BUSINESS NEWS WARE MALCOMB EXPANDS TO LARGER OFFICE LOCATION IN ATLANTA Ware Malcomb announced it has expanded and relocated its Atlanta office to a new, larger space located at 3520 Piedmont Road, Suite 290 in Atlanta. The move accommodates the firm’s growing client and employee base in the region. Ware Malcomb has been operating in the Atlanta market since 1999 and opened an office there in 2016. Ware Malcomb has completed more than 200 projects throughout the Atlanta metro area and Georgia for clients including Prologis, McCraney Development, Charter Spectrum, Honeywell, and Medline. In its work in the region, the firm has provided planning, architecture, interior design, and branding services to clients in various industries including healthcare, multi-family, retail, aerospace distribution, logistics, cold storage, manufacturing, and science and technology. “We are excited to move into a new office
in the Buckhead business district that will enable our team to continue to grow while providing a strong base from which to serve our clients,” said Jason Dooley, AIA, principal of Ware Malcomb’s Atlanta office. “Ware Malcomb’s incredible growth in Atlanta and the Southeastern market would not be possible without the hard work of our immensely talented and dedicated team members.” Ware Malcomb’s new Atlanta office location incorporates the latest in interior design trends, as well as the firm’s own design standards. The entry to each Ware Malcomb office conveys a hospitality feel, providing an open and inviting welcome punctuated with iconic pieces of furniture. The color palette, finishes, and materials reflect the Ware Malcomb brand colors of vibrant orange with white and grey accents. The work environment fosters collaboration while also allowing for privacy and heads down work when needed. It includes desking stations with adjustable desk
heights to provide a variety of work options and cater to every individual’s work preference. In addition to implementing the firm’s design standards across its offices in North America, Ware Malcomb’s in-house branding studio also incorporates a unique design flair in each regional office that reflects the local community and surrounding area, as well as the office’s client base. Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb provides planning, architecture, interior design, branding, and civil engineering services to commercial real estate and corporate clients. With offices throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Panama, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science and technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/educational facilities, and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as a Hot Firm and Best Firm To Work For by Zweig Group.
EMPOWERING PEOPLE, from page 7
great mentor once tell me to “rip off the rear-view mirror because you’re not going that way.” Get up, move forward, and let your team know you’re behind them to fail fast and move on to the next one. TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job responsibility as CEO? TZL: Diversity and inclusion is lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? DE: We continue to focus on the diversity of our team at both staff and leadership levels. It’s important to me to be intentional and transparent about increasing diversity in our firm. We’ve had numerous staff-wide discussions about the value of diversity and bringing different perspectives to the table. One of my most important objectives is for everyone at A&E to know they have a genuinely equal opportunity to be successful and achieve their goals. I have a young daughter and I’ve told my team many times that I want to build the kind of business where she could be just as successful as her male counterpart. In addition to simply doing the right thing, I also believe diversity is good business. You miss out on tremendously valuable perspectives and insight if everyone making the decisions comes from the same background with similar experiences. TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around? DE: One of the metrics that I’m most proud of is our retention rates. We have almost no voluntary turnover and I believe it centers on our culture. If we treat people well, value their work, and reward them accordingly, we can keep people committed to A&E for their whole career. If someone leaves our firm, we do a lot of self-reflection to understand what we can do better next time. DE: Set the vision, empower people, and build the culture
to ensuring a smooth passing of the baton? What’s the biggest pitfall to avoid? DE: I’ve watched so many great firms completely vanish over the years because of not having a plan in place. We’ve taken the position of building a long-term transition plan that is managed and updated on a regular basis. No matter how young our leadership team is, we forecast retirement dates and how far before that we will begin selling down our share of the ownership. One of the simplest, and most important, things you can do is be clear about the structure of your firm with your entire staff. Everyone should know the basics of how the company is structured and how stock (or leadership) transfer occurs. It’s simple, but it lets people understand how it works so they can strive for those future opportunities. The biggest pitfall to avoid is senior leadership waiting too long to transfer stock – essentially choking out the firm. The best thing you can do is give ownership opportunities to young, eager leaders and let them grow the practice. “I have a young daughter and I’ve told my team many times that I want to build the kind of business where she could be just as successful as her male counterpart.” TZL: They say failure is a great teacher. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way? DE: Don’t let failure drag down the morale of your whole team. We implemented a staff-wide “wins, losses, and why” section to our weekly Monday morning meeting. We use this opportunity to tell the entire staff about our project pursuits and why we win or lose a particular project. When we have a loss, I use it as a chance to reflect on the takeaways and how we can improve next time. I had a
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THE ZWEIG LETTER April 6, 2020, ISSUE 1339
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