‘Connecting with nature’

Kreg Tool’s new Ankeny headquarters was designed with lots of wood, glass

by kathy a. bolten

Kreg Tool Co. officials had a vision when they began planning the company’s new corporate headquarters in Crosswinds Business Park in Ankeny.

“The inspiration was definitely connecting with nature,” said Stephanie Gott, vice president of human resources for Kreg Tool, which creates project tools for woodworkers and do-it-yourselfers such as jigs, clamps, and devices for cutting and routing.

“Obviously, our tools are woodworking tools so we wanted to connect to the product that our customers are working with,” she said.

Four materials – wood, steel, concrete and glass – are primarily used in the 150,000-square-foot structure that was designed by Neumann Monson Architects, which has offices in Des Moines and Iowa City.

Glass is used prominently on the north side of the building, the main entrance into the headquarters that includes manufacturing, warehousing, distribution and office space. The wood-encased pillars on the outside of the building are slanted at a 15% angle, which mimics the angle the company’s pocket hole jig creates in a wood project.

“Neumann Monson worked really hard to understand who we are and what we do and then incorporated some really intentional things into the design of our building,” Gott said.

Kreg Tool was founded in 1989 in Huxley by Craig Sommerfeld, who developed a U-shaped single-hole jig to hide the holes in the kitchen cabinets he was building for his home, according to the company’s website. Sommerfeld sold the jig at woodworking shows, and in 1990 he was issued a patent on the tool.

Over the years, the company expanded into making other products, added employees and increased its footprint in Huxley to include a renovated 50,000-square-foot building located next to its original building.

As the company continued to grow, even more space was needed.

About four years ago, Kreg Tool officials began making plans to build its headquarters in Ankeny on about 25 acres at 7500 S.E. Convenience Blvd. It moved into the new facility in September 2021.

The area surrounding the new facility includes walking paths and an area with outdoor furniture that employees can use throughout the day. “We have a lot of access to nature that we didn’t have before,” Gott said.

Graham Construction Co. was the project’s general contractor. The project was issued a building permit valued at $21.6 million in April 2020.

The company “has a culture of transparency and collaboration,” Gott said. Executive officers’ offices have at least one glass wall, as do conference rooms. A glass wall separates the warehouse and break room.

“It was really important to us that we tried to find ways to represent that we’re one team,” Gott said. People who work in the company’s offices and warehouse can see each other throughout the workday, she said. “We’re able to see into each others’ worlds.”

In Huxley, Kreg Tool was spread over three buildings, which provided little contact between the company’s various divisions of workers.

The new facility has one large break room that is used by all of Kreg Tools’ employees.

“We want people to collide with each other so that there is relationship-building and perspective on what all of the different types of roles are within the organization,” Gott said.

Kreg Tool sold one of its buildings in Huxley to a day care center and is keeping its two other buildings at which manufacturing operations occur, she said.

Twenty people work in Huxley; 210 work at the Ankeny headquarters, which is designed to be able to be expanded.

Photos by Duane Tinkey

Wood elements are used prominently throughout Kreg Tool’s new headquarters in Crosswinds Business Park in Ankeny. This second-floor collaboration space is next to a hallway with a screen, which displays company messages and also shows the company’s interactions on social media.

The company intentionally eliminated perceived separation between its office and warehouse areas by using a glass wall to emphasize that every role in the company fits into the company’s overall strategy. The manufacturing area also has some windows for natural light, which is uncommon in a lot of industrial spaces.

Kreg Tool Co. makes woodworking tools including jigs, clamps, and cutting and routing tools. The use of wood throughout the company’s new headquarters was intentional. “We wanted to connect to the product that our customers are working with,” said Stephanie Gott, the company’s vice president of human resources. The staircase shown here is floating from the ceiling.

Kreg Tool Co.’s facilities in Huxley had few windows to allow sunlight to stream in. The new headquarters in Ankeny has an abundance of windows. “There’s just a lot of access to nature and daylight that we didn’t have before,” said Stephanie Gott, the company’s vice president of human resources. Open cubicles, shown here, allow for more collaboration. Conference rooms, on the left, are each named after national forests.

A view from upstairs shows the high ceilings in the hallway down below. The black wood on the right was created using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique that chars wood with fire and uses a natural oil to make it look black rather than painting it. It is said to be a more sustainable way to create the artisan look.

A look at the floating staircase from an area built for collaboration between the first and second levels of the building.

The floating staircase, as seen from the first floor, also has a built-in stage that Kreg Tool is using for company meetings. Seating also provides a spot for employees to have meals. They are also working with some outside groups to host events in this area. As pictured here, there are several large plants maintained throughout the building to intentionally celebrate nature.

The fitness center at Kreg Tool Co.’s new headquarters includes workout equipment as well as a golf simulator.