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Trailer X-Press Explodes into New Facilities in Caledonia

Trailer X-Press Explodes into New Facilities in Caledonia

After buying a new blue car, do you see blue cars everywhere? Working for Trailer X-Press was like that. After we met them and understood that they had over 6,000 semi-trailers somewhere, we realized why we kept seeing their logo on trailers and mudflaps everywhere.

Trailer X-Press is in its second generation of leadership and thriving. They moved from a sliver of property in southeast Grand Rapids to an expansive 83,000 SF building in Caledonia. This move allows them to improve all parts of their business, planning for growth and raising the level of performance.

We welcomed the invitation from Daniel Zilzer, Project Lead and Architect at Wolverine Building Group, to provide interior design services for this group. Working with Trailer X-Press leaders Mackenzie, Julie, and Scott was energizing as their passion for their business was addictive.

While we were mostly involved in the office building and parts store, the project included an extensive repair and maintenance “barn” and lots of parking for semi-trailers in process.

When we joined the project, there were already so many great things about the building, especially the two-story entry with a prominent spiral staircase that leads from reception to executive offices. The color red was a clear choice in all parts of the design as it is at the core of their brand and marketing.

Combining maintainable services with great aesthetics was part of the brief. The lobby has a beautiful porcelain tile that transitions to polished concrete for some open offices. Concrete-look vinyl flooring and carpet were used for closed offices and conference spaces.

Designing within their brand inspired the team to use diamond plate dimensional paneling on the reception desk, the staircase half walls, and in the parts store.

The two-story entry allowed for interesting uses of decorative lighting, suspended at different heights based on the staircase and overall lumen needs. The result is fitting to the space.

We will be happy to see the Trailer X-Press logo on trailers and mudflaps for a long time, and hope our readers do too!

    Dykhouse Construction Demonstrates Their Construction Excellence in Their New Corporate Office

    Dykhouse Construction Demonstrates Their Construction Excellence in Their New Corporate Office

    It is of the highest compliment to be asked by a construction firm to provide interior design for their own office. Ryan Dykhouse asked r.o.i. Design to work with them on the design for their new office in Wayland, MI. Their building houses their offices and their tenant, Kent Home Services, a specialty residential concrete flooring supplier. We followed the terrific architectural planning of Dixon Architecture and provided interior design oversite for both spaces.

    Collaboration with Ryan was thoughtful, and we really appreciated running alongside his vision. That vision included forward-thinking design, but without unnecessary “flashiness”. Instead of trendy details, the design brief included a desire to create relatable and classic finishes in an unexpected way. The two-story space off the lobby was a great opportunity to use a Chicago Brick veneer finish that rose 20 feet, and to clad the open staircase structural wall with wood planks. In the main conference room, a prominent wall is dressed in a porcelain tile that looks like stone but doesn’t have the real stone price tag.  

    r.o.i. Design did ask for some “not-so-expected” details. The reception desk has the appearance of stacked timbers highlighted by LED strip lighting. And over the reception desk, where there is a wood ceiling with wood joists, we suspended a black Unistrut canopy that incorporated LED strip lights. This feature is interesting in appearance but costs much less than a fancy chandelier. The rest of the decorative lighting mimicked the black Unistrut theme to create a unified appearance. Overall, the finishes are simple with spots of color in the backsplash tile and accent paints, serving as a backdrop to the operations and activities that happen there.

    The new furnishings were supplied by Enwork, a quality custom furniture supplier in West Michigan whose spaces were recently built out by Dykhouse Construction. Their interesting designs added to the overall appeal of the space. We especially like their table bases and table designs.

    The space has the classic details of brick, wood, and stone with innovation in lighting and furniture. We look forward to seeing many shared clients in this curated space.

      Staff Introductions and Accolades

      Staff Introductions and Accolades

      We describe ourselves as “small but mighty” and here are nine reasons why. Our skill set offers a variety of solutions and our teamwork and organization make sure the customer’s needs are first and foremost.

      New Team Members:

        Lindsey Turner

        Lindsey Turner

        Associate Interior Designer

        Lindsey joined the r.o.i. Design team this year, with experience working within architectural companies. Her previous job focused on food service design and retail interior design documentation. She brings to us her desire for organization in processes, energy for material research, AutoCAD skills, and more. She commutes from Kalamazoo after working remotely for several years. On hire, Lyndsey said, “I felt like I didn’t leave the house for three years!” We welcome her and appreciate all her talents and now works for us on a variety of projects including commercial, retail, hospitality, and healthcare.

        Cyndee Thenikl

        Cyndee Thenikl

        Design Administrator

        Cyndee has years of experience running her own small printing business. As the digital world grew, making print less necessary, she was looking for other things to do. Our part-time position fit the bill for her, and she started this September. Design administration means all the internal organization of job contracts, job files, oversite of contract hours and sample library, and intern management. Cyndee also performs as a singer and drummer in at least one band, making her the first r.o.i. Design team member who is also an entertainer.

        Marie Contzen

        Marie Contzen

        Fall Intern 2023/Design Assistant

        Marie is a full-time student at Kendall College of Art and Design. When interviewed, her clear thinking and variety of work and study experience made her a clear choice for r.o.i. Design. She spends much of her time managing materials and assisting designers as needed. We look forward to her success.

        Established Team Members

        This group has been designing, billing time, managing customers, unloading trucks, and providing more than the baseline of operational duties for many years. Our new team members do the same.

          Ryan Bright

          Ryan Bright

          Creative Executive

          Ryan has been with r.o.i. Design from its inception. In addition to providing hands-on skills in AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Adobe Creative Suite, Ryan is responsible for maintaining standards in our drawing sets and documentation. His training in furniture design makes him a great asset in understanding millwork design and construction. We have a growing number of brand design projects that combine interior design with graphic design, where Ryan also provides leadership. Based on Ryan’s tenure, we call on him for many things and he has our respect.

          Ronda Geyer

          Ronda Geyer

          Executive Product and Procurement Manager

          Over her many years with r.o.i. Design, Ronda has built our product line and continues to provide innovation and organization to this segment of our business. Based on her management background she is a vital bridge between design and product sales. She also provides leadership in design jobs. Our design customers appreciate her, as do we. She comes to us from several creative jobs including landscape design, decorative product representation and sales, fashion purchasing, and more.

          Marianne Martz

          Marianne Martz

          Design Executive

          Marianne joined us just in time to work remotely during COVID-19 lockdowns, and for that, we commend her. She comes to us from the furniture manufacturing world where she worked with clients to create furniture floor plans, select furniture, select finishes, and saw projects through to completion. She has adapted quickly to the needs of environmental interior design that encompasses all aspects of a project and has excelled. Like Ryan and Ronda, as executive members of our team, she has opportunities to lead projects. Her desire to research new materials and develop new skills is commendable. She desires process and organization and supports our company with design compliance and sales strategies.

          Rayanne Rzepka

          Rayanne Rzepka

          Associate Studio Administrator

          Rayanne joined our group two years ago and has dug into the role. She has balanced a variety of roles between design, operations, and product sales. As the business has progressed, she is now focusing on furniture and fixture sales. She posts to the company’s social media and composes our eBlast newsletters. She comes to us with a history in product sales, banking, and hospitality, which has created a business understanding we appreciate. Her willingness to do “whatever it takes”, from ordering coffee or unloading a truck by hand, is priceless. She is managing her morphing role with patience, and we look forward to all that she will be with r.o.i. Design.

          Julie Kleinjans

          Julie Kleinjans

          Finance and Marketing Executive

          Julie has been with us for 15 years but before that at least another five, taking time off to be a Mom. Her commitment and love for r.o.i. Design is beyond measure and that history has been so helpful as she knows our customers and their habits. Our success is her success. She manages our relationship with accountants at Baker Holtz and provides operational oversight, even though she is part-time. Her commitment to marketing and telling our story provides a consistency that we appreciate.

          Mary Witte

          Mary Witte

          Owner and Executive Concept Lead

          Mary loves r.o.i. Design and all that we do to make a difference in the lives of our team and customers.

          Cedar Animal Hospital Expands with New Emergency Wing

          Cedar Animal Hospital Expands with New Emergency Wing

          Drs. Larry and Judy Nauta have built a landmark veterinarian office in Cedar Springs, and as their practice grew, they knew their facility also needed to grow. Cedar Animal Hospital needed to accommodate patients and pet owners who need 24/7 emergency services.

          r.o.i. Design met them through Pinnacle Construction, who created the building’s architectural design as well as constructed the building. We were engaged by Pinnacle to provide the interior design that met the practical and aesthetic requirements of the space: highly cleanable and comforting, with a touch of their Northern Michigan style.

          Some of our favorite elements of the design include the new reception desk with a “wood” canopy that was built with acoustical materials, the lobby/waiting lighting, the large-scale porcelain floor tile, the interior wood walls in the lobby and staircases, and the warm color scheme.

          Kudos to Pinnacle on the design of the emergency wing. Its modern approach, while different from the main building, is still “Northern Michigan” in its use of wood and metal on the exterior.

          The design process with Dr. Larry and Dr. Judy was a great experience. Dr. Judy made cookies, their dog Rocket joined meetings as a consultant, and they expressed their appreciation for the whole design and construction team on a regular basis. We would like to think that some of the success of this project was their passion for what they do, coupled with r.o.i. Design’s love of pets.

          “Cedar Animal Hospital is a great place to work because we are all on the same mission—to make a difference in the lives of people and pets.” Dr. Larry Nauta.

            Nicolai NA Moves their North American Headquarters

            Nicolai NA Moves their North American Headquarters

            Miller Ganapini, CEO and President of Nicolai Diamant NA, reached out to r.o.i. Design after seeing the interiors of Pennell CPA, which r.o.i. Design had just completed at the time.

            Nicolai Diamant is a world leader in the production of tools for polishing and finishing stone materials and marble slabs, with facilities in Italy, Russia, and the U.S.

            Ganapini purchased a building on 44th Street in Grand Rapids, and it required a complete interior remodel. Unique to this space was that the walls were all a cabinetry system that went up to the ceiling. The goal was to open the space completely and create a modern, European look.

            A key partner in the remodel was Haworth, the office furniture giant, whose president, Franco Bianchi, is also a friend of Ganapini’s. Bianchi gave us personal tours and advice on the Haworth products that would provide a forward-thinking, modern look. Working through Haworth’s dealership, Interphase, the new headquarters uses full glass wall systems for offices and the conference room, and a new introduction of moveable systems furniture that allows rotation of desks to provide options for collaboration or independent work.

            The interior design was intended to be minimalistic: white, gray, and black. This is seen in the carpet, case goods, and framing selections. The lounge seating added a touch of the new “turquoise”. A few accent colors can be found along with the artwork.

            The overall lighting was created by strip lighting hung 8 feet above the floor in a 10 feet tall space. There are a few decorative feature lights. All light fixture selections were inspired by styles by FLOS and other European designers.

            We learned a great deal working on this project with Ganapini. There was never a final selection until the best pricing and sourcing were confirmed. We coined a phrase for Ganapini, “No worries, I got a guy!” We did help them find a project manager who worked alongside his trades and staff to complete the project.

             

            Congratulations Nicolai NA and Miller Ganapini!

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