NeoGenomics, a company that moved to Gateway in 2006 with 1,200 square feet of space, has its new, Taj Mahal-esque headquarters. It’s ready for all to see, including drivers heading north or south past Alico Road on Interstate 75 in south Lee County. The new address is 9490 NeoGenomics Way.
The cancer diagnostics company partnered with Seagate Development Group, DeAngelis Diamond, Studio+, Hole Montes and others on the construction project with a tab of $45 million, plus $20 million to furnish it. The 14-acre site will be the new home for about 350 employees—a number that will continue to grow, said Helen Edenfield, the global director of facilities and operational excellence for NeoGenomics. The site has 787 parking spaces and 16 chargers for electrical vehicles.
The company expects to move from its five buildings that combine for 75,000 square feet in Gateway into the two new buildings, which combine for 150,000 square feet, by the end of the first quarter of 2022, Edenfield said.
“Everybody loves the building,” Edenfield says. “They enjoy coming to work. There are so many places for them to work out of. It doesn’t have to be at their desk. We’re thrilled and super proud that we accomplished what we set out to do. It’s been a long process.”
The west-side building will hold the cancer diagnostics laboratories. A courtyard between leads to the east-side building, which is three stories and holds the global headquarters. Portions of that building have cubicles for office workers, conference rooms, a cafeteria and collaborative spaces. There are also soundproof rooms for one person or two people at various locations, giving those working in the cubicles the opportunity to make private phone calls or have one-on-one meetings.
There are also “spin chairs” that look like giant thimbles, in which users can spin around in circles. “When my team was scoping how we would have the interior and some of the furniture, we wanted to create some collaborative areas and put some fun into it,” Edenfield says. “The spin chairs are an example. They’re just fun.”
The project is reaching completion after quite the adventurous construction process, said Matt Price, CEO at Seagate. “The key to successful development—especially with unexpected landmines like COVID, supply chain issues and rising inflation—is assembling a team with the right mix of ability, talent, humility and local knowledge,” Price says. “Our team proudly responded to those challenges and exceeded our client’s expectations. It was an honor to contribute to the opportunities that NeoGenomics is providing, from local employment to international, life-changing research.”
In 2022, the company truly will begin growing into its new headquarters.
“When it’s all said and done, I will have had three years working on this, from concept to fruition,” Edenfield says. “I’m very, very happy that it’s closing. It’s a bit like childbirth. I’m seriously thrilled with the outcome.”
