Since 2006, Manpower has been on a mission to align
its external image with its internal personality and the
broad services it provides for the entire employment and
business cycle. The company's new world headquarters,
furnished by Kimball Office, goes above and beyond
'mission accomplished.'
"Manpower's new global headquarters is a
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Manpower
Case Study
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physical demonstration of the contemporary world of work.
Having a tangible embodiment of the energy you
want your brand to exude provides a strong
foundation on which to build," says Jeffrey Joerres,
Chairman, CEO, and President of Manpower Inc.
Design Challenge
Since its founding in 1948, Manpower has evolved from being a
provider of temporary workers to a leader in the employment
services industry. The company's branding, however, did not
reflect its accomplishments in the employment industry and
the full range of services that it offers today.
That changed with Manpower's first rebranding initiative in the
company's 60-year history, where it streamlined the many brands
that existed globally across Manpower into five. The company
introduced a new logo with the tagline — "What do you do?" -
and in 2007, it opened its new global headquarters in downtown
Milwaukee. This has helped Manpower to realign its business
to reflect its new brand architecture.
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In planning the 280,000 sq. ft. building, Manpower presented
the design team with three main goals. The first was to support
its culture of collaboration, which included consolidating
900 employees from four sites in the suburbs into a single,
central location. By bringing many of its brands under one roof,
Manpower is better able to convey the full range of services
it provides.
The second goal was to communicate its international reach and
capability. This is most tangibly demonstrated by the flags of the
30 countries generating the highest share of revenue and profit
for Manpower, which line the riverfront plaza of the organization's
new building.
And the third goal was to use environmentally friendly products
and processes in the building's design, construction, and operation.
Manpower's world headquarters will be certified under the LEED®
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building
Rating System, a voluntary set of guidelines to encourage the
development of more sustainable buildings and interiors.
Overarching all of these requirements, the headquarters also
needed to symbolize the notion of being warm, welcoming,
and contemporary.
"Our new world headquarters reflects our personality, brand, and
our unique culture by providing an environment that encourages
collaboration and creativity, and embodies the energy and
passion that our people bring to their work every day," explains
the project's executive leader Mara Swan, Senior Vice President,
Global Human Resources.
To help turn these goals into reality, Manpower chose Kimball
Office and its Select dealership Corporate Design Interiors (CDI)
to design and specify the open plan and private office solutions.
The Kimball Office Solution
The four-story building resembles a bent horseshoe with structural
angles and glassworks that bracket a plaza entrance, resulting in
abundant daylight and views up and down the Milwaukee River for
Manpower's employees. Once inside, an airy, wide-open reception
area continues the river theme with a two-story water wall, as well
as a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Just beyond the entrance is a
café furnished with Footprint tables and Bingo chairs.
Staff and executive offices occupy the second, third, and fourth
floors and are a mix of contemporary workstations, private offices,
and breakout areas. "This is where the real work gets done, so we
wanted to create an environment that encouraged the different
kinds of impromptu interaction that promote innovation,"
explains Heather Nemoir, CDI's Director of Design.
The open plan areas feature Xsite workstations with 120-degree
angles, low panel heights, and glass tiles, allowing employees
to see, hear, and work easily with each other teams. Paper
management tools and specially designed storage towers keep
everyone organized. The entire arrangement can also be easily
and inexpensively reconfigured to accommodate new hires and
additional workstations.
For the executive management offices, Ms. Nemoir used
freestanding Footprint tables and wood-faced lateral files,
Definition vertical storage and highback organizers, and Beo
guest seating, all in a deep mocha cherry finish.
In the VP offices, Footprint components hung from Kimball
Office's patented Traxx horizontal rail system allowed Ms. Nemoir
to achieve the look of custom millwork at a fraction of the cost.
"Traxx lets you mount worksurfaces, storage, tiles, and tools
directly to building walls. It's a great solution for improving the
efficiency of vertical space and increasing planning flexibility,"
says Ms. Nemoir.
Rounding out the interior design are a range of Kimball Office
conference tables and complementary furniture, and several seating
lines, including Delano, Event, Skye, and Stature. Large-scale
graphics of the company's brand images keep energy levels high,
while a fresh color palette of sophisticated neutrals provides a
unifying element.
The interior personality and exterior image of Manpower's new
world headquarters suits the company perfectly.
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