DETROIT—Downtown Detroit is slowly transitioning itself from a decaying former industrial center to a new technology and services hub.
Quicken Loans Inc., the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender and the fifth largest retail mortgage lender in the United States, began moving its headquarters to the heart of the Motor City’s technology district last month.
On Aug. 16, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing welcomed the company’s chairman Dan Gilbert along with Quicken Loans CEO Bill Emerson and Compuware Chief Administrative Officer Denise Starr in a short ceremony welcoming the new businesses and members to downtown.
“The passion that these companies have shown for Detroit has been incredibly inspiring,” Mayor Bing said. “Dan Gilbert has shown great commitment to the city, and has said time and again that he will not be pleased with just his companies moving downtown.”
“Words do not express the excitement we all feel about moving to downtown Detroit. Detroit is in the infancy stage of becoming a hotbed of new economy technology, Internet- and entertainment-based entrepreneurial growth companies,” said Gilbert.
Relocating from the suburbs to the heart of Detroit’s rising technology district, Quicken Loans and its sister companies will occupy four floors, or nearly 250,000 square feet, of its new building. Quicken now occupies the remainder of the former vacant space in Detroit’s newest business complex, the Compuware building, on the north edge of Campus Martius. The building will soon house a total “brainforce” of nearly 4,000 technology- and web-based workers.
The space was designed and built to encourage creativity, openness, communication, and collaboration. The Quicken Loans culture is reflected in the bright colors, numerous open spaces, low interior walls, and unique innovative design combined with the latest technology tools implemented throughout, according to the company.
“We are thrilled about the new environment we have created for our hard working and committed team members,” said Emerson. “We built a think and work space always keeping in mind who we are, both as a company and as individuals. It is the thoughts, ideas, and productivity of our thousands of bright team members that are the essence of our current success and future growth.”
“While we are laser-focused on helping lead Detroit 2.0, it is important to recognize the pioneers that have shaped this proud city,” Gilbert added, referring to the conference rooms named after past and present cherished Detroit businesses and icons.
“Downtown is beginning to become a live, work, and play urban core that young people coming out of our great universities, and others across the country and world, will be highly attracted to for the incredible opportunities, jobs, and growth happening here. This is no longer a hope or a dream. It is real and it is now emanating from the passionate, driven, and collaborative people and their energetic companies who are flocking to WEBward AveNEW to help create it. Detroit 2.0 is under way.”
Quicken Loans, previously Rock Financial Corp., was founded in 1985 by Dan Gilbert, and quickly became one of the largest independent mortgage lenders in the country.
The company closes loans from five “Web centers” located in Michigan, Ohio, and Arizona, and from its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit.
Quicken Loans has been named to Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the past seven years, ranking as high as No. 2. The company also has been named one of Computerworld Magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work in Technology” for the past five years, ranking No. 1 in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Quicken Loans Inc., the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender and the fifth largest retail mortgage lender in the United States, began moving its headquarters to the heart of the Motor City’s technology district last month.
On Aug. 16, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing welcomed the company’s chairman Dan Gilbert along with Quicken Loans CEO Bill Emerson and Compuware Chief Administrative Officer Denise Starr in a short ceremony welcoming the new businesses and members to downtown.
“The passion that these companies have shown for Detroit has been incredibly inspiring,” Mayor Bing said. “Dan Gilbert has shown great commitment to the city, and has said time and again that he will not be pleased with just his companies moving downtown.”
“Words do not express the excitement we all feel about moving to downtown Detroit. Detroit is in the infancy stage of becoming a hotbed of new economy technology, Internet- and entertainment-based entrepreneurial growth companies,” said Gilbert.
Move Affirms Detroit
Relocating from the suburbs to the heart of Detroit’s rising technology district, Quicken Loans and its sister companies will occupy four floors, or nearly 250,000 square feet, of its new building. Quicken now occupies the remainder of the former vacant space in Detroit’s newest business complex, the Compuware building, on the north edge of Campus Martius. The building will soon house a total “brainforce” of nearly 4,000 technology- and web-based workers.
The space was designed and built to encourage creativity, openness, communication, and collaboration. The Quicken Loans culture is reflected in the bright colors, numerous open spaces, low interior walls, and unique innovative design combined with the latest technology tools implemented throughout, according to the company.
“We are thrilled about the new environment we have created for our hard working and committed team members,” said Emerson. “We built a think and work space always keeping in mind who we are, both as a company and as individuals. It is the thoughts, ideas, and productivity of our thousands of bright team members that are the essence of our current success and future growth.”
“While we are laser-focused on helping lead Detroit 2.0, it is important to recognize the pioneers that have shaped this proud city,” Gilbert added, referring to the conference rooms named after past and present cherished Detroit businesses and icons.
“Downtown is beginning to become a live, work, and play urban core that young people coming out of our great universities, and others across the country and world, will be highly attracted to for the incredible opportunities, jobs, and growth happening here. This is no longer a hope or a dream. It is real and it is now emanating from the passionate, driven, and collaborative people and their energetic companies who are flocking to WEBward AveNEW to help create it. Detroit 2.0 is under way.”
Quicken Loans, previously Rock Financial Corp., was founded in 1985 by Dan Gilbert, and quickly became one of the largest independent mortgage lenders in the country.
The company closes loans from five “Web centers” located in Michigan, Ohio, and Arizona, and from its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit.
Quicken Loans has been named to Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list for the past seven years, ranking as high as No. 2. The company also has been named one of Computerworld Magazine’s “100 Best Places to Work in Technology” for the past five years, ranking No. 1 in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
