Insurance company moving 1,500 employees

April 27--An insurance company ranked among the Top 20 employers in the Lehigh Valley will consolidate three offices to move into a three-story corporate regional office in Northampton County.

Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America said Monday construction has begun on a new building on more than 30 acres off Route 512 in Hanover Township. The regional office at 6255 Sterners Way, north of Route 22, will open in late 2016, according to a Guardian news release. It will replace Guardian's current regional headquarters in three buildings in the Bethlehem area.

While Guardian Life spokeswoman Ana Sandoval said the new building likely will expand its business operations, she could not say whether the move will mean more jobs.

Guardian is estimated to have about 1,500 employees, ranking it the 17th top employer in the area in the latest rankings from the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board Inc. and CareerLink Lehigh Valley.

Construction has begun on the 281,680 square-foot office facility. Features include a town hall space, walk-up technology support center, walking trail, fitness center, and pantries on every floor, the company said.

The H-shaped building, which includes two wings and a center connector, will be recognized as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED environmentally certified design.

Scott Dolfi, Guardian's chief operating officer, said the goal of the new building is to continue to attract the best local talent and offer a more collaborative work environment.

Township Supervisors Chairman John N. Diacogiannis said Guardian's new building underscores the company's commitment to the community.

The company, which has had a Valley presence since 1984, also has an office at 1605 N. Cedar Crest Blvd. in South Whitehall Township. The company intends to keep that office, Sandoval said. It wasn't immediately clear what will happen to the existing Bethlehem-area offices.

In a separate news release, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. said it helped Guardian Life's real estate advisers identify site opportunities for the project. LVEDC, the local Workforce Investment Board and the Governor's Action Team also provided Guardian Life Insurance access to information on the regional economy and leveraged relationships with municipal officials and utility providers to help facilitate the process.

LVEDC President and CEO Don Cunningham said 69 percent of the Valley's job growth during the past five years has come from existing businesses.

Guardian Life Insurance has about 5,000 employees nationwide with headquarters in New York. It sells a variety of insurance products, and dental, vision and 401(k) plans for businesses. The company also says it is one of the nation's largest mutual life insurance providers.

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