Aviva USA Breaks Ground for Operations Headquarters in West Des Moines
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (April 24, 2008) — Aviva USA, part of Aviva plc, the fifth-largest insurance group in the world, today held a groundbreaking ceremony for the company’s new 360,000-square-foot U.S. operations headquarters building located in West Des Moines, Iowa. The $135-150 million project will be located on a 71-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Jordan Creek Parkway and George Mills Civic Parkway.
Aviva plc acquired AmerUs Group in late 2006. Since that time, more than 280 new jobs have been added to the Greater Des Moines area. There are currently 900 employees in the Greater Des Moines area and the new operations headquarters is planned to 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. “Bringing Aviva USA’s employees together at one location will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations to benefit customers, employees and the community.”
The new operations headquarters facility design will comply 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 highperformance green buildings.
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.
About Aviva Capital Managment
ACM, an SEC registered and GIPS compliant investment adviser, specializes in institutional income-driven asset management and has over $32bn* in assets under management with over 125** employees.
*Assets under management as of December 31, 2007, based on discretionary assets. All amounts in USD
**Employees included are Aviva Capital Management and its affiliate Inflective Asset Management.