Lansing-based Smart Office Systems(SOS) is moving its headquarters to the 90,000 square foot former American Sunroof Corporation (ASC) site on Lansing's Westside.
SOS sells remanufactured furniture to companiesall over the country and recently landed a $2 million a year contractwith the State of Michigan.
“We’re the first furniture remanufacturer tohave a contract with the State,” says Paul Covert with SOS. “We’reexcited about that.”
Covertsays the company will need to hire 25 to 50 Michigan-based employeesover the next two years as a result of new contracts.
SOS rehabs the older furniture within the company, but also sells rehabbed furniture purchased from other sites.
“We typically save customers between 50 and 75 percent,” he says.
The company spent $800,000 renovating the building. The majority of the renovations increase the building’s energy efficiency. Covert says it was important for SOS to make its headquarters as environmentally friendly as possible.
“We are the single most green company in theoffice furniture industry,” he says, noting that his company saves people money while reducing environmental waste. “Really, when it’s allsaid and done, if it’s done properly, we’re talking about using 98 percent of reused product.”
SOS will keep its logistics arm at its Southside Lansing location at 2110 South Washington Avenue. The company’s headquarters, showroom and re-manufacturing and warehousing units are at the Westside location.
Source: Kelly Rossman-McKinney, The Rossman Group
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie
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