Digital Mileage

Back in August, Digital Mileage first told you about Cobalt’s new planned headquarters in downtown Seattle. Since then, the floors Cobalt will be occupying have been demolished and built up again. Even though construction is not yet complete, last Saturday, November 13^th, Cobalt employees were invited to tour the new building. For most, it was their first opportunity to see inside Cobalt’s new home.

Many came to see what had been constructed so far, bringing friends and family to share the experience. SEO Specialist Harmony Wallender was thrilled to visit the new office and brought her roommate along with her, finding freshly-painted walls and newly-laid carpet.

“The office is just cool,” recalls Wallender. “It has low cube walls and unfinished cement ceilings, lending it a modern cave feeling. The carpets were an excellent choice: dark grays sliding together in simple patterns. The porch off the lunch room is spacious and will be awesome in good weather and the cubes are flooded with natural light.”

Melissa Satterwhite, senior operations analyst in Cobalt’s Lynnwood office, describes her awed reaction, when she stepped out of the elevator. “It was amazing to see Puget Sound out the window,” she said. “I was astounded by all the light. The design of the new space places conference rooms in the interior areas, assuring that natural light is available for all workstations.  The open cubicle layout should encourage teaming and communication, too.”

Michael Villanueva, a Cobalt Diehard with over ten years with the company, also remarked on how teams could utilize their work areas. “You can tell that the space was laid out to encourage collaboration. The new office represents taking the next big step in our history, and I’m very excited to be a part of it.”

The new building will combine two existing Cobalt offices – everyone in Cobalt’s current HQ in Seattle’s Sodo district is scheduled to move in the last week of 2010, while the Services teams from the Lynnwood office will be moving into the new building in January of 2011. This will present new commuting challenges, but the new building is in a prime location.

“I especially like how close the train and bus are – only steps away,” said Gail Johnson, an SEO specialist currently working in Lynnwood. “If it’s raining the only time I’ll maybe have to get wet is when I’m crossing the street to catch the Sounder train.”

John Holt, Cobalt’s senior VP of digital marketing services, can’t wait to move in either. “Between the light and airy space, the fabulous views, the new 4,000 square foot gym, and the easy access to public transportation, it’s going to be a fantastic workplace.”

With all this change, the best part for many will be working together with old friends, as Wallender concluded: “But out of everything, I am most excited to be reunited with all of my wonderful coworkers who are in Seattle, and to all work as one company once again.”

The Cobalt Group
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