Making a green workspace in a historic building

Above: A work in progress: renovations at our offices in the Merchandise Mart in 2013.

As creators of many products, environmental design choices and materials selection are hugely important to us. We are passionate about extending that same commitment to other areas of our business, so we were thrilled when the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) granted our new headquarters in Chicago’s historic Merchandise Mart their LEED Platinum Certification.

The highest level of certification, LEED Platinum means that when USGBC reviewed our 607,000-square-foot office space, it was able to award the maximum points for energy efficiency. As the Mart’s largest tenant we cover most of the top four floors and rooftop. Our 2,000 employees there work in a mix of spaces that include open-plan offices, seven cutting-edge engineering labs, and various multi-purpose spaces, like micro-kitchens, game rooms, and a theater.

The challenge was that the Mart was built in 1930, before energy efficiency was a pressing concern. When we designed and built our new workspace, we worked hard to ensure that it incorporated the latest advances in energy, lighting, and materials to provide a great work environment that was also environmentally friendly. We upgraded power management, lighting and HVAC infrastructure to the latest technology. Among Chicago’s 864 LEED certified projects, only 40 have earned Platinum, with our new home being the largest of all Platinum projects.

We’re very proud of our offices in the Mart, and we’re happy that the USGBC has recognized the work and care that went into making them an amazing workspace.

Posted by Bill Olson

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Sweet Home Chicago

Today we were very happy to welcome Mayor Rahm Emanuel and local community and business leaders as we publicly unveiled our new global headquarters in downtown Chicago, ushering in a new chapter in Motorola’s transformation.

This is a homecoming for us. Nearly 90 years ago, our story began as Galvin Manufacturing Corporation at 847 West Harrison Street in Chicago. We were downtown until 1976, when we moved our headquarters to the suburbs, where it stayed for nearly forty years.

Now our story has come full circle. We believe that there’s no better place to stay at the forefront of innovation than in a thriving global hub like Chicago -- a city that has become the epicenter of a technology renaissance.

Located inside the historic Merchandise Mart alongside the Chicago River, the new headquarters encompasses more than 600,000 square feet, including 75,000 square feet of dedicated lab space, making it one of the premiere R&D and prototyping facilities in the world. The office is home to nearly 2,000 Motorolans and is within a mile of 71 of the top 100 digital companies in Chicago. At the Mart, our neighbors include the tech startup incubator 1871, advertising and creative agencies and more, creating opportunities for chance encounters and collaboration.

The office pays homage to our Chicago roots while also reflecting a thoroughly modern approach to collaboration. In addition to the best-in-class engineering labs, the space also features nine microkitchens designed in different themes, shared workspaces, a game room for when a little recharging is needed, a rooftop plaza and more.

Our move to downtown Chicago has been more than a year in the making. It took a lot of work by a lot of people, and a great deal of patience and understanding from employees, many of whom have built lives and raised families in northern Illinois. I appreciate all the support.

As we look ahead to the future, we have a clear vision for our company and we’re proud to be back in sweet home Chicago. A truly global city for a global company.

Rick Osterloh


For images and b-roll click here.

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My Departure From Motorola

At the end of March I will step down from my post as CEO at Motorola Mobility to join Dropbox as COO. This was not an easy decision to make, but I leave knowing that Motorola is in great hands - now and in the future.

In the last 18 months, Motorolans have built two of the company’s best loved phones ever, introduced customization to the industry, brought unprecedented quality and performance to a value-priced smartphone, and created experiences that changed how people use and interact with their smartphones.

It was a reinvention the likes of which many 85-year-old brands could not have achieved. And it was astonishing to be a part of.

I'm excited about what the next chapter in Motorola's storied history will bring under the new ownership of Lenovo. While Google imbued simplicity and software sensibility into the company, Lenovo will bring it the scale it deserves. I have no doubt the two companies together will be a force for good in the mobile industry

To ensure that Motorola maintains its current momentum and successfully transitions to Lenovo ownership, Jonathan Rosenberg, a longtime Googler and SVP of Products from 2002 to 2011, will step in as COO at Motorola Mobility as of April 1. Jonathan worked very closely with me to build the leadership team at Motorola and has been intimately involved in steering business and product decisions alongside with the current leadership team. Google Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora will remain Executive Chairman of the Motorola Operating Board, and continue to oversee the strategy.

With their support, the entire Motorola management team remains focused on our current strategy and on creating great mobile devices that deliver the mobile Internet to millions more people around the world.

That's something we can all rally behind.


Sincerely,
Dennis Woodside

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Motorola to Join Lenovo to Create a Truly Global Smartphone Company

Today Google CEO Larry Page announced that Lenovo will acquire the Motorola Mobility smartphone business for about $2.91BN.

Since being acquired by Google in 2012, Motorola has transformed itself, focusing on solving real consumer problems and providing amazing experiences built on a foundation of pure Android. The result has been Moto X, Moto G, and a reinvigorated Droid line. Together, these devices have won over consumers and critics alike and helped re-establish the Motorola brand around the world.

Now, as we set our sights bringing the mobile Internet to the next 100 million people, Lenovo is the perfect partner to help us achieve that goal. As Larry wrote in his post,

“Lenovo has the expertise and track record to scale Motorola into a major player within the Android ecosystem. They have a lot of experience in hardware and they have global reach. In addition, Lenovo intends to keep Motorola’s distinct brand identity--just as they did when they acquired ThinkPad from IBM in 2005.”

Combined, our two challenger brands will become a true force in mobility. Per Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO of Lenovo,

“We are confident that we can bring together the best of both companies to deliver products customers will love and a strong, growing business. Lenovo has a proven track record of successfully embracing and strengthening great brands – as we did with IBM’s Think brand – and smoothly and efficiently integrating companies around-the-world. I am confident we will be successful with this process, and that our companies will not only maintain our current momentum in the market, but also build a strong foundation for the future.”

Google will maintain ownership of the vast majority of the Motorola Mobility patent portfolio, including current patent applications and invention disclosures. As part of its ongoing relationship with Google, Lenovo will receive a license to this rich portfolio of patents and other intellectual property. Additionally Lenovo will receive over 2,000 patent assets, as well as the Motorola Mobility brand and trademark portfolio.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals in the U.S. and China. You can find more information in the press release.

We look forward to a new chapter and bright future with a new brand steward.


Posted by Dennis Woodside

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