Aviva USA Begins Construction on Iowa Operational Headquarters

Aviva USA, owned by Aviva plc, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the company’s new 360,000-square-foot headquarters building in West Des Moines. The $135-150 million project will be located on 71 acres at the southwest corner of Jordan Creek Parkway and George Mills Civic Parkway.

Aviva plc acquired AmerUs Group in late 2006. Since then, more than 280 new jobs have been added to the Des Moines area. Nine hundred Aviva employees work in Greater Des Moines, and the new U.S. operations headquarters will accommodate up to 1,500 employees.

“Building our new U.S. operations headquarters in West Des Moines demonstrates Aviva’s commitment to building bright futures in Greater Des Moines and the state of Iowa,” said Tom Godlasky, president and CEO of Aviva USA and Aviva North America.

Godlasky pointed out that consolidating Aviva USA’s employees at one location will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations—a benefit to customers, employees, and the community of Des Moines.
 
In addition to helping the local economy, Aviva USA is helping the environment in two ways through the building project. The design of the new facility complies with guidelines adopted by the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED). The LEED Green Building Rating System is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance, environmentally sound buildings.

Then, to offset the impact of tree clearing during the construction phase, Aviva USA announced a donation of $50,000 to the Arbor Day Foundation for the planting of trees in West Des Moines.

Gov. Chet Culver pointed out that Aviva USA’s presence in West Des Moines is boosting Iowa’s reputation as a great place for the insurance industry to do business.

“Aviva’s new operations headquarters will create hundreds of new high-quality, high-salary jobs in our state,” Culver said. “Iowa is now home to many insurance and financial giants and is widely known as a major center for the insurance and financial services industries.”