Educational software firm now calls Blaine home
Infinite Campus, the largest American-owned company that manages K-12 student data, has moved into its new $20 million, 110,000 square-foot national headquarters in Blaine. The 25-acre corporate campus is located off 109th Avenue N.E. near Lochness Lake. Infinite Campus will celebrate its grand opening with a special community event Saturday, Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The afternoon will feature family-friendly activities, carnival games, food and building tours. (Photos Courtesy of Infinite Campus)
Chief Executive Officer Charlie Kratsch had three primary goals when developing a $20million corporate headquarters in Blaine. The koi pond and climbing wall weren’t extras in his overall building plan.
Employees have a nickname for the futuristic 110,000 square-foot building located off 109th Avenue N.E and Lexington Avenue. They call it the mothership.
The description is apt, since the stunning facility is home to Infinite Campus, the largest American-owned company that manages K-12 student data.
Kratsch said his company needed a place to grow and retain productive employees. Its former business site in Arden Hills had become too small.
“We’ve got the space we need here, and the interior environment fosters creativity,” Kratsch said. “You are not in a cubicle or office. Here, it’s wide open.”
Secondly, as Infinite Campus continues to grow, the company needs to be able to attract quality employees in a highly competitive industry, he said.
“This facility is a phenomenal recruiting tool,” Kratsch said. “We’ve seen that during the three weeks that we’ve been here.” The building opened Aug. 4.
Computer software design candidates have been impressed with the Infinite Campus facility as well as the company’s corporate culture, Kratsch said.
“They might be Medtronic, 3M or Microsoft interviewees. They all say this is a place they want to work,” he said.
Finally, Infinite Campus’ new headquarters complements the company’s branding, high-quality and creative approach to business, according to Kratsch.
“We are not the low-cost vendor on the market,” Kratsch said. “Our customers and prospects see that when they come here. The building reflects our brand.”
The building design reflects the Infinite Campus corporate culture. Visitors and employees enter through a large rotunda that’s illuminated with natural light.
A chef prepares meals for employees, who dine for free in a cafeteria that overlooks Lochness Lake. Bike and walking trails lead into the park next door.
Extending from the rotunda is a pair of two-story wings. Each section is just shy of the length and width of a regulation football field and is theme-decorated.
The west wing features eastern Asia plants and the aforementioned fish pond while the east wing has a western, mountain theme and the climbing wall.
Building columns serve as giant light figures, similar to the engineering deck of the USS Enterprise, the fictional ship from the television series “Star Trek.”
Kratsch said Infinite Campus currently employs 230 at its Blaine headquarters. That total will increase to more than 300 employees by Christmas, he said.
Rough concepts for a second building on the 25-acre site are already in design, Kratsch said. That’s because the company continues its fast-paced growth.
“This building is designed for slightly more than 400 people,” he said. “A year-and-a-half from now, we will have to have that second building up.”
One unseen yet highly critical feature in the new building is the Infinite Campus data center, which is located in a secure bunker-like room, Kratsch said.
“There is more student data stored there than anywhere in the country,” he said. “It was the first thing built. If a tornado hits, that’s where I want to be.”
And because the company handles large amounts of highly confidential data, the new corporate campus had to include plenty of security, Kratsch said.
“There are cameras everywhere,” he said. “Part of the design challenge with this building was making it open but secure. We accomplished that.”
Infinite Campus plans to work closely with the Centennial School District to bring in classes to use the climbing wall and campus grounds, Kratsch said.
“We want to integrate with the city and the school district,” Kratsch said. “We never want our employees to forget who is on the other end of our software.”
Infinite Campus will celebrate its national headquarters grand opening with a special community event Saturday, Sept. 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The public is invited to join Kratsch and company employees for an afternoon of family-friendly activities, carnival games, food and building tours.
“We were very fortunate to be able to purchase land that not only meets our needs, but complements the city park,” Kratsch said. “This site is phenomenal.”