eBay Inc. officially opened its new building in the Salt Lake City suburb of Draper, Utah, on May 3, at a ceremony attended by company executives and Utah political leaders. The building is designed and built to LEED Gold standards, a high bar for environmentally sustainable design.
The day’s events starting with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that featured eBay Inc. CEO and President John Donahoe; Steve Boehm, senior vice president, Global Customer Experience, Marketplaces; Congressman Jim Matheson; Utah Gov. Gary Herbert; and Mayor Darrell Smith of Draper.
“I am excited for what we’ve accomplished here and am looking forward to how our expanded facility will help grow our presence in Utah, and help our teammates deliver on our commitment to create experiences our customers want and love,” Donahoe said. He noted that the facility, which integrates sustainable design features throughout, is eBay’s third LEED Gold-standard building. It is expected to be certified later this month.
“Not only does our new facility represent our pledge to green our operations, it also demonstrates our commitment to this community and the state of Utah,” Scott Murray, vice president of Global Services Solutions, said. “Not only have we made a significant financial contribution to the state, in 2012 our teammates and their friends and families donated over 9,000 of service to our community.”
In conjunction with the building’s inauguration, the Utah office kicked off its annual “Summer of Giving” with a 5K and 1-mile fun run. The Summer of Giving involves more than 20 events in which teammates can participate to benefit local nonprofits. The day concluded with a party that included a live band, carnival games, a Ferris wheel and performers. Fifteen minutes of a professionally choreographed fireworks show closed out the evening, with the new building as a dramatic backdrop.