• You sneeze and the entire office says “Bless you.”
• Saying “goodbye” means the entire office knows you’re leaving.
• Your computer screen is now everyone’s personal entertainment.
• Your desk suddenly became a supply closet.
• Lunch time is when the first person starts eating because the smell is just way too good.

At the North Carolina Hallam-ICS office, all the above happened and we needed a change. The move to Lake Boone Trail was incredibly exciting - it signified the growth of our branch and ambition for success. Better yet, food would be within walking distance. Priorities in life, right?

Now, our kitchen is stocked with much-needed coffee for us and our clients and the large conference room equips a 60” TV. We have yet to have a Netflix party though.

What our move means for you…

The move to a more central location means we are now bigger and closer than ever to our clients like Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, and NC State University. Thankfully, we know how to use the colors “blue” and “red” correctly in proposals.

In November, we will be hosting the executive coaching group called Vistage. With our new conference room we can easily fit 16 executives at one table with plush chairs and a big screen TV.

How we got to this point…

In 2012, the Raleigh office had two motivated engineers in a three-room office. Now, four years later, we have moved twice and have grown to 17 employees --17 employees that have helped expand our portfolio and add a peg to our ladder of success.

What’s great about  employee owned Hallam-ICS too, is not just the hardworking atmosphere, but the office culture. It’s impossible to stay shy in the Raleigh office. Once you meet people like Chris Font, who made everyone a diagram on “good” paper vs. “bad” paper for our printer or John Chen, who can’t focus without his picture of Sasquatch, it’s easy to feel comfortable quickly.

It’s the culture like this that has engineering and control system employees staying at the company for 10, 15, 30+ years. Yes, we are ambitious and expect each individual to work hard. However, at the end of the day, we can drink beers together and Photoshop co-workers on random objects.

What happens next…

Our Raleigh office has full intentions to have fun and grow further! Also, if anyone has suggestions on how to decorate our wall space so that it looks more like an office and less like a hospital, that would be great.

How has your company grown? If your office moved recently, when did you know it was time to move? Please feel free to share your stories with us!

About the Author

Jordan has left Hallam-ICS to pursue other endeavors, but his contributions to the company continue to be valued.

About Hallam-ICS

Hallam-ICS is an engineering and automation company that designs MEP systems for facilities and plants, engineers control and automation solutions, and ensures safety and regulatory compliance through arc flash studies, commissioning, and validation. Our offices are located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Vermont and North Carolina and our projects take us world-wide.