Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC has a new face but stayed in a familiar place, AllianceTexas development in Fort Worth.
On Thursday, the company officially completed moving into its new 200,000-square-foot Fort Worth Business Center, less than a mile away from its previous facility.
According to the company, the decision to remain within AllianceTexas has helped the area retain about 900 direct and indirect jobs.
“This journey has been an evolution,” Peter Zieringer, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, said on Thursday. “From a project and a building to a business center and now, a hub in the community. That’s what the Fort Worth Business Center represents to all of us.”
Compared to its previous business center, the new facility is about 33,000 square feet larger, size wise. In terms of technology, the new business center surpasses the conventions of office space.
The facility is equipped with facial recognition software. Employees and guests can access the building by literally just showing their face. The system makes the entrance a safer and seamless experience.
In various meeting rooms, room controllers and occupancy sensors provide real-time usage metrics and data for the management to collect on how the spaces are used most-efficiently.
A technical support team remains on-site to assist employees with technological features.
The main lobby inside the four-story facility receives plenty of natural light all day through its giant glass walls. Located at the center of the building, a grand staircase that can transform into theatre-like seating connects to a floating bridge above, which leads to workspaces.
Other amenities include an onsite fitness center with two full-time personal trainers, a restaurant-quality cafe offering healthy food and beverage options, a pizza place, a coffee bar and nap pods for employees to rejuvenate and rest throughout the day. To encourage innovation and spark collaboration, the facility incorporates both a permanent art collection and an annual art exhibition of selected works from Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University artists through the company’s Experiencing Perspectives art program.
“You might ask: why would we go to that extra effort to create this one-of-a-kind facility? The answer is simple – because we care,” Zieringer said. “We care about our dealers, our customers and the experiences they have with us. We care about our employees and want to provide them the best workplace possible, so they can deliver top customer experiences.”
Outside of the walls, the employees also have access to a basketball court, trails for jogging or walking and dining area with grills.
The facility sits across from a lake. As part of its design, the building is “uniquely angled” to provide employees the maximum access to lake views.
A subsidiary of Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler Financial Services, the automotive financial services provider has stayed put at AllianceTexas since 2000.
More than 488 companies are in AllianceTexas, the 26,000-acre, mixed-use development. Now in its 30th year, AllianceTexas has generated about $76 billion in economic impact for the North Texas region, according to the developer Hillwood.
More than 43 million square feet of space in the development are in use that has created more than 48,800 jobs.
And, Chairman of Hillwood Ross Perot Jr. said there’s plenty more space left at AllianceTexas.
“We stand here today [Thursday], celebrating the next phase of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services’ expansion within AllianceTexas, which has some of the nation’s top corporations and financial services providers,” Perot said. “The company’s decision to remain and grow at Alliance reinforces Mercedes- Benz Financial Services’ deep roots in the Fort Worth community, longstanding commitment to the region and its employee-focused culture.”
Symbolizing the “deep roots” in AllianceTexas, project partners and local dignitaries dedicated three newly-planted trees to commemorate the event Thursday. A ribbon-cutting ceremony accompanied the tree dedication.
The facility opened to employees about a month ago. The move proceeded gradually.
Jennifer Stewart, a senior manager at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, said that she is excited to be working at the new facility.
“Let me say, I love this place and I’m not alone,” she said.
Setting the standard for contemporary, high-tech buildings, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services’ Business Center was built by the collaborative efforts of several top-tier companies, including:
Hillwood served as the developer and owner of the new business center at AllianceTexas;
BOKA Powell served as the design architect and architect of record for the shell building and site development. The firm also designed the previous two buildings occupied by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services;
JLL Fort Worth Project and Development Services of Dallas, oversaw the project for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, including facilitation of the shell building, site development and interiors planning, and FF&E;
SmithGroup Dallas and Detroit Workplace Studios provided programming, workplace strategy, full interior architecture and design services, and served as the architect of record for the interior; and
Cushman & Wakefield supported the site selection and lease negotiation process.