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Office design firm on a mission
USBI showcases ways to make offices feel better
May 20, 1999, Gazette Business News
by Shaun Lockhart

For Bernie Crocker, setting up office furniture involves more than making an office look good and functional.

"How an office is configured can be a tremendous moral issue and communication issue," Crocker said.

So when Crocker, the president of U.S. Business Interiors for the past two years, set up his own office in the firm’s new Largo headquarters in January, he took the opportunity to make a philosophical statement as well as a design statement.

Crocker’s office sports a Show Davis American Elect Tempral desk, which has hidden shelves, Velcro on its paneling for easy access and a built-in coat rack. What Crocker’s office doesn’t have is a door.

In the company’s old Lanham office, Crocker said he often felt detached from his employees, something that has changed now that he does not have a door on his new office.

"I want to be more in touch with the people and be able to communicate," said Crocker.

The new 22,000-square foot facility on Lottsford Road serves as a showcase for the unusual and artistic designs that the company’s office designers offer its 600-plus clients.

USBI’s own office has several rooms called enclaves, which act as meeting rooms and workspaces for employees. Crocker said the informal and casual nature of the enclaves helps to create better, less formal dialogues with employees and clients.

"It’s a much more hospitable atmosphere," said Crocker.

The employees at USBI agree that the new office has improved communication. An in-house survey of the 105 employees in the Largo office showed that their perception of the accessibility to management improved 28 percent since moving to the Largo office.

Sheila Leyh, a quality assurance manager, he been with USBI since the beginning and said the new office, with all its innovations, is not only comfortable but also functional for employees.

"I think it’s uplifting to be here," said Leyh.

Brian Robbin, director of finance for Broad-Point Communications, a new media company in Lanham, said the office USBI designed for them a year and a half ago has gotten rave reviews from both clients and employees.

"When people come into the office they can’t believe the set-up we have for the amount of money that we paid," he said.

According to Robbin, USBI has been highly professional and gone beyond the call of duty in serving their needs, even going as far as buffing out scratches and marks in furniture that had already been delivered.

"Most companies would probably sat that would cost you an extra $1,000. They just came over and took care of it, no questions asked," said Robbin.

USBI provides ongoing support to clients, such as storing furniture, cleaning furniture, and making on-site ergonomic adjustments if necessary.

"The ultimate goal is to have everybody comfortable all the time," Joan Gigliotti, USBI’s ergonomics specialist said.

Since it was founded in 1990, USBI has grown an average of 15 percent per year and expanded from a two-person furniture dealer to a 200-person operation with satellite offices in Baltimore and a new facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Crocker said USBI plans to put an office in Virginia by early 2000.

Crocker said in the future, USBI in conjunction with its supplier, Steelcase – one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of office equipment – will expand into new ceiling, wall and floor products that will be marketed along with their office products.

"In the next few years we will not only be able to supply the furniture, but everything around it," Crocker said.

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