A new era for Sentry Insurance’s headquarters

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

June 8, 2026

STEVENS POINT – Sentry Insurance is undertaking the first full-scale renovation of its Stevens Point headquarters since the iconic campus opened in 1977.

According to Sentry spokesperson John Gardner, the 40-month project is intended to modernize the workplace while reinforcing Sentry’s long-term commitment to employees, innovation and Central Wisconsin.

Gardner said the renovation at the 1.5 million-square-foot campus at 1800 North Point Dr. will update approximately 800,000 square feet of office space through a complete overhaul of both the building’s interior and exterior.

Sentry CEO and Chairman Pete McPartland said the project marks the most significant transformation in the headquarters’ nearly 50-year history.

“This building is almost 50 years old,” he said. “When it opened, it was the seventh wonder of the world in the sense that there was no office in the Midwest like it. People came from several states around by bus just to see this building.”

At its opening, McPartland said the headquarters was considered groundbreaking in both scale and philosophy.

He said the campus capitalized on the beauty of Central Wisconsin and was designed to maximize natural light, emphasize employee well-being and encourage collaboration decades before many corporate campuses did.

McPartland said flexible workspaces, meeting areas, landscaped grounds, walking paths and employee amenities such as cafes and fitness facilities helped to establish the headquarters as a “showstopper” in the region.

He said the latest renovation builds on that original vision while adapting the headquarters for the future.

“We’ve never done a renovation like this,” he said. “This represents a complete renovation of both the interior and exterior, and it will be very dramatic… [It will] almost seem like a new building.”

McPartland said the redesigned campus will feature a transformed exterior that softens the building’s original brutalist architecture with cleaner lines, expanded windows and significantly more natural light.

Inside, he said, employees will have access to modernized workspaces, updated collaboration rooms equipped with advanced technology, redesigned community gathering areas and expanded amenities.

“One of the things associates will absolutely love is the standards we set for our buildings,” he said. “Our goal is to create the best working environment people can possibly experience in an office environment.”

McPartland said the redesign is focused heavily on creativity and collaboration.

“[It] reengineers the concept of how people collaborate in a corporate environment,” he said. “Our company is entirely dependent on creative collaboration and imagination of the people who work here, and this will bring out the best in them.”

Gardner said the renovation also reflects broader strategic goals as workplaces continue to evolve.

“This renovation is about investing in our future and the community we’re a part of,” he said. “We’re creating a modern and state-of-the-art building, reimagined to bring people together, support evolving business needs and embrace new ways of working.”

Gardner said the project is intended to create a workplace that remains competitive for decades to come while helping to attract and retain employees in Stevens Point.

“From a strategic standpoint, we’re investing in our future by embracing new ways of working while ensuring the workplace remains a source of pride, connection and shared purpose well into the future,” he said.

Gardner said the project includes upgraded HVAC systems, energy-efficient windows and lighting, sustainability-focused construction practices and responsible recycling of materials removed during demolition.

Many updates, he said, are necessary because portions of the original building systems are nearing the end of their lifecycle.

“From a life expectancy standpoint, this project gives us the ability to change products that are nearing end of their life to set this building up for future operational success,” he said.

Despite widespread shifts toward remote work since 2020, Gardner said Sentry’s space needs have changed minimally because many employees continue working on-site several days each week under the company’s hybrid work model.

“Sentry values in-office collaboration for building relationships and fostering teamwork,” he said. “Our current hybrid model has helped continue the spirit of collaboration in an in-person setting while leveraging how employees work in today’s environment.”

Phased approach

To accommodate construction, Gardner said employees are being relocated in phases to other Sentry office buildings in Stevens Point.

During transitions, he said some employees will work remotely for approximately four to six weeks while temporary office space is prepared.

Afterward, Gardner said employees will follow an alternating A/B schedule, spending one hybrid week in the office followed by one fully remote week.

Employees, he said, played a key role in shaping the redesign through focus groups and collaboration with the internal project team and design partners.

“A collaborative approach was taken in partnership with our design partner and internal project team, including employee focus groups related to a wide range of home office functions,” he said.

Gardner said Kahler Slater was selected as the project architect and Gilbane Building Company as the general contractor.

Glenn Roby, chief executive officer at Kahler Slater, said the project reflects Sentry’s culture and long-standing investment in both employees and the broader community.

“It shows the commitment Sentry has made to their associates and supporting the work they do and realizing the mission,” he said. “And it goes beyond this campus; the entire community will feel the impacts of the commitment made here.”

Alicia Dupies, vice president and business leader for Gilbane Building Company-Wisconsin, said one of the project’s defining features is its balance.

“One of the most exciting things Sentry associates will enjoy is that [the project is] blending the old with the new,” she said. “[It’s] keeping [the] rich tradition and history all Sentry associates have come to know, and when they move back and work in this environment, it will be circa 2026, 2027 and beyond.”

Dupies said the renovation will also generate substantial economic activity across the region.

“At the peak of construction, Gilbane will have up to 300 craftsmen and craftswomen working on this significant investment for the new Sentry headquarters,” she said.

McPartland said the broader economic and community impact extends well beyond the construction phase.

“This is a major economic undertaking and will benefit businesses and the overall economy tremendously,” he said. “It’s great we’re continuing a long-term commitment to the area.”

McPartland said the company sees the headquarters as part of a larger campus experience designed to help attract and retain workers in Stevens Point.

“It will make sure people want to remain in Stevens Point, working in an environment unmatched anywhere else…, and equally importantly, attract people who want to come to Stevens Point and work in this fantastic environment,” he said. “Beyond this building, we have two restaurants, a golf course, pickleball courts, tennis courts, our own hotel, you name it. It’s part of an overall creation of a campus environment that no insurance company in the country has.”

Gardner said Sentry employs more than 6,000 people nationwide, including roughly 3,000 in Stevens Point and about 1,600 at the headquarters campus itself.

He said company leaders hope the completed project will position Sentry for another 50 years of growth while reinforcing its connection to the Stevens Point community.

“We’re proud members of the Stevens Point community,” he said. “This renovation reflects that commitment.”