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In 1999, Compuware Corporation had nine separate facilities for its more than 4,000 employees in metropolitan Detroit. The company conducted a comprehensive analysis of its business needs and determined that a single headquarters building in Detroit would most effectively help Compuware meet its business goals. Planning for the move began in 1999, and the first group of employees moved into the new Compuware world headquarters building in December 2002. The remainder of Compuware’s Detroit-area employees moved to the building in stages through the spring and summer of 2003.
While bringing all Detroit-area employees together under one roof for the first time in years is a valuable function of the headquarters, the new one million square foot facility also allows more types of formal and informal business gatherings to take place. Employees have the choice of holding meetings in one of the many conference or training rooms, the auditorium or in the multi-function atrium, which can accommodate hundreds of people.
Additionally, the urban placement of Compuware’s headquarters also has opened more doors for potential business, considering the headquarters’ close proximity to large multinational companies.
“We moved to the city of Detroit because it made good business sense,” said Compuware Chairman and CEO Peter Karmanos, Jr. “It’s easier for us to do business with customers and also easier for customers to do business with us. By being located in the heart of the Central Business District, we’re in a much better location, which makes a big difference for us.”
Still, Compuware’s world headquarters is more than a place to do business. It’s a hub of activity from the first floor atrium—filled with retailers such as Borders Books & Music and Michigan’s only Hard Rock Café—to the 14 floors above where more than 4,000 Compuware employees conduct daily business.
The building includes approximately 60,000 square feet of retail space, and is considered the anchor tenant in Detroit’s revitalized Campus Martius area. It also provides Compuware with the space and logistics it needs to provide its Detroit area employees with many work/life benefits such as on-site day care, a 38,000 square foot fitness center and an expansive cafeteria that provides a wide range of choices for breakfast and lunch. To further accommodate employees, Compuware has a dedicated, 12-story (10 aboveground, two below) parking structure, including a designated area for employees who use the day care center, and a large area for visitors. Each level of the parking structure is uniquely “illustrated” with original art by students from Detroit’s College for Creative Studies. These accommodations for employees, coupled with the enticing urban experience, give Compuware valuable recruitment and retention tools.
“The entire process of conceptualizing the new headquarters, seeing it built, then watching employees fill it has been extremely exciting and rewarding,” said Compuware Executive Vice President of Administration, Denise Knobblock, who oversaw the project. “This truly is a state-of-the-art facility that will serve Compuware and the community for many years to come.”
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