OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Employees at Oshkosh Corporation have begun moving into their new corporate headquarters.
The groundbreaking for the building, on the site of the former Lakeshore Golf Course, happened in June 2018.
Transitioning over to the new location started late last week. Oshkosh Corporation employees say, comparing their old build to the new global headquarters is like night and day.
The four-story, 191,000-square-foot facility overlooks Lake Butte des Morts.
About 550 employees will all be moved into it at the end of next week, but COO John Pfeifer tells FOX 11 the building can house up to 650.
“This is about making sure we retain the excellent people that we already have, but also that we can attract the best and the brightest from around the world to say, ‘We want to come to Oshkosh.’
From the ceiling to the floor, Oshkosh Corp. officials say the building design is very focused on the company’s strong Oshkosh brand and highlights its People First culture.
“This kind of celebrates the power of the people that are part of this company that make up what we do every day,” Pfeifer said.
Pfeifer says they wanted to give employees a place they’d be happy to work in — or work out in. The space features its own fitness center, has its own cafeteria and offers several places for workers to just relax.
“Companies are only as good as the people that are in them, and we’re a people-first company, we allow people to work in diverse ways. Whether you need to work individually, on a project or whether you need to collaborate, there are different spaces, so it’s really a unique environment.”
And what’s offered there isn’t just for employees.
A jogging trail along the lake and conference center spaces will be available to the public.
“We love being part of the community, we love helping the community become stronger, and the community helps us become stronger, so it’s just a great partnership that we have,” Pfeifer said.
Design elements throughout the headquarters are also extremely thought-out and intentional. The angle of skylight is the same angle Oshkosh’s military trucks are tested on.
The ceiling, matching Pierce grills and the floor, made of concrete from a local company, reflecting the corporation’s “Oshkosh family.”
“We have designed and developed a lot of collaboration into this building,” Pfeifer said.
Oshkosh Corp. has been a fixture in the city for 102 years now. Their new address – 1917 Four Wheel Drive, a reflection of that commitment to the community.
The company says well-being and sustainability were big focuses in the constructing of the building, as well.
Officials say with room to grow, they’ll be hiring at least 100 employees.
