By Kaity Coisman
Contributing Writer
GREEN BAY – On May 17, the doors officially opened at Schneider’s innovation center, The Grove.
The grand opening of the 20,000-square-foot facility was highlighted by Schneider President/CEO Mark Rourke and Schneider Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, Shaleen Devgun.
The team said that they had to go through many challenges to see their vision come to life, including a pandemic and a global supply chain crisis.
“(We) came out the other side of that a stronger organization and one, even more committed to making sure that all of our associates have the tools necessary to continue to thrive, adapt and innovate into the future,” Rourke added.
The space was intentionally designed by a combination of companies to produce a space conducive to collaboration and interaction.
An example of the intentional design included noise-canceling components installed on the walls and ceilings to provide a quiet environment.
The space will not only be used for employees but also for community events and customer consultations.
“We’re going to use this space to collaborate with our customers. We’re going to bring in customers from all over the country to solve their most difficult supply chain issues. We’re going to go create symbiotic opportunities for them,” explained Devgun.
He said that the space also presents other opportunities.
“The ability to come together as a team quickly when we see a problem and in a rapid fashion — not in weeks, not in months, but in days — to figure out a solution and even faster implement that solution that creates sustainable business change; that is what we are doing in this building,” Devgun continued.
The team said that The Grove is not just a building, but a place for progress which will propel Schneider further.
“When [Mark and I] first talked about this space, we wanted to curate an environment where our associates — the best in the industry — could come together and really reimagine our business without any inhibitions, without any boundary conditions. The ability to dream, the ability to really ask ourselves, ‘What if?’ and we’re going to do just that in The Grove. I sincerely believe that we will define, here in Green Bay, the future of freight mobility, and The Grove is the first step in being able to set out on that journey…,” Devgun said.