Construction of Okaloosa Gas District’s new headquarters in Valparaiso continues to progress, with the 160,000-square-foot complex scheduled for September completion.
- The facility will consolidate operations from multiple aging buildings – some dating back to 1953 – into a modern campus designed for both current needs and future expansion.
“Our people, our employees deserve better than what we’ve been able to provide for them,” said Gordon King, Okaloosa Gas CEO. “We’ve built a building that’s solid, strong, and it’s going to be here for a long time. We have a responsibility to our customers to make sure we’re there to provide service to them 24 hours a day, year round, and this facility will enable us to do that.”
The complex features extensive upgrades from the company’s existing facilities, incorporating modern design elements throughout. “It kind of matches who Okaloosa Gas is,” King said. “When we went through the design phase, it’s clean, it’s efficient, it’s natural. And it’s got that kind of look and touch to it.”
- A distinctive architectural feature includes exposed industrial elements throughout the building. “You’ll notice when you get into the building that it’s going to have a quasi-industrial look to it,” King explained.
The building’s design prioritizes collaboration and communication between departments that are currently separated. A central stairway connecting the second through fourth floors creates an open atmosphere that encourages employee interaction.
“Currently, our marketing department is isolated, our operations people are isolated, our engineering people don’t communicate with our service people – that will all come together with the new facility,” King said.
The facility includes numerous community-focused amenities, including a 300-person conference center and cafeteria. “There are a few other amenities to the facility that the community will be able to utilize,” King said. “All of the facilities are built for the District to utilize should we have a hurricane and we need to take care of our people or bring assistance in from the outside.”
The building incorporates cutting-edge energy efficiency systems, utilizing combined heat and power technology that allows for independent operation from the power grid. Additionally, according to company officials, the facility is built to Class A specifications.
- About 60,000 square feet is designated as tenant space, with defense contractors showing interest in leasing. “It has the convenience of being close to the East Gate getting into Eglin, and the airport’s right here,” King noted, pointing from the 4th floor window. “This is the only Class A office space around.”
The construction project has provided significant economic benefits to the area. Over 100 workers are on site daily, with several local contractors involved in the project. “A lot of the materials that we’ve acquired are somewhat local,” King said. “Subcontractors that are coming in here are staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, buying groceries, and gas for their vehicles.”
The facility will serve as the central hub for Okaloosa Gas’s operations across its 2,400-square-mile service territory, which spans from Escambia to Bay County. The company’s workforce has doubled in the past 24 years, making this expansion essential for continued growth.
The new headquarters includes additional amenities like a fitness room with showers, training facilities, and a welding shop. “We can kind of self-sustain ourselves,” King said during a tour of the facility. The building also features extensive natural lighting, with windows designed for both aesthetics and security. Some windows are double or triple-laminated for sound attenuation and meet the highest missile-rating standards for storm protection.
- Community response to the construction has been positive. “People who drive by and see the construction are excited about the new facility coming into Valparaiso,” King said. “The community is welcoming.”
Move-in is expected to begin in October or November, with departments being phased in as furniture installation is completed. While the board hasn’t made a final decision regarding the existing facilities, there has been outside interest in acquiring the properties.
The project represents a significant milestone for a company that has served the area for over 70 years.
“If you go back and look at the past leadership,” King reflected, “they decided that Okaloosa Gas needed a new building and they built this building that we are sitting in today. It was a major project improvement then, and 40 years later, here we are doing the same thing again.”
