STAPLES PROFESSIONAL HELPED TRANSFORM AN EMPTY WAREHOUSE INTO A MODERN, OPEN AND AESTHETICALLY-PLEASING WORKSPACE FOR WILLIAM F. WHITE’S NEW CAMERA DEPARTMENT.
When you’re in the film production industry, looking fresh and innovative is essential. So when William F. White International Inc. (Whites), Canada’s oldest and largest provider of film equipment, was looking to build their new camera department, they turned to Staples Professional. They were given the task of transforming Whites’ empty warehouse into a modern, open, sleek, functional and completely usable rental space for their employees, as well as clients.
According to Tricia Martin, National Purchasing Manager for Whites, the new build presented a welcome opportunity to work with Staples Professional once again. “Staples Professional has always provided us with our office supplies and products,” she said. “When we found out that they also provide the service of furniture installation and design, we jumped on it - best decision we ever made.”
To create a dynamic, open and collaborative environment, Staples Professional was tasked with designing and outfitting every area in the new camera department, including the Customer Sales Representative’s (CSR’s) war room, employee offices, client lounge and kitchen area.
The catch: Whites wasn’t sure how to bring their vision to life - they didn’t quite know what they wanted or needed. “We knew we wanted to incorporate the colour orange into the furniture,” said Martin. “We knew we wanted grey, but we didn’t know textures or anything like that.” The furniture also had to be more than just aesthetically pleasing; each piece, and even the placement of each piece, had to fit seamlessly with Whites’ branding.
Now when high-profile clients come into the new camera department they can easily see where they need to be. “It’s an open concept,” she said. “Very sleek and streamlined – our clients know where their CSRs and technicians are, they can see them – it all flows beautifully from the moment they walk through the door.”
The benefits of this open concept design can be seen in the CSR’s operations war room. A constant hub of activity, this room was designed to encourage more creativity and communication between the CSRs and their clients.
The new lounge and bench seating is a perfect example of how furniture can work well together. “It allows the customers to talk to the CSRs at an eye level,” said Martin. “They can sit, go over their paperwork, their projects and discuss things eye to eye.” She also states that due to the open layout and general comfort, other employees in the area have also been utilizing the piece for weekly and morning meetings. “It’s just a great feature for the space.”
The seating, which also features pops of orange, has a personalized touch as it’s laid out in the shape of a W, which is replicating the W in their logo. Martin added that this feature was important to them as the architects responsible for the initial renderings designed it that way and Staples Professional brought it to life. “We get a lot of compliments on it,” she said.
Other impactful elements were added, including the 3-system panel style workstations that provide ample space for everyday tasks, bench-style integrated seating for quick one-on-one meetings and bar-height chairs and table (a personal favourite of Martin’s). “They are well designed, extremely comfortable and eye-catching,” she said.
CHALLENGE |
A new division being built from the ground up all starts with a vision. While Whites knew they wanted something modern and sleek, they were not exactly sure what they were looking for. According to Martin, it was Whites previous working relationship with Staples Professional that enabled them to trust they would provide Whites with a direction. “The representatives of Staples Professional are the best I deal with,” she said. “No issues with any of their services, from design, all the way through to installation.” Finding the right mix of furniture is essential to pulling a sleek, cohesive look together, however, the task is made a little more complicated if you don’t know quite what you’re looking for. Luckily, Staples came in with the solutions, which included a trip to the showroom of one of their furniture vendors, Global TM. “The set up was wonderful,” exclaimed Martin. “To see cubicles set up, so you could get a hands-on feel… you could see, you could feel how the chairs felt… just so many varieties.” Martin also stated that she was shown ideas that she had never contemplated and didn’t even know existed. “The tour really helped us to see how much further we can take our office equipment.”
Now when high-profile clients come into the new camera department they can easily see where they need to be. “It’s an open concept,” she said. “Very sleek and streamlined – our clients know where their CSRs and technicians are, they can see them – it all flows beautifully from the moment they walk through the door.”
An example of taking the furniture further can be seen in the various employee offices. These new, well-designed spaces feature workstations with bridges for ample workspace and a credenza for extra storage. “The efficiency and streamlined look is amazing,” said Martin. “The employees love it.”
Another example of an area brought to life after a visit from the Global TM showroom is the client lounge. A versatile space that required both form and function. The soft seating and the credenza all work together to make it a relaxing space for meetings, as well as a place for clients to go over their notes, make phone calls, etc. “The furniture was installed with the purpose of having something that is durable, sleek, easy to maintain and comfortable,” said Martin. “And Staples Professional came through.”
The seating, which also features pops of orange, has a personalized touch as it’s laid out in the shape of a W, which is replicating the W in their logo. Martin added that this feature was important to them as the architects responsible for the initial renderings designed it that way and Staples Professional brought it to life. “We get a lot of compliments on it,” she said.
Other impactful elements were added, including the 3-system panel style workstations that provide ample space for everyday tasks, bench-style integrated seating for quick one-on-one meetings and bar-height chairs and table (a personal favourite of Martin’s). “They are well designed, extremely comfortable and eye-catching,” she said.
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A leading hospital in Southern Ontario was in the process of opening a new patient care wing. At more than 240,000 square feet, the wing was designed to house an emergency department, intensive care, a birthing unit, and mental health programs. The project involved highly visible public spaces and represented a new image for the hospital.
SOLUTION |
A well-established working relationship was just one of the reasons Whites wanted to partner with Staples Professional on this project. Another major benefit was the fact that Staples Professional has national coverage and can service clients from coast to coast. According to Martin, she knew that Whites would also be updating their Vancouver and Winnipeg locations and consistency of their brand was key. “The goal for Whites is when a client comes in – what they experience in Toronto, we want them to experience in Vancouver, in Calgary, in Winnipeg,” she said. “The only way to do that is to keep consistency with the furniture, the design… and Staples Professional was able to deliver that.”
Martin also shared that she was confident the associates at Staples Professional really understood Whites’ branding, which ultimately came through in the design and choices of furniture. “They visited our office several times while we were working and got a feel for our industry, for our company, and knew where we were heading.” She went on to profess that from the beginning of the project to the end, there were almost no changes to the original design drawings. “They nailed it,” she said. “Right at the beginning, they knew what we wanted.”An example of capturing the right look and feel can be clearly seen in the kitchen area. “We had no idea what we wanted in that space,” said Martin. “The reps at Staples Professional had the ability to run with the look of the area and let us know what they felt would look nice.” Since the kitchen is a place of gathering and conversation, the pieces placed there needed to be open and welcoming, which is why they chose the banquettes with high backs and bar-height tables and chairs.
RESULT |
Staples Professional provided a complete package of services to William F. White, from design and furniture selection to installation, and ultimately the project was a big success. “When people walk into this space, it’s jaw-dropping because they’ve never seen anything like it,” she said. “The best design, the best laid out, the most functional, everybody loves it.”
The new build has also increased productivity and morale to the point where everyone else in the company would like to be revamped in the same way as the camera department. “It’s revitalized our staff,” said Martin.As for expectations – Staples Professional exceeded all of them. “They made it seamless and easy,” she said. “We are a very demanding industry with very short timelines and high expectations – they handled everything very professionally and with a smile.”
While Staples Professional is currently hard at work on a few new projects with Whites, Martin also stated enthusiastically that she wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Staples Professional to other companies. “In fact, I already have,” she said. “They are fantastic to work with – easy, great products, unbeatable.”
For more information, visit Staplesprofessional.ca/furniture
