Click here for a brief interview with Steve Forbes, who shared some of his economic predictions at the 2014 CREW Network Convention. Interviews with featured speakers Katty Kay and Ken Rosen are also available on CREW Network's YouTube channel.
Who you missed: Valerie McMurray, Human Management Consultant and Board Certified Executive Coach with the NorthStar Consulting Group. Valerie has dual Masters of Science in Organization Develpment and Executive Coaching from McColl School of Business at Queens University. She is an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation and Board Certified Coach through the Center for Credentialing and Education. She has been trained/certified in a variety of assessment and leadership programs including Myers Briggs Type Instrument, FIRO-B, Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, WorkPlace Big Five Profile, MSCEIT, Gallup, DISC, CareerLeader, Servant Leadership, Staub Leadership, and Wilson Learning Systems.
What you missed: If you missed our last CREW luncheon, you missed an excellent presentation by Valerie McMurray entitled “Business Imperative for Future Organizational Success”.
McMurray explored statistics/findings regarding women in the workplace and their overall economic power. Studies have shown that companies with a higher percentage of women at the top benefit from the following results:
– Neutralization of the group think phenomenon
– Increase in new ideas
– More & better innovations
– Enhanced company reputation
– Well balanced approach to all aspects of the business
Studies have also revealed that women are the breadwinners in 40% of US homes, control 80% of consumer spending, and that achieving greater gender parity would increase the national GDP by 12% by 2030.
Why: McMurray concluded by sharing the following “Top 5 Women Executive Success Factors”:
– Lifelong Learning
– Self Awareness & Openness to Feedback
– Effective Communication Skills
– Being a Risk Taker
– Building Strong Relationships
Who you missed: Ben Rojahn with CBRE’s Data Center Solutions Group moderated a panel comprised of David Jones, Co-Founder and President & CEO of Peak 10; Todd Aaron, Co-Founder and Co-President of Sentinel Data Centers; and Martin Walsh, Vice President of National Mission Critical for Balfour Beatty.
What you missed: CREW Data Center Presentation: As electronic file storage has become critical to businesses of all types and sizes, the infrastructure needed to securely store data has become a niche industry and an area of significant growth. Businesses of varying sizes often look to offsite facilities for storing data, creating an industry focused on providing the structures needed, and therefore creating a demand for construction expertise in building the specialized facilities, as well as companies to manage them. Balfour Beatty’s Mission Critical division combines the company’s extensive construction experience with a specialized knowledge of the IT and security installations required to create a secure facility. Peak 10 works with smaller businesses or specific divisions of larger corporations that have decided to outsource their data storage. Sentinel Data Centers works with very large enterprises that may have the resources to invest in their own data storage facilities, but choose to have the flexibility to better react to changes in the market by allowing a third party to invest the capital needed to develop and manage the facilities.
Why: While those of us involved in commercial real estate may not think a great deal about data storage on a daily basis, we all rely on it in various ways. Financial institutions, health care systems and major retailers all store personal data about each of us that needs to be safe from cyber-crimes as well as natural disasters. As we rely more and more on the ability to have everything we need at our fingertips, stored in the “cloud,” data storage facilities will continue to be a growth sector. The construction of these facilities requires traditional real estate development activities such as site selection, design and construction, including electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems, as well as specialized construction of security and IT infrastructure.
For Immediate Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (August 20, 2014) — After more than a decade on The Green, architectural and interiors firm ai Design Group has moved down the street to its new home on the top floor of 330. S. Tryon, often referred to as the Chamber Building. The 11-year-old company has also re-branded and promoted long-time employee Ryan Doherty to Associate Principal.
New Partner
Doherty, who joined the firm in 2003, specializes in automotive retail design and manages the firm’s extensive work for client, AAA. A registered architect and LEED-accredited professional, he holds a B.A. in Architecture Design from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Architecture from UNC Charlotte. Professional affiliations include the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), American Institute of Architects (AIA) and United States Green Building Council (USGBC).
“The office move was the perfect time to think about our next generation of leadership,” said Wes Jones, a founding principal of ai Design Group. “Ryan has been with us since the beginning so it’s been very rewarding to watch his talent develop and now welcome him as a partner in the firm.”
New Look
With new officescame the opportunity to update the brand so a new aiDG logo and website have been developed. The original logo of muted yellows and greys has been replaced with a more vibrant orange circle that communicates the firm’s energy, openness and collaborative spirit. The new website, launched this week, can be found at www.aidginc.com.
New Office
The new office also gave ai Design Group the opportunity to practice what they preach when it comes to workplace interiors. With a portfolio that includes recent headquarters designs for companies such as MetLife, AREVA and Sonic Automotive, they were well prepared.
“For the past 10 years, we’ve called 500 South College Street home, but we simply outgrew that space,” said Kim Marks, the principal who leads aiDG’s Interiors group. “The process of finding and designing our new office was a reminder of what clients experience and allowed us to incorporate the latest in technology, flexible work space and sustainability.”
The whole aiDG team got involved in the design for the new office, and sustainability was a big focus. “From designating recycling centers and replacing paper products with dishes in the breakroom to repurposing light fixtures and using reclaimed wood, the new space is very green,” added Marks.
Founded in 2003 with three principals and nine employees, ai Design Group has grown to nearly 40 employees and is steadily rising in the ranks of the Charlotte Business Journal’s Top 25 List of Architectural Firms. With community involvement at the core of its business model, the firm’s staff actively participates in The Charlotte Chamber, Rotary Club of Charlotte, Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) , USGBC, NAIOP and CoreNet Global, to name a few.
Charlotte, NC (August 13, 2014) – Office Environments, Inc. (OE), a Charlotte based commercial furniture dealer, today announced that they have expanded their organization with the acquisition of Modular Designs, a flooring provider also based in Charlotte.
“Both companies have experienced several years of growth and will benefit from the increased market share that will be achieved. The purchase of Modular Designs broadens the products and services we offer our clients and positions us for continued growth in the region,” says Barry Bale, Executive Vice President of Office Environments. “This merger will improve our ability to be a single source interiors provider to our clients, and bring additional value to them.”
Modular Designs, which will be renamed to Modular Designs, an Office Environments Company, is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Office Environments and will begin the integration immediately. In addition, they will relocate their office, showroom and warehouse to the OE campus on Granite Street. The move will take place later this year. “Throughout the transition, clients will continue to receive the same high quality products and services they have come to expect,” stated Bale.
Charles Hollar, Modular Designs Co-founder & President, will continue to manage this new division of Office Environments. His wealth of knowledge, experience and passion for a great customer experience will be a perfect match for the OE team. “We are a full service commercial and residential flooring provider offering high quality products, services, commercial carpet maintenance and cleaning as well as carpet reclamation. Since 2002 our clients have relied on us for a broad range of flooring needs and I look forward to the additional benefits they will receive as we become part of the Office Environments organization,” says Hollar.
About Office Environments Incorporated
Office Environments specializes in workplace consultation, contract furniture sales and services. They have served Charlotte based businesses for 30 years, and are the largest Steelcase dealer in the Southeast. They create custom workplace solutions for both large and small clients in the Corporate, Healthcare, Education and Government markets. For more information visit http://www.office-environments.com
CREW Charlotte was excited to bring back Speed Networking for our August luncheon. It offered our members and guests a chance to share their most dynamic business statement, otherwise known as an elevator speech. Movers and Shakers moved throughout the room, making rapid-fire connections.
Through this experience we learned that Speed Networking is not a super highway to true business building. Our audience ended the afternoon with a hand full of business cards and a brief introduction to a person’s business interests. Like every networking opportunity, the key to success in Speed Networking is follow-up. A lack of follow-up will prove to be a quick road to nowhere.
This fun event provided our members with an opportunity to get revved up and enjoy life in the fast lane. CREW Charlotte hopes that we see an uptick in our “Members Making Deals” website link in the weeks following this event!
Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Charlotte will be hosting its 6th Annual Queen City in Pink (QCIP) campaign, which encourages local businesses to turn their buildings and surroundings pink, September 27 – October 5. These efforts are designed to show support for the community’s survivors of breast cancer and honor those who have been affected by or lost their lives to the disease. In partnership with Susan G. Komen ® Charlotte, CREW Charlotte conducts the campaign in conjunction with National Breast Cancer Foundation’s® Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Who you missed: Amy Aussieker is the Executive Director for Envision Charlotte, where she is responsible for developing strategic plans for community outreach, fundraising, vendor and partner relationships. Amy’s background is a blend of corporate, non-profit and entrepreneur expertise. She spent several years as Group Vice President for Sales and Marketing for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, where she was responsible for leadership, fundraising and community relations. She also served as a business development and community affairs executive with Balfour Beatty Construction, and she founded, operated and recently sold a successful retail business.
Amy has previously served as a board member for the Arts and Science Council, co-chair for the School Bonds, chair for the Hot Jobs/Cool Communities initiative for the City committee, co-chair of Charlotte’s Citizen Transit Advisory Group and a board member for Slow Food Charlotte. She has been recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 award winner and a Top 25 Women in Business Award recipient.
What you missed: Amy and her team strive to help develop Charlotte, NC into a global model of environmental sustainability. Launched in 2010, Envision Charlotte believes that environmental sustainability, when combined with a pro-business approach, benefits the regional economy. Uptown Charlotte, NC currently has 61 participating buildings with 21 million square feet of office or commercial space, hosting 67,000 workers. Through Envision Charlotte, regional corporate and government leaders are working together to measure factors of sustainability in real time through individual sensors on each participating building. The goal is to make Charlotte one of the smartest cities in the world, resulting in a superior place to do business. Those factors of environmental sustainability are broken down into 4 pillars; Air, Water, Waste, and Energy.
Air: Charlotte ranks 19th worst in the country for air pollution. The energy that we use while commuting to work, working in our offices, and in our homes leads to the production of air pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions and smog. Over the next 5 years, Envision Charlotte aims to deploy innovative programs to reduce energy use and promote cleaner air, including ride and drive programs, promoting the use of electric vehicles, and other forms of alternative transportation.
Water: Demand for water is expected to exceed supply within the next 30 years. Uptown Charlotte uses 238,000,000 gallons of water every year. Envision Charlotte has developed a program to track and report water usage in uptown buildings called Smart Water Now. Through this program they are working with building owners, managers, engineers, and tenants to take simple steps to reduce water usage and improve efficiency.
Waste: With over 100,000 pounds of waste generated each day in uptown Charlotte, the landfills that’s serve the city are on track to be full within the next 5 years. Envision Charlotte aims to divert at least 20% of that waste away from the landfill by increasing recycling programs and sensoring waste from buildings to study how they can reduce their production of waste.
Energy: 30% of Uptown Charlotte's energy is wasted in office buildings. Envision Charlotte has a goal of reducing 20% of Charlotte’s energy use in the next 5 years through Smart Energy Now. Through this program, office workers and business leaders are becoming more educated on how small simple changes in their daily habits and routines can have a huge impact on overall energy use. Since Envision Charlotte has started measuring energy use there has been a reduction of 8.2%, with 6.2% coming from changes in behavior alone.
Why: The message is simple. By lowering the amount of energy use, waste production, and water consumption, you will lower the cost of doing business in Charlotte, and therefore bring in more business and opportunity!
Envision Charlotte believes that everyone can make a difference in helping Charlotte become more environmentally sustainable. Because of their hard work, Charlotte, NC, is well on its way to becoming the most sustainable urban core in the country.
Who you missed: Jim Donald is the current CEO of Extended Stay Hotels and former CEO of Starbucks and Haggen Food & Pharmacy. He was named one of the “Top 25 CEO’s in the World” by the Best Practice Institute in 2006 and one of the “25 Most Influential Business Travel Executives of 2013” by Business Travel News. He has a reputation for turning around financially ailing companies toward growth. Donald speaks to many groups to share his experience as a leader focused on innovation, quality, service, strong relationships within the community, and risk-taking with the freedom to fail.
What you missed: Getting Your Business to Dance: Donald explains six “dance lessons” that are necessary to implement in order to ramp up your business when no one is buying.
Why:
1. Have a fish story – In other words, what are you going to tell people about your business? Have a story to tell so people remember you years later.
2. Never be bigger than the front line – It is important to present yourself as an equal and not above or better than the average person. Employees lead the way and it is necessary to relate to them on their level.
3. Go where you have never been before – Send a personal message to associates/guests/clients that makes them feel comfortable.
4. Communicate to everyone in the organization – Speak a language that other people can understand. Realize that everyone is powerful within the company.
5. Encourage risk taking with the freedom to fail – Donald shared how he gives a “Get Out of Jail Free” card to encourage his employees to take risks no matter the end result.
6. Celebrate the success of others – It’s not about you anymore! Create an environment that shares success stories.