ADP’s Sleek, New Innovation Center Opens

Nearly 350 new and existing employees celebrated the opening of ADP’s sleek, new Innovation Center on Lake Avenue in Pasadena Thursday.

“This is a fantastically beautiful facility,” said Stuart Sackman, corporate VP of global product and technology. “It’s a great place to work, in a great community, and I think we will be very happy here, and I hope, very productive here, as we work to build out our products.

New Jersey-based ADP, the largest payroll management company in the world, will concentrate on its Human Capital Management (HCM) systems in its new facility, on two full floors of Pasadena Towers. According to the company website, HCM systems help manage payroll services, talent management, Human resources, and benefits administration for companies of all sizes in the US and workdwide.

“We’ve always been a one-to-many services provider,” he continued, “even back in the 50s, when were just a team of bookkeepers writing checks and sending them all out to different companies around New Jersey.”

“We’re just trying to build a workspace where we can support collaboration,” he added, “in a community where we have access to great talent and great neighbors, and we can build, and continue to grow and drive innovation.”

Sackman also cited the proximity of the new center to the great number of local startups in Pasadena, and both the Caltech and Art Center campuses, saying the company “looks forward to working with each of them to find great talent.”

“Many people think of Pasadena, as just the Rose Bowl, and we are proud of that tradition,” said Mayor Terry Tornek to the assembled employees and special guests, “but this city is also about great diversity, and this city has twenty-something different historic districts, because we value our history.

“At the same time,” he said, “we recognize that for the city to be successful, we can’t rest on our laurels. We know that change is coming, and we know that we can either let it roll over us, or we can embrace it, and we chosen to embrace. We can’t tell how important it is to have you be here, and to really help establish our position as a terrific place for innovative businesses.”

The new space features a modern, non-cubicle environment with open and collaborative spaces, including stand-up work stations, private work area, various styles of meeting rooms as well as new technology like touch screen monitors in common areas, and even private sleeping areas.

“We want to create a truly unique environment where employees can really thrive, as they continue to develop and create new business products,” said Raymund Miclat, creative director.