Highmark West Virginia celebrates 10-year anniversary at downtown Parkersburg headquarters

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (July 10, 2019) — Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia (Highmark West Virginia) is celebrating 10 years in its corporate headquarters, located at 614 Market Street, in downtown Parkersburg. The state's largest commercial health insurer commemorated this milestone today by holding a 10th anniversary celebration for employees and held a formal event in appreciation to those who were instrumental in the development of its Parkersburg headquarters a decade ago.

When considering the possibility of constructing a new corporate headquarters, Highmark West Virginia worked diligently with numerous community leaders, including the City of Parkersburg, Wood County Development Authority, Downtown PKB and an independent development company to determine the best location and most efficient design. The review concluded that a new, state-of-the-art 127,000 square-foot building in downtown Parkersburg would not only consolidate hundreds of employees occupying various downtown buildings, but it would also greatly improve the surrounding community and environment by decreasing facility operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

"We continue to be very happy with our downtown Parkersburg headquarters," said Jim Fawcett, president of Highmark West Virginia. "Efficiency was one of the driving forces behind the decision to construct the new building, but we also hoped it would inspire further development in the downtown area. We believe our West Virginia headquarters is a shining example of investing in the communities where we work and live."

A decade later, Highmark West Virginia's overall economic impact in the state totals an impressive $262.3 million. The company's stake in Parkersburg has generated $27.9 million in direct and indirect/induced tax payments for state and local governments.

"Highmark's reinvestment in the community ten years ago underscores the importance of public-private partnerships in today's economy," said Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce. "Since opening their new (LEED Certified) facility at 7th and Market, there has been a significant increase in both private and public investment in downtown Parkersburg. We appreciate Highmark's ongoing contributions to our region and wish the organization and its employees continued future momentum."

The LEED-certified building, which houses nearly 500 Highmark West Virginia employees, was built on the site of the former Chancellor Hotel, and was completed in 2009.