Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) has a new neighbor in Aksarben Village: HDR, a leading architecture and engineering firm.

HDR was founded in 1917. Because of its growth over the years, the company decided to move its global headquarters from Indian Hills Drive to Aksarben Village, said HDR employee Matt DeBoer, managing principal of architecture.

DeBoer said the move enabled HDR to place 1,000 employees under one roof. Previously, employees working at the company’s global headquarters were spread across three locations and utilized two offsite parking garages.

DeBoer said one of the perks of moving to Aksarben is having onsite parking for all employees. Coupled with the area’s central location and easy access to the interstate, DeBoer said HDR chose its Aksarben location for many reasons.

“It’s a vibrant area with many great amenities within walking distance of our building,” DeBoer said. “In addition, Aksarben Village was a natural choice because HDR had been involved in its development.”

Construction began on the new Aksarben location in the fall of 2016, DeBoer said. The 10-story building, which includes energy efficient features, was completed in December of 2018. Employees moved into the building in four phases.

Morgan McCullough, an HDR employee and transportation team member, said the transition between locations went smoothly. She is a new team member and said the move makes it easier to meet and get to know people at the company.

“At the original building, I was located in the Westroads office, which was approximately ten minutes from the other office,” McCullough said. “With everyone now located in the same building, it is easier to communicate and work together. “

Lisa Miller, an HDR design architect, said the new building was intentionally designed to focus on teamwork, collaboration and innovation. Special features, such as three additional sets of stairs connecting two floors each, were added to the building.

“These encourage employee movement throughout the building and promote collaboration between departments,” Miller said. “Use of these stairs also supports our mission to offer healthy alternatives.”

BCBSNE is proud to provide HDR with health insurance and welcomes the company to the Aksarben Village neighborhood.

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