USBI's Newsroom

USBI Brings Its Style to County
102,000-square foot facility in Largo Offers Unique Furniture, Designs
June 24-30, 1999, Prince George's Post
by Richie Crider

When U.S. Business Interiors moved its office furniture business from Phoenix, Arizona, to Prince George’s County, it also brought an innovative showcase-style, office design that is turning heads.

The 102,000-square feet facility, at 8800 Lottsford Rd. in Largo, offers unique design features in both furniture and architectural design with mostly modular furniture and an interior steel pillar shaped like a tree.

In addition all of the offices, including the office of company President Bernard J. Crocker, have an open door policy – literally.

"I don’t want my executives hiding behind doors. I want them involved with the people and to be a part of the whole process," Crocker said. "We are going to be out there with them and be part of the whole process, and we cannot do that sitting behind a door."

As for the walls surrounding other offices, they are mostly partitions, called Tilda walls, where each partition can be easily slid to accommodate any additional employees.

"What these partition walls do is act more like a sponge than a brick," Crocker said.

In order to optimize privacy, in this community style office setting, USBI uses a sound masking system which creates the slight background sound of rain falling on the roof.

"It suppresses the sound so even with all the openness there is a great deal of privacy," Crocker said.

Design manager, Liz Baturka who has been with USBI for three years, believes that this new floor design allows her department to be more team-oriented.

"The open space promotes collaboration and team work," Baturka said. "We now know constantly what’s going on in the departments."

The community-style office setting is designed to compliment the growing technology based working environment.

Each desk, including the modular desks, has data connections for laptop computers and electrical outlets which allow employees to work anywhere in the building.

The entire structure is designed to double as a Corporate Resource Center and a showroom for perspective customers looking to repeat some or all of these ideas in their company.

"The creative design of most of the furniture is designed so that mobility is maximized ….," Crocker said. "Anyone who has a need for office furniture or systems, we have a product to support them."

The county honored the company as its Small Business of the Year in 1997 and USBI’s commitment to customer satisfaction has propelled it to become the second largest office furniture suppliers in its territory.

"We want to make sure we get the job done right," Crocker said. "We are number two office supplier in the territory and we got there on service."

USBI is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and was founded in 1990 as a two-person furniture dealer.

USBI has since grown into a $70 million a year business with 240 employees and now provides sales, consulting, repair and space design and planning.

This location employs 105 people and provides office furniture, file storage and consultation to an impressive list of area businesses, including NASA, First National Bank and a variety of hospitals and government agencies.

USBI will also be introducing its new modular flooring and ceiling, which is currently on display in a conference room, as part of its full build out option for clients planned for next year.

"You can bring this product with you, and if you do not use 100 percent, you can use a good part of it," Crocker said. "This will allow us to run all the data connections and power outlets under the floor."

<previous article   top   next article>

Services  .  Products  .  Corporate Profile  .  Knowledge Resources  .  Facilities
Careers  .  Contact USBI  .  SHOP Online  .  Home