When you’re helping the likes of Ford and Unilever ensure they have all the materials they need to stay in business amid the biggest supply-chain crunch in memory, you don’t have a lot of down time.
But for a few hours on Thursday, at least, the folks at Kinaxis will be in full party mode.
The Kanata-based manufacturer of supply-chain management software has been riding a steady wave of growth during the pandemic as demand for its platform has soared. Now, the firm has another reason to celebrate: the opening of its brand new headquarters on Palladium Drive in Kanata, just a stone’s throw from the Canadian Tire Centre.
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In the biggest gathering Kanata has seen in some time, 1,000 Kinaxis employees and guests will be treated to performances from Canadian music icons Blue Rodeo and Serena Ryder, among others, as the doors to the 160,000-square-foot space officially open on Thursday.
Indeed, music is an omnipresent theme in Kinaxis’s new office, and for good reason: CEO John Sicard is an accomplished musician in his own right whose Kanata North home is equipped with a full-scale music production facility.
So in a nod to its leader’s artistic passion, the new Kinaxis HQ not only includes amenities that have become ubiquitous in today’s tech work spaces – a full-service cafeteria, fitness centre, rooftop patio and arcade, for example – it also features a sound stage and video screens scattered throughout the office that display song lyrics.
“One of my favourite things is how music is incorporated into the space,” says KC Crabtree, the firm’s director of public and analyst relations.
“The building was designed for employees and matches the Kinaxis culture. We’ve created unique spaces for collaboration and engagement. We’ve heard rave reviews so far and look forward to continuing to grow into the space.”
For more on how Kinaxis celebrated the grand opening of its new home, check out Caroline Phillips’ story on Friday at obj.ca.
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Photos by Mark Holleron.

