Online retail leader CafePress opens new corporate headquarters building in Louisville
LOUISVILLE, KY (July 14, 2016) – Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Middletown Mayor Byron Chapman today joined CafePress founders Fred Durham, Chief Executive Officer, and Maheesh Jain, Chief Marketing Officer, to cut the ribbon and welcome leading online retailer CafePress to its new corporate offices located in Middletown.
“CafePress is expanding its global headquarters in Louisville at a key time for our logistics and e-Commerce sector. The addition of jobs in engineering, marketing and IT show that CafePress is much more than a distribution facility,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “With Louisville’s central location, extensive runway capacity and upcoming completion of the Ohio River Bridges Project, it’s never been easier to grow all parts of e-Commerce in our city. I commend CafePress for their investment and look forward to seeing their continued growth and success.”
Designed by Louisville-area architect Jason Lange of Prodigy Construction, the new headquarters houses approximately 100 employees working in administration, marketing and web development. CafePress has recently added some 30 new positions and the company now employs approximately 350 people in Louisville. Two hundred fifty of these, or up to 800 during the peak holiday season, work at the company’s manufacturing facility at Jefferson Riverport International on Riverport Drive. Forty employees also work from its Silicon Valley office in Hayward, California.
“We’re thrilled to continue our longstanding relationship with the City of Louisville,” said Fred Durham, who along with Maheesh Jain founded CafePress in 1999 in his garage in California. In 2005, CafePress opened its manufacturing facility in Louisville, and in 2012 officially moved its corporate headquarters to Louisville from the Bay area.
Factors that contributed to selecting the headquarters location included its proximity to a main bus line for Shelbyville Road, allowing for better recruiting of employees that use public transportation; as well as the Shelbyville Road bike path area, allowing those who want to bike to work to make the commute more safely. The variety of food options from various cultures within walking distance of the building was also a factor.
Seeking to infuse some of its Silicon Valley culture with CafePress’s Midwestern location, the bright and welcoming building features maximum collaboration space. Multi-use areas, including café-style break rooms, encourage employees across departments to connect and socialize. The first floor lobby displays a rotating selection of CafePress products, which allows employees to remain close to the company’s unique offerings and the quality and care of products.
The space also incorporates the company’s purpose: to help customers express themselves and connect with others by bringing passions to life through unique items. Conference rooms are named for passions, such as Exercise and Gardening, and are decorated with CafePress products, such as t-shirts and tote bags. In addition, employees were provided stipends to decorate their areas with CafePress items that exhibit their personal interests.
“Our goal was to create an environment that supports our culture of openness and self-expression,” added Durham. “We encourage our employees to share their personal hobbies and interests at work, which reflects our company’s purpose of bringing passions to life.”
The design also brings an industrial feel with ceiling panel islands to keep the noise down and glass-front offices allowing employees to see through the building. Conference rooms are furnished with multi-purpose and configurable furniture and several are equipped with equipment for multi-media conferencing. The building has three shower stalls for employees who bike and walk to work, or workout during the day, to freshen up while at the office. Energy efficient appliances and fixtures were used wherever possible.
