GREENFIELD, IND. — Elanco Animal Health Incorporated announced April 12 plans for a new, state-of-the-art global headquarters campus highlighting sustainability, community and innovation. The 220,000-square-foot, six-story structure will span 40 acres of land in Indianapolis, formerly home to the General Motors Stamping Plant.

The new headquarters will be “greenspace-forward,” existing as an extension of White River State Park. The building will be glass-faced and will be accessible by an enhanced trail system, a walkable and bikeable park corridor, and a bus route. Elanco cited inspiration from post-pandemic work environments to create a more casual, comfortable workplace.

“When we talk about the new headquarters, we’re talking about ‘building as a verb, not a noun,’” said Jeff Simmons, president and chief executive officer of Elanco. “We’re building Elanco’s next era of growth and innovation for one of the industry’s most trusted brands, we’re building paths to help connect Indianapolis’ historic west side with its center, and we’re building a vibrant destination for our nearly 10,000 global employees to collaborate, connect and invent. Finally, we believe Indianapolis is poised to become an epicenter of animal health innovation, and we’re excited to be among the architects building its foundation.”

The facility will house indoor and outdoor work areas, innovation laboratories, open spaces for connection and collaboration, amenities and services for employees that promote flexibility and personal workstyles, and spaces for major global customer events and scientific meetings, Elanco stated. The building will also prioritize employee wellbeing and safety by incorporating natural daylight, active circulation paths and an air quality monitoring system.

Source: Elanco

Sustainability will be designed into the new headquarters from the start. This includes the use of renewable and low-carbon materials for construction — which are expected to avoid neatly 100 tons of emissions — and advanced stormwater management and native plantings for on-site water. Additionally, the retransformation of an “idle site” formerly owned by General Motors will ensure the company is not developing grassland but redeveloping an already commercial location.

Elanco’s new headquarters will also incorporate an Animal Health Epicenter, developed alongside AgriNovus, an agriculture and food initiative by the state of Indiana, and High Alpha, a local business incubator. The Epicenter will include a venture studio for development and will establish a scientific discovery network and research clearinghouse, all part of Elanco’s goal to position both itself and Indianapolis as a “hub for animal heath invention,” the company stated.

“Broad access to the world’s animals coupled with a laser focus on creating pathways for innovation is what we believe sets Elanco apart as a sought-after partner,” Simmons said. “We’re building something significant that will make animals, the city and our world better, and we’re designing our new headquarters with those partnerships in mind.”

Most recently, Elanco announced its partnership with Gingko Bioworks to establish BiomEdit, an animal health microbiome innovation business that will develop probiotics, bioactive molecules and microbial medicines for animal and pet health markets.

Elanco has also partnered with High Alpha to launch Athian, a venture aiming to certify, aggregate and monetize opportunities to reduce environmental footprints across the food chain.

Elanco expects the costs required for its new headquarters will be offset by competitive incentive packages offered by the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana. Construction will begin in the coming months, and the headquarters is slated for completion within two to three years.

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