Building blue sky

Three years ago, Jabil executive David Wahl began to pitch an idea: He wanted to build a center for the giant supply chain and innovative electronic manufacturer to show off its chops.

According to Wahl, a central facility was needed for a few reasons. Most importantly, Jabil had expanded its design and manufacturing capabilities after a number of acquisitions. The company didn't have a good location to showcase the diversity of its work to current and prospective clients. It also didn't have a place to bring together its expanding team.

With 180,000 employees, the $15.7 billion manufacturer operates in 95 sites across 24 countries. Its engineering centers serve markets sprinkled worldwide. Instead of consolidating offices, the new facility would act as a control tower for the different centers — a place dedicated to collaboration and innovation. The facility would bring in 300 representatives from its 10,000 engineers around the world to provide expertise in specific projects.