Flexible Furniture Revives Office

An office redesign at Victory Renewables, LLC in Southlake, TX has improved employee comfort and collaboration.

office redesign

This company was outgrowing its existing office space, and were looking to move. Before that could happen, however, a new office furniture strategy has been implemented —and now, the company is in no rush to change its location.

Allie Payne, project manager for Victory Renewables, talks about the decision-making process.

By Facility Executive Staff
From the April 2019 Issue

Please describe your company, and your role at Victory Renewables.

Victory Renewables is focused on commodity merchandising, distribution, and terminal operations. A part of Liberal, KS-based Conestoga Company, Victory’s experience with intermodal logistics, dynamic supply chain modeling, and risk management are core competencies foundational providing solutions for our customers.

office redesign
A furniture refresh at the Victory Renewables office in Southlake, TX transformed the 5,000 square foot space from a cube office layout to an open concept environment. (Photo: James Bowers/VARIDESK)

As project manager for Victory, I handle many different projects including office moves, construction build-outs and remodels, event planning, and office/executive management.

Please describe the facility involved in this project.

This project involved the Victory corporate office located in Southlake, TX. The company occupies 5,000 square feet of light industrial space. We have approximately 15 employees here, including three executives, and we operate back office functions such as accounting and finance, as well as part of our commercial trading team here.

What is the scope of the project, in terms of what aspects of the facility have been impacted?

We changed out our entire office concept from a traditional multi-height cube layout to the VARIDESK furniture solution. We wanted a more open and collaborative environment for our employees to thrive and something that gives us the flexibility to change as our company and employee size continues to grow. VARIDESK is a maker of sit-stand desks and active office products.

After making our decision to go with VARIDESK, we had a newly designed space within six weeks. It was amazing how seamlessly the different VARIDESK teams worked together to provide quick results and push the project forward from beginning to end.

What were the motivating factors to pursue this project?

We did not really know we were looking for a new furniture solution when we decided to undertake this project. It was a confluence of events that culminated in a Victory/VARIDESK solution. Due to the continued growth of the business, Victory was looking for a larger office space. In one of the prospective buildings we visited, VARIDESK had just built out an entire office with a turnkey solution. We fell in love with the look, feel, and concept and knew that is what we wanted for Victory’s new office. We had not known that the company did anything more than the standing desks.

office redesignWe reached out to Matt Little, a business development manager over at VARIDESK, and he invited us to their corporate headquarters in Coppell that was just down the road from our current office to see what was possible.

Despite deciding to stay in our current space longer than we expected, once the entire team visited the VARIDESK headquarters, we decided to go ahead with the redesign on a smaller scale in the current space rather than wait until we moved into a new space. We were blown away by not only the looks of the VARIDESK office but also how well it all worked together. Another key factor in moving forward was the fact that, given the flexibility of the products, all of the items will be transferable and reusable to our eventual new office.

I was the point of contact for the VARIDESK teams and ensured that everyone on our team was informed of the options and knew what to expect with the changes.

How did you research the options available in the market? And, how did you arrive at the final decision?

Our executive team has decades of experience, having seen a wide range of office configurations. In addition to that experience, we retained the services of the original firm that help build out the original office space that we occupy. We researched and visited many alternatives, but continued to come back to VARIDESK. We chose VARIDESK because of their ability to assist us with all aspects of the process (from the space plan to complete installation), and the quality of their products seemed to be better than others.

office redesign
Reconfiguring the facility included moveable walls, tables and desks of varying heights, and other furnishings that encourage flexibility for employees. (Photo: James Bowers/VARIDESK)

The installation included the following VARIDESK products—ProDesk 60 Electric (electric standing desks); QuickPro Desk (side tables); QuickPro Round Tops (round tables); conference chairs; standing mats; PowerHub (power strip/set of outlets that attach to desks); Dual-Monitor Arms; and QuickFlex Walls (flexible walls/partitions).

How has the new installation impacted your workplace?

The new set up has positively impacted how the team works. For example, we have several new hires since the remodel and their ability to learn and train in an open concept rather than a closed off environment has enabled them to not only come up to speed more quickly, but to also feel more included with the other parts of the business.

And what was once a dim, isolated space has been transformed into a vibrant, creative space. Our employees are more collaborative, more engaged, and all around happier. Even some of the employees who were hesitant to transition from their traditional, private cube to the open concept have embraced and appreciate the new look and feel.

To find out more about VARIDESK, visit www.varidesk.com. To learn more about Victory Renewables, LLC, visit www.conestogaenergy.com/victory-renewables/.

Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below or send an e-mail to the Editor at acosgrove@groupc.com.