JLL helps Swisslog Healthcare innovate with new headquarters

Swisslog Healthcare is a medication supply chain company - a global supplier of solutions for medication management in healthcare environments. The work of Swisslog Healthcare enables healthcare providers to respond more efficiently to the needs of patients by automating the hospital environment for its pharmacy and laboratory clients. Its products are built in Denver and distributed around the world.

But, a healthcare company of great importance needs to have a physical presence that reflects the power of the work it does. In its former office space, CEO Stephan Sonderegger said that employees weren’t smiling or talking to one another. With closed, dark rooms and no open space, there was very little opportunity for productive collaboration. 

For innovators and creators of healthcare solutions, this was the wrong environment to create and execute their powerful visions. Its old headquarters was more than 60-years-old, run-down, and not the most ideal place to bring customers. 

As a leader in the industry, Swisslog Healthcare needed a headquarters that it would be proud to show off to customers, as well as one that would allow its employees to thrive. 

JLL’s Industrial Brokerage Team scrubbed in to help the progressive global healthcare company continue its important work. The team knew they needed to fulfill Stephan’s visions while accommodating its labor requirements – all within budget. 

JLL’s Jason White helped Swisslog Healthcare come to the conclusion that a build to suit office would be their best option. This would allow them to separate the office and manufacturing. 

“One of the challenges that we had,” said Mitchell Zatz, Managing Director, Industrial Brokerage, “was to accommodate Stephan’s vision and meet the needs of the labor requirements, and also keep it within budget.”

Broomfield was selected as the best location. This was due partly in fact to its proximity to labor that Swisslog Healthcare required, as well as the general beauty of its outdoors.

The intangible qualities of Swisslog Healthcare’s new headquarters are what truly make it remarkable. With a European feel to it, JLL worked tirelessly to give its interior the feeling that the mountains were brought inside the workplace. In Broomfield, the closeness to the mountains coupled with the abundance of open space, variety of terrain and outdoor activities gave it that alpine vibe. Swisslog Healthcare employees can now walk out of the office doors, go for a gorgeous nature walk, and come back to work refreshed and revitalized. 

“So, people are our most important asset,” said Roger Horton, SVP, Technology Center, Swisslog Healthcare. “We really did this for our employees. Yeah, it took some sleepless nights and working around the clock, and a lot of extra effort to get it here and deliver. So JLL helped us achieve that.”

Ultimately, this new location is an example of how real estate can be a catalyst to shifting corporate culture. Being able to touch and feel what Swisslog Healthcare does in an environment that is filled with bright, natural light and surrounded by nature has changed the way employees interact with their workspace. 

JLL’s unwavering support in Stephan’s vision and guidance in making that a reality completely shifted the way Swisslog Healthcare was able to operate in its headquarters. The team’s dedication to enhancing Swisslog Healthcare’s operations supported its promise of delivering better patient care to providers worldwide. 

“It was JLL listening to us, really supporting our vision,” said Stephan Sonderegger, CEO, Swisslog Healthcare. “They sat down and basically tried to understand what is important to us and then the project management was really engaging. So, it was a positive experience that we had from the beginning.”