by Deborah Johnson Wood
On February 20, Regus Group closed deals to bring two Fortune 500 companies to downtown Grand Rapids. Those companies will join others who are already doing business from turnkey office spaces on the fourth floor of the Calder Plaza Building at 250 Monroe NW.
With 950 locations in 80 countries, Regus Group is the world’s largest provider of furnished and equipped offices. Anywhere in the world, clients can use the offices, meeting rooms, and other services Regus offers. That flexibility, coupled with the recognition that Grand Rapids’ economy is growing, spurred demand for an office center here. The Downtown Grand Rapids Center opened in December.
“The growth around Grand Rapids is clear,” said Regus Group’s Regional Vice President Jennifer Gilbert. “Our corporate accounts said, ‘If you have a center in Grand Rapids we would be able to expand there.’”
Renovation of the nearly 13,000-square-foot space includes 110 furnished workstations divided between 55 office suites. The suites have from one to four workstations each.
The center is equipped to accommodate nearly any size business on a permanent or as-needed basis. In addition to Herman Miller desks and Aeron chairs, each workstation has lateral files, a guest chair, a wastebasket and a desk mat. Fax and copy machines, phone lines with voicemail, wireless technology, video conferencing equipment, and even coffee, are available.
There is also a “virtual office” option.
“Businesspersons may be operating out of their homes and want the downtown address,” Gilbert said. “They want a professional receptionist answering their phones and receiving their mail. They can call in, say that they have a customer coming in, and reserve a conference room. It lends small companies much more validity without having the overhead.”
Due to confidentiality considerations, Gilbert did not disclose the names of the Fortune 500 companies that are coming to town. However, she confirmed that Grand Rapids is a new market for each of them.
Source: Jennifer Gilbert and Sandra Hall Tiffany, Regus Group
www.regus.com
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.