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Workiva plans grand opening Wednesday [Ames Tribune, Iowa](Ames Tribune (IA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 30--Ames-based financial software company Workiva will celebrate the grand opening of its corporate headquarters during a ceremony planned for Wednesday. Workiva, which has pioneered a cloud-based and mobile-enabled platform for enterprises to collaboratively compile, report and analyze critical business data in real time, employs more than 900 people with offices in 15 cities. It has about 350 employees in Ames, but plans to increase employment at its facilities in the Iowa State University Research Park with an expansion that was announced in October 2013. The grand opening will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Workiva campus at 2900 University Blvd. Workiva's buildings showcase an open-floor design that "fosters creativity and collaboration, which are essential to Workiva software development," according to a news release from the company. The headquarters include a fitness center, gourmet cafeteria, game room and indoor and outdoor spaces that parallel environments found in other progressive software companies. "To compete for talent in the software industry, we must provide the same type of top-quality amenities that high-tech employees are routinely offered elsewhere," Workiva CEO Matthew Rizai said in the release. Among the dignitaries scheduled to attend the grand opening is Gov. Terry Branstad, who said in a news release announcing the grand opening that Workiva's decision to expand in Ames shows its commitment to continued growth in Iowa. "They have been able to benefit from Iowa's talent pipeline and are showing the world what can be accomplished here," Branstad said. Workiva also has consistently won top honors under the WebFilings name at the Technology Association of Iowa's annual Prometheus Awards, having been named Software Company of the Year four times and Technology Company of the Year for three consecutive years. "Workiva is a great example of what can happen when entrepreneurs take an idea, find the right resources and leverage local support systems to build a rapidly growing business," said Brian Waller, incoming President of the Technology Association of Iowa. The Workiva buildings were created in two phases, from December 2012 to May 2014, and span 120,000 square feet in the ISU Research Park. They were designed with features to minimize environmental impact, including skylights to maximize natural light, floor-to-ceiling windows with automated, energy-efficient shades, and state-of-the-art water conservation systems. Most furnishings were made with recycled products. Native prairie plants, along with bioswales in the parking lots, help filter pollutants and reduce storm-water runoff. The company formerly known as WebFilings developed a secure product platform, Wdesk, that is used by more than 2,100 corporate customers, including over 60 percent of the Fortune 500. ___ (c)2014 the Ames Tribune, Iowa Visit the Ames Tribune, Iowa at www.amestrib.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |