With an increasingly mobile workforce and an ever greater need for technology investments, companies and entrepreneurs continue to seek out new designs for their offices.
Among designers and the OEMs, different schools of thought continue to play out on the topic, including embracing open layouts, closed offices or a blend of the two.
To that end, Grand Rapids-based office furniture distributor Custer Inc. has found success with its WorkLab “coworking” division that combines diverse environments with a flexible business model.
In response to continued demand, the company is currently expanding the three-year-old WorkLab space located in the 99 Monroe Ave. NW office building in downtown Grand Rapids. The project will grow by nearly 1,900 square feet, or about 20 percent.
“There’s less risk up front and not the need for a complete buildout,” President Todd Custer said of the attributes that continue to draw small businesses, startup companies and mobile workers to the spaces. “A lot more people are starting to understand that, and you don’t have to meet at coffee shops or in basements. It’s getting more of those startups around each other, sharing ideas, collaborating. There’s a certain buzz that happens when you work in it and you start to become addicted to it.”
Coworking in general has experienced rapid growth throughout the United States in recent years.