Unilever welcomed Gov. Phil Murphy, Mayor Ravi Bhalla and other dignitaries on Thursday, June 5, to unveil its new U.S. headquarters at 111 River St., where it expects to house more than 1,100 employees from key business units and corporate functions. — Courtesy: Unilever
By Joshua Burd
Unilever has opened the doors to its new 111,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters in Hoboken, becoming the latest blue-chip tenant at SJP Properties’ Waterfront Corporate Center.
The consumer products giant welcomed Gov. Phil Murphy, Mayor Ravi Bhalla and other dignitaries on Thursday to unveil the space at 111 River St., where it expects to house more than 1,100 employees from key business units and corporate functions. Those colleagues will occupy three newly designed floors focused on collaboration, supporting hybrid work models and promoting innovation, aligning with a broader effort that prompted the company to move its main U.S. offices from Englewood Cliffs.
“We are proud to officially celebrate our new home in Hoboken,” said Herrish Patel, president of Unilever USA and CEO of Personal Care North America. “This is a monumental milestone for Unilever USA, and this state-of-the-art workplace supports modern ways of working, while bringing people together in a way that is dynamic and inspires creativity. The design supports the innovation and energy behind Unilever’s largest market and one of the key anchor markets for future growth for the company globally.”
SLIDESHOW: Unilever's new U.S. headquarters
All images courtesy: Unilever
SJP, the developer of the master-planned, 1.5 million-square-foot office and retail complex along the Hudson River, announced the lease last summer as part of a deal that recently won NAIOP New Jersey’s Office Deal of the Year award. Despite redesigning its 325,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters in Englewood Cliffs as recently as 2018, Unilever opted to move its front office to Hoboken with an eye toward further enhancing the workplace experience for its employees and providing a more vibrant, transit-oriented location.
The maker of Dove, Hellmann’s, Vaseline and a host of other products — which still has its research and development division in Englewood Cliffs — is now an anchor at Waterfront Corporate Center alongside tenants such as Lipton, Walmart, Newell Brands and others that were drawn to the vibrant downtown location and one that’s two blocks from Hoboken Terminal.
“SJP Properties is proud to welcome Unilever’s U.S. headquarters to 111 River Street,” said Steven J. Pozycki, founder and CEO of SJP Properties. “Hoboken is now the preferred North American office destination for global consumer brands due to its access to multiple modes of public transportation, proximity to New York City and three international airports, as well as a highly educated professional workforce.”
CBRE’s Greg Barkan, Robert Norton, Nick Nemeth, Bill Mooney and Doug Holowink represented Unilever, which designed the new office in partnership with global architecture firm Perkins & Will. The company, which tapped SJP Project Solutions to build out the new office, noted that the space emphasizes sustainability, efficiency and employee experience with features including:
- A state-of-the-art, professional kitchen for Unilever Food Solutions, where chefs craft recipes using iconic brands such as Knorr and Hellmann’s
- A full-service salon where science, brands and real-life use cases come together and employees innovate to shape the future of labels such as Dove, TRESemmé and Nexxus
- Key design elements that create a supportive, inspiring and welcoming working environment, including biophilic design to maximize access to daylight, wellness spaces and mothers’ rooms
- Sweeping views of Manhattan as a daily backdrop from all three floors, with business unit spaces on floors seven and eight designed for optimal hybrid collaboration
- A town hall and multipurpose event space located on the penthouse level, which provides a forum that inspires unity, celebration and fosters community among Unilever teams and partners
- Dynamic collaboration zones, cutting-edge meeting technology and immersive innovation hubs for live collaboration and demonstrations, supporting the way people work today
- Design elements infused with the spirit of Unilever’s brands and corporate ethos.
Designed with sustainability in mind, the space also features LED lighting, energy-efficient HVAC systems and low-flow water fixtures to reduce energy and water consumption, according to a news release. Additionally, the project’s construction team prioritized the use of low-emitting and recycled materials.
“Our goal was to design a space that not only reflects Unilever’s values but empowers people to do their best work,” said Nate Barney, head of global workplace service for Unilever. “From natural light and open floor plans to versatile spaces for collaboration and wellness, every detail was considered to create a modern workplace that fosters community and innovation.”
In addition to the new headquarters in Hoboken, Unilever has research and development facilities in Englewood Cliffs and Trumbull, Connecticut, plus 10 factories manufacturing its products.
