Apple of
their eye
Function and frills unite in unique $12 million building project
By Kay Kruse-Stanton
L
ast fall, JAMF Software
welcomed a vital new tool for
success: an approximately $12
million building designed to meet the
specific and somewhat unusual needs
of the firm.
JAMF Software started in Eau Claire,
Wisconsin, in 2002 with a couple of
good friends and an excellent idea
for helping Apple-based computer
systems operate more efficiently.
Since then it’s grown to 350
employees, with approximately 150 in
Eau Claire.
It’s been cautious growth: JAMF
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made sure the business was there
to support new employees before
creating positions. And until
September 2014, the Eau Claire
portion of the company made do
with leased space that was adequate
but could not really serve the firm’s
needs.
“We were working out of a building
that was basically a showroom area,”
said JAMF project specialist Julia
Johnson, who worked closely with
Ayres Associates throughout the
project. “We needed better space
that had sufficient power and cooling.
We needed a server room with better
mechanicals. We needed a generator
to be able to handle power outages.
We needed fire suppression for our
server room. We wanted better
cooling for the general work areas so
people would be less distracted and
more comfortable.”
Beyond improved mechanicals,
JAMF wanted a building that would
foster creativity and encourage
collaboration, a building that
would give something back to the
community that JAMF calls home,
a building that would maintain the
company’s downtown Eau Claire
presence. And once that idea was