Agent X says its new collaborative workspace at 38 Commerce is "a lot more fun"

Coming to work and plugging into a different workspace everyday has become the norm for employees at Agent X, a Grand Rapids branding and visual experience firm. The company relocated its 10 employees to 1,700 square feet in "38," a contemporary building at 38 Commerce Ave. SW in Heartside.

"You can have a lot more fun when people can work in open environments," says owner Brian Steketee, adding that even he doesn't have a permanent office. "Our team loves it. We have some quiet areas where we can go and focus, but a lot of our work is collaborative and involves a lot of different people. The new setup helps the project flow."

Steketee says the new space is set up with "hotel" workspaces, where a project manager and the rest of the team can plug laptops and phones into technology-laden desks that can accommodate two to five people -- each station has monitors and keyboards at the ready.

The office is on the main level, with storefront windows that stretch along Commerce Avenue. Besides the open workspaces and TV monitors throughout, there is a kitchen area, a conference room, and two small meeting rooms with white boards where technologists and user experience specialists can connect with clients remotely or with the company's satellite office in St. Louis, MO.

"I love the fact that we're headquartered in Grand Rapids," Steketee says. "I think the cost of living in Grand Rapids and access is great. We can still provide groundbreaking solutions to our clients and we can do it at a competitive rate. And there's more and more great talent making its way here."

Source: Brian Steketee, Agent X
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor