The Big Move
CORE’s relocation provides more space and a larger showroom.
The dust is settling, decorating is underway, staff have extra room to work, and visitors get to see more of what they are looking for. After three-plus years at the same location, Commercial Office Resource Environments (CORE) has relocated in Tucson, giving its staff more space to spread their wings and clients a bigger showroom.
When CORE opened at the beginning of 2015 at 124 W. Cushing St., the 1,800-square-feet of office space was enough for the company’s small staff. They loved the historic brick building in the heart of old Tucson but as the business grew out of its infancy, the location simply became too small for both the staff and the showroom.
“We needed a bigger showroom space,” said CORE Principal Mercedes Flores. “Our company was growing. We were running out of places for people to sit.”
CORE made the big move at the end of March to its new digs at 698 E. Wetmore Road, Suite 410, not far from the Tucson Mall, where upgrades, fresh furnishings, and new décor continue to be integrated.
“There are so many benefits to our new space,” said Flores. “We have the ability to show off more things. We are centrally located and it’s enough space for all of our employees.”
The new location offers nearly 3,000-square-feet where CORE staff work to fulfill client furniture orders, host meetings, and participate in combined lunch and learns with manufacturer and vendor representatives. There is even enough room in the conference room for educational seminars where staff and designers can obtain their continuing education units.
“Designers and architects must have them and we can do them right here,” said Flores.
The best part, adds Flores, is the extra space for an expanded showroom where CORE can stage new options for office seating, tables, medical equipment, and other furnishings that are perfect for a wide variety of settings from legal firms and corporate offices to medical suites and classrooms.
“We’re going to have the new Kimball Narrate,” said Flores. “It’s a panel system (commonly known as cubicles). We are going to have a small medical vignette and an educational vignette. We’re going to have Collette from National (a leather sectional with an integrated table) to showcase our resimercial seating. It’s commercial-grade seating with the familiar, comfortable elements of home furnishings. It’s gorgeous and we’re going to feature it in our front lobby.”
When considering what to integrate into CORE’s fresh setting, Flores said every facet of the office becomes part of the showroom from the décor to the furniture and even the lighting.
“We’re going to have some really cool lights,” said Flores. “It comes in mid-August. It’s acoustic lighting.”
The new flower-shaped fixtures will have felt fins around the lights to reduce noise in open settings such as the new CORE office and showroom. Clients can also take a look at a plethora of seating, wallpaper, and flooring options in the new “chair wall,” and can even check out the innovative kitchen and lounge seating that might also be a good fit for their own offices.
Flores said the new office will also have KI modular walls installed in the near future to allow everyone their own privacy while retaining an open feel for the office and showroom.
“They are glass office fronts with sliding barn doors,” said Flores of the soon-to-come walls.
In addition to CORE, the new location offers enough space to share with local Interior Designer Janet Fischer of Fischer Design Studio. While she operates her business solely and separately from CORE, Fischer said the two companies often partner on projects and enjoy working together. Sharing space made sense in terms of both economics and combined resources.
“We get the advantage of having an interior designer design the showroom,” said Flores of the shared space with Fischer. “We also get to share a library space.”
“That’s a huge advantage,” added Fischer. “It’s (the library) a time-consuming thing to keep up.”
Fischer said it’s also nice for her to have a furniture person on hand at all times.
“I’m always running to Mercedes to ask about a chair or a table,” she said. “It’s nice that they know about the products.”
Both women, who have become close friends as well as colleagues, agree that it’s nice not to be so isolated in their own businesses and clients can enjoy the services of both companies at once. Plus, there’s the advantage of a shared office happy hour on Friday afternoons once the doors close.
Elaina Vasquez, the office manager at CORE, has been with the company for more than three years. She said the move was a big job but is excited to be in the new location.
“It’s more open and I am glad that there’s more storage,” she said. “I like that they got to design it themselves and it’s closer to home for me.”
The newest member of the CORE team, Business Development Manager April Cardinal, said clients will love that they have the ability to see more of what CORE has to offer.
“Since we have more storage, we are able to show clients what we have,” Cardinal said. “We don’t have to say, ‘Oh, we’ll have to order that,’ so the turnaround will be faster. Clients will be able to see what’s new and what’s available right here.”
While the office and showroom are currently still a work in progress, CORE Account Manager Cristina Arriaga said clients are going to love the project when it’s complete.
“It’s going to have a grand effect,” said Arriaga. “When all of the new furniture and colors are in, it’s going to be an adventure to come into the showroom.”
Flores added that once the office and showroom are complete, CORE will host an open-house so clients, manufacturers, and vendors alike can experience the new location for themselves.