DESIGN FUEL C R E AT I V E P E O P L E . S T R AT E G I C S PAC E S .
WHAT’S INSIDE P. 02 Project Profile: Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce P. 03 Welcome to the Team! Q&A with Tod Stevens P. 03 What Drives You? P. 04 Leading the Way for Manufacturing Clients
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PROGRESSIVE AE SUMMER NEWSLETTER
We’re Growing: A New Office in Holland, MI We’re excited to announce the opening of a new office in the lakeshore community of Holland. The office is an outcome of the firm’s continued growth and will be used to support our growing list of clients in Holland and throughout the lakeshore. “We’ve been actively working with lakeshore-based clients, particularly Holland, for many years,” said Brad Thomas, president and CEO. “An office in this region is a logical step as our business continues to grow along the lakeshore. We’re very excited to be a part of the Holland community and to support our clients with a more convenient office location.” Our new Michigan office is located at 3 West 8th Street in downtown Holland, and will be Progressive AE’s fourth location. Other offices include the firm’s headquarters in Grand Rapids and offices in Charlotte, North Carolina and Muskegon, Michigan. n
Progressive AE Named AIA Michigan Firm of the Year As a firm, our mission is to increase performance through design. When the function of our designs marries together with both beauty and budget — well, that’s good design! While our projects certainly speak for themselves, we were honored to have been named the 2018 Firm of the Year by American Institute of Architects’ Michigan chapter. The award celebrates a Michigan firm which has consistently produced distinguished architecture. Congratulations to our teams for their dedication and exceptional design over the years! n
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Project Profile Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce When you visit the Grand Rapids Chamber’s new office in the heart of downtown you feel an energy that’s palpable. With large windows, high ceilings, co-working space, full-service drink station and state-of-the-art event and conference spaces, the office feels more like a vibrant coffee shop than an office. The difference is a stark contrast from their old space of long, dark corridors, separated offices and limited gathering spaces. “The Chamber’s move to 250 Monroe has completely transformed the way we work as an organization,” said Rick Baker, president and CEO. “Our transition to a technologybased, open work environment has dramatically increased cross departmental collaboration, improved the productivity of the team members and overall work environment. Our members have embraced the new work café as well as the conference facilities which brings a new level of engagement and energy to the Chamber’s office. Progressive AE was an incredible partner throughout the entire project, bringing to life a vision to use the Chamber’s office to transform our impact and our brand.” The transformation reflects the chamber’s mission to support and champion the local business community. That’s why more than 85% of the space is dedicated to just that. From the co-working café to conference and small meeting areas, the office is a physical manifestation of their commitment to members. Members can drop-in to work or use the space as a central location for meetings or interviews. Conference rooms are reservable and have the flexibility to support everything from small meetings to large events. If you haven’t already, we recommend checking out the Chamber’s new office. You might just get a tour, a cup of coffee, and discover your new favorite place to work. n
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Welcome to the Team! Q&A with Tod Stevens Earlier this year, Progressive AE welcomed Tod Stevens, AIA, as a dedicated practice leader in the learning market. Tod’s expertise and leadership will advance the firm’s commitment to leadership for higher education clients. We sat down with Tod to talk about his experience and what he’s most looking forward to as the newest practice leader. Q: You joined Progressive AE in February. Where were you working before and what type of work were you doing? A: “Prior to joining Progressive AE’s team, I was a principal designer with Stantec Architects. My role centered on the issues around education architecture, primarily higher education, and bringing thought leadership and design skills to regional and national clients.” Q: As the learning practice leader for the firm, what are your priorities? A: “My goal is to grow Progressive AE as a design firm sought after on a national scale for its education architecture. To that end, I want to build on Progressive AE’s successes with past clients and evidence our brand promise of Performance Based Design. I am currently forecasting where higher education will be growing over the next 10 years and proactively positioning our team as thought leaders in that arena.” Q: You’ve been working with higher education clients for several years. What are some of the most recognizable or memorable projects you’ve worked on? A: “I’ve been fortunate in my career to work on some very complex projects. Regionally, these include Central Michigan University’s College of Education and Human Services building and a new $90 million biosciences building, Western Michigan University’s Sangren Hall, Wayne State University’s Welcome Center Complex and Medical Education Commons. Nationally, I’ve worked on Old Dominion University’s campus in Norfolk, Virginia, and a few projects for the University of
Texas Rio Grande Valley, as well as a new science building at the University of Texas Dallas. The most memorable project I must say was at Grand Valley State University where I led the design for the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons. The project involved rethinking what a library is for 21st century learning. Working closely with leadership at Grand Valley and Steelcase to conduct primary research and leverage the information we gathered to create a nationally ranked Landmark Library is something I am very proud of.” Q: What makes you excited to work at Progressive AE? A: “I am so excited to align our team’s strength in architecture and design and couple it with the thought leadership that I have witnessed from our practice. Education architecture is tremendously rewarding and to see us commit to learning and making environments that are inclusive and contribute to society is very meaningful to me.” Q: Outside of work, what do you do for fun? A: “I have two kids, one in college at Belmont University in Nashville, and another graduating from Cranbrook this spring and attending Adrian College in the fall. She plays hockey and lacrosse, so I spend a fair amount of time watching her! Lately, I am in the process of moving and renovating a 1940’s home in Grand Rapids, so that has been a “fun” experience giving new life to an old home. When I’m done, I hope to have more time to cook in the new kitchen and draw in the studio — two activities that I love that I am looking forward to in the new place!” n
What Drives You? No matter the industry type, geographic region or mission statement, every organization measures performance in some way — it’s how success or failure is determined. You have performance measures, right? Are they always top-of-mind? Do they drive your decisions each and every day? Because they do for us. Progressive AE lives by a fundamental philosophy that design drives performance. In fact, it’s our mission and we call it Performance Based Design. We don’t just design, create and build for fun (that’s just a bonus!); We ensure our work ties-back to your strategic vision and enables your success. This means we do a deep dive into your world to fully understand your performance drivers, establish tangible design measures with you, and then validate outcomes post-occupancy. The most universal performance drivers include people, processes, systems and finances — it can be one or two, or a blended mix of all four. We will work alongside you to unleash the potential of these drivers in your space. n
PROGRESSIVE AE SUMMER NEWSLETTER
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1811 4 Mile Road NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 Phone: 616.361.2664 Fax: 616.361.1493 progressiveae.com
Leading the Way for Manufacturing Clients In March we hosted our second PivotPoint event at the Downtown Market in Grand Rapids. Once again, we invited manufacturers to hear from experts and industry leaders around best practices. This year we were excited to welcome leaders from Kawasaki, DWH, Foremost Graphics, DISHER and BDO. New this year, mechanical engineer David Bell shared energy saving tips and tricks throughout the day. One highlight from this year’s event was a talk by Foremost Graphic Group’s President, Paul Kelly. Paul talked about the company’s journey to relocate an existing production line and the stark difference in the layout of the two facilities. Working with industrial Practice Leader David Shull, the team at Foremost improved the flow and visibility of the production line. The result has been an incredible increase in throughput and a new way of thinking about their future. Paul also discussed learnings and insights he gathered along the journey. Other topics at the event included workplace culture, navigating the new tax law, designing for performance and employee training. The event concluded with a group discussion. n Stay tuned for information regarding PivotPoint in 2019!
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PROGRESSIVE AE SUMMER NEWSLETTER