Swedish tech-company Configura announces plans to expand its Grand Rapids presence by moving this summer to the top two floors of the Blue35 building on Oakes Street in downtown Grand Rapids.
“To say we’re thrilled to be investing in Grand Rapids and our team for a strong future ahead is an understatement,” Configura CEO Johan Lyreborn said. “Grand Rapids is our second home – we love being here.”
In July 2017, Configura will move to the eight-story Blue35 building at 35 Oakes St. SW in downtown Grand Rapids.
The 12,000 square-foot-space that Configura will occupy in the 103-year-old structure – which at one time had been a hotel – builds on a high-tech foundation created by Rockford Construction. The Blue35 building offers entrepreneurs and businesses of various sizes a variety of flexible workspaces outfitted with the latest technology.
“Blue35 was created as an innovative environment to meet the ever-changing needs of businesses, right in the heart of our city. Welcoming Configura to the building speaks to the flexibility the space offers, and the continued desire for companies to be located in downtown Grand Rapids. This is a perfect addition to Blue35, and a great fit for Configura,” said Mike Mraz, the managing partner of Real Estate Development at Rockford Construction.
Configura will enhance its two-story space with furnishings and the latest technology made by its customers – with, of course, a nod to its Swedish roots and design aesthetic.
Configura Interior Designer Kendra Steinhaus is using the company’s CET Designer software to design and specify the interior spaces as well as an outdoor, rooftop terrace area.
Used by thousands of people globally, CET Designer helps manufacturers and their dealers by providing a single software solution for space planning and product ordering. The solution is used in a number of industries that manufacture and market configurable products; industries include contract furniture, material handling, kitchen and bath, industrial machinery and laboratory/healthcare. In addition to automatically generating bills of materials and installation documents, the software yields photorealistic renderings, fly-thru videos and virtual-reality experiences of a designed space.
Steinhaus has been holding “design charrettes” with Configura employees to create an environment that appeals to the multiple cultures and generations of people who work in the company’s Grand Rapids office. The space is also being designed to accommodate large groups of visitors from Configura’s Sweden headquarters and its Malaysia office as well as CET Designer users in town for software training sessions. In addition to workspaces, there will be a large open-kitchen area, places for dining and for play, and plenty of soft seating. The rooftop will be available for entertaining and as a place for employees to relax outside.
“It’s about creating spaces that attract and retain the best of the best,” Steinhaus said. “Working in Grand Rapids is just as cool as working in Silicon Valley or anywhere in the world.”
Steinhaus, who grew up in West Michigan and studied interior design at Michigan State University, also oversaw the design of Configura’s brand-new corporate headquarters in Linköping.
Real estate agent Jeff Karger, who helped Configura when it first came to town in 2006, was instrumental in Configura’s latest move in Grand Rapids.
“Our goal was to seek the ideal space to meet Configura’s goals and needs. With a solid understanding of the downtown Grand Rapids market, we helped lead Configura to Blue35, which met all of their goals,” said Karger, senior vice president in the Grand Rapids office of commercial real estate services firm JLL. “JLL is thrilled to have partnered with Configura and Rockford to make this move happen.”