When my partners and I started Creative Business Interiors some 22 years ago, we put a lot of thought into our vision for the company. We developed an extensive business plan detailing what we wanted to achieve, and how we planned to get there. And, we spent a great deal of time considering who we wanted to be as a company – how we wanted our employees to feel about working here, and how we wanted the community to perceive us.
We decided then that our goal was to make Creative a place where our employees enjoy working, where they wake up and think “as long as I have to work, I’m glad I’m working at Creative.” If we could achieve that, we knew clients would benefit too – employees who enjoy their job can translate that into better outcomes for their clients.
We have stayed true to our vision during the last two decades, and as a result the company has continued to thrive and grow. During that time, we’ve expanded, moved, added services, moved again, and had a ton of fun along the way. We’ve been flexible and adapted our business model to stay current with design trends and changes in how each generation works. For instance, to meet changing needs during the recent economic downturn, we added pre-owned furniture to our product line and an asset and inventory management department to help clients house and manage furniture and equipment.
About five years ago, we went through the process of re-branding. This was an important milestone for the company. The extensive process of introspection and client input helped us build upon our original vision. As a result, we added the tagline “Experts at Work” which concisely represents who we are in today’s marketplace. To us, work is an art form with flows, colors and efficiencies and we have become experts at translating that into highly livable, healthy and efficient work environments that achieve our client’s goals.
Now, the opening of our new headquarters in West Allis marks another important milestone. The process put us in the client’s seat and was a great reminder of the value we offer – by managing the immense number of project details from design through completion, we allow our clients to stay focused on their day-to-day operations.
Our new site keeps us centrally-located in the metro-Milwaukee area for the convenience of clients and staff, and gives us enough space to accommodate our current size and room to grow in the next generation. Through a collaborative design process, we’ve created a space that will inspire our clients while meeting our functional needs. We’ve used the space to showcase trends in technology, space planning, furniture and green materials. And, we’ve included lots of space for client entertainment and company celebrations, along with other amenities like our wellness room that reinforce what’s truly important to us as a company.
Ultimately, we’ve created a space that we feel will show off our talents and showcase our products. It’s a space that’s fun to work in and truly says we are “Experts at Work.”
Gary A. Zimmerman, Jr., President
