock Falls, the Fox River Locks at De Pere, and dozens of other familiar locations.
The five guest conference rooms are named after local streets: Military, Broadway, Riverside, Lombardi, and Oneida; and the eight in-house conference rooms are named after local landmarks, including Voyageur, Bay Beach, Lambeau, Titletown, Fox River, City Deck, Heritage Hill, and Lighthouse.
“We interviewed our team members about the conference room themes and local landmarks depicted in the artwork, so many people had the opportunity to contribute,” Strebel said. .
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said how happy he was to see the Titletown area fill with people and energy, which is the kind of atmosphere that was envisioned when Titletown was developed for the first time.
“We now have over 150 residents in Titletown between TitletownHomes and TitletownFlats, and over 250 now work at the US Venture Center, adding to the density and character of Titletown,” he said.
CLA, which is the eighth largest accounting firm in the United States, employs more than 7,500 people at 125 locations across the United States and provides a range of accounting services, including tax, audit and the board.
The Green Bay office focuses on small and medium-sized businesses, including outsourcing accounting services to startups from the nearby Titletown Tech business incubator.
“As an industry leader, they are a great addition to the Titletown business community,” Murphy said. “And as a resource for TitletownTech’s portfolio of companies, it’s the perfect solution to have them close at hand.”
The addition of CLA brings US Venture Center occupancy to 80%, along with other tenants like Breakthrough, Miron Construction and Aon.
