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Quicken Loans, Sister Companies Move to Detroit

Downtown Detroit just got 1,700 technology employees bigger.

Quicken Loans Inc. and its sister companies have moved into 250,000 square feet of redesigned space in the Compuware Corp. headquarters at One Campus Martius at Woodward Avenue, which the companies have now dubbed "Webward Avenue."

The sister companies include One Reverse Mortgage LLC, Fathead LLC, In-House Realty LLC and Quizzle LLC.

Combined with Compuware's work force, the building will now house nearly 4,000 technology and Web-based workers.

"Detroit is in the infancy stage of becoming a hotbed of new economy technology, Internet and entertainment-based entrepreneurial growth companies," said Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans. "Downtown is beginning to become a 'live, work and play' urban core that young people coming out of our great universities, and others across the country and world, will be highly attracted to for the incredible opportunity, jobs and growth happening here. This is no longer a hope or a dream. It is real and it is now emanating from the passionate, driven and collaborative people and their energetic companies who are flocking to Webward Avenue to help create it. Detroit 2.0 is under way. The only questions left are: How big will it grow and how fast can you get down here."

Early Monday morning, Gilbert -- along with Quicken Loans CEO Bill Emerson, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, and Compuware chief administrative officer Denise Starr -- participated in a short ceremony welcoming the new businesses and team members to the city.

"The passion that these companies have shown for Detroit has been incredibly inspiring," Bing said. "Dan Gilbert has shown great commitment to the ity, and has said time and again that he will not be pleased with just his companies moving downtown. So, to quote a line from Dan: 'Who's coming with him?'"

Quicken Loans and its sister companies will occupy four floors, or nearly 250,000 square feet, in their new location. The space was designed and built to encourage creativity, openness, communication and collaboration. The Quicken Loans culture is reflected in the bright colors, numerous open spaces, low interior walls, and unique innovative design combined with the latest technology tools implemented throughout. Even art produced by a local graffiti artist can be found in the companies' new daytime home.

Said Emerson: "We built a think and work space always keeping in mind who we are both as a company and as individuals. It is the thoughts, ideas and productivity of our thousands of bright team members that are the essence of our current success and future growth."

The space also features elaborate interactive wall murals symbolizing Quicken Loans' 18 "-isms," or guiding principles, that define the company's culture.

"While we are laser focused on helping lead Detroit 2.0, it is important to recognize the pioneers that have shaped this proud city," Gilbert added, referring to the conference rooms named after past and present cherished Detroit businesses and icons, such as Boblo, Eastern Market, the Spirit of Detroit, the State and Fox Theaters, Lafayette Coney Island and Hitsville USA, among others.

As part of the move to Detroit, Quicken Loans will provide all 1,700 team members with free parking at one of two garages adjacent to the Compuware building. Team members will also have access to many of the existing amenities already offered at the new facility, including, a large, bright cafeteria offering a wide range of quality food options, a state licensed on-site daycare center as well as an elaborate fitness center.

Quicken Loans is the nation's largest online retail mortgage lender and the fouth largest overall retail home lender in the United States. The company closed more than $25 billion in retail home loan volume across all 50 states in 2009. Quicken Loans employs more than 3,000 full-time team members and generates loan production from five Web centers in Michigan, Ohio and Arizona.

Quicken Loans also operates a centralized loan processing center in Michigan as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit.

More at  www.quickenloans.com.

(c) 2010, WWJ Newsradio 950. All rights reserved.

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