BLOOMINGTON, Minnesota—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) held a dedication ceremony for CBP’s latest combined facility located in the Norman Pointe II Building in Bloomington, MN., Thursday, April 9.
Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, CBP, alongside local, state and federal officials and invited guests were on hand for the official ceremony dedicating this combined facility.
This most recent project highlights CBP’s latest efforts to integrate resources, streamline infrastructure and increase collaboration amongst the various components in Minnesota.
Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, CBP, alongside local, state and federal officials and invited guests were on hand for the official ceremony dedicating this combined facility.
“This regional initiative represents a high level of collaboration and effort by numerous partners of CBP, and for that, I am grateful to each and every component who will have a stake in its success,” Commissioner Kerlikowske said.
The infrastructure project integrated multiple CBP offices and consolidated three facilities into one location—reducing the overall leased space footprint of CBP in that area by approximately 50 percent. Norman Pointe II is also a “Core and Shell” LEED® certified building and is 10 stories and 322,000 square feet with an enclosed five-story landscaped courtyard.
The following CBP facilities were involved in the transition:
- Minneapolis Hiring Center (MHC)
- The Office of International Trade/Regulatory Audit
- Office of Field Operations Area Port of Minneapolis
The Minneapolis Hiring Center hires all frontline positions for CBP and provides a full range of staffing services for all positions within the Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Office of Air and Marine.
The Office of International Trade/Regulatory Audit conducts post-entry audits of importers and other parties involved in the process of importing goods and provides special technical audit assistance in CBP priority trade and security areas.
The Office of Field Operations provides centralized management oversight and operational assistance to ports of entry and preclearance offices throughout the U.S.
The Office of Field Operations in Chicago oversees CBP operations for 12 states in the Midwestern U.S. It also provides operational guidance and ensures the dissemination and implementation of core CBP guidelines to the Area Port of Minneapolis, which oversees daily port-specific operations throughout multiple states, including Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
This integration will have a positive impact on CBP operations in the area by providing streamlined operations and collaboration with multiple CBP and Department of Homeland Security offices on site.