Tag: Mark Bassil

Systems furniture is not generally associated with corner offices and executive suites, according to Mark Bassil, co-founder and vice president of MAiSPACE, a Mt. Olive, NJ, based manufacturer of modular office furniture systems. But by doing some homework smart interior designers and facility managers can save substantial amounts of money, time and aggravation by single-sourcing the entire project to integrated, turnkey providers in the contract furniture industry.

Single sourcing provides the advantage of having one point of contact for an entire project, Bassil says. Requests for proposals to fit out an entire workplace from cubicles to corner suites, however, must be carefully crafted to cover the entire project installed and ready for move in, confirm the move-in date, and spell out warranties and guarantees essential to long-term buyer satisfaction.

Set an Installation-Wide Theme

Integrated systems furniture suppliers such as MAiSPACE offer the broadest range in colors, styles and configurations that provide exciting visual aspects across the entire workplace to include cubicles, semi-private offices, reception areas, common areas, conference rooms and the corner offices, Bassil says. Todays facility managers and interior designers seek to avoid demarcation lines that set or suggest a visual if not a physical barrier between what some call the workforce and management. Such barriers run counter to establishing an atmosphere encouraging a team effort where all play a role in the success of the enterprise.

Such an atmosphere is essential to attracting and keeping a qualified workforce, Bassil maintains.

Space and furnishings, however, do signal achievement, and MAiSPACE offers an exciting array of designs and configurations that fit out executive and middle management areas at surprisingly affordable prices starting at from $12 to $15 per square foot installed. Bassil says. This is about 40% below what our competitors charge for comparable quality, and is due solely to our revolutionary approach to designing, building and installing the many components that comprise a fully furnished, ready to move in workplace.

Creatively Employ Stackable/De-stackable Panels and Full Walls

Walls set workspace boundaries, and can be used to define the type of work being done within the workspace. For middle and upper management, walls can invite collaboration or provide privacy, Bassil says. But they need not suggest the exclusivity so common of executive suites in years past. Designers should employ colors and textures available on stackable and de-stackable panels as well as full walls that compliment and continue themes that run across the entire floor plan. MAiSPACE load bearing panel segments, for example, are available in more than 15 options in colors and textures and can be stacked from 30 inches to 14 feet in height. This encourages stepped designs rather than monochromatic cubicles the same height throughout the entire workplace.

Glass panel segments clear, frosted or patterned are excellent design elements for establishing executive area boundaries that maintain an open feeling yet support privacy when manufactured to provide low sound transmission. Space-saving siding glass doors can be used to send the message that the occupant is either busy or available for discussions.

There are areas where floor-to-ceiling walls are required such as for companies that frequently host clients for confidential discussions. MAiSPACE movable wall systems can be used to create private conference rooms or offices that complement the design of the workspace as a whole. They are attached to floors and ceilings using non-destructive fasteners and fully integrate with MAiSPACE open office modules. Privacy is assured with solid, tight-fitting doors and sound-deadening panels.

Finish the Project with Freestanding Furniture Options

MAiSPACE is now shipping a broad line of free-standing furniture especially for middle and upper management offices. It is available in designs combining brushed steel with Coverseal finishes in woodgrains and a variety of colors and includes desks with unhanded returns, bridges, corners, modesty panels, hutches and credenzas. Seating, tables and movable files are included in the MAiSPACE freestanding line for the executive suite.

High quality typifies MAiSPACE freestanding furniture. Our Coverseal surfaces provide an excellent example of this, Bassil says. Citing woodgrains as an example he points out that these surfaces are extremely durable and fade resistant, yet have the look of expensive solids and veneers found in the most costly furniture offerings. Options include cherry, maple, walnut and mahogany.

Support services such as AutoCAD and GIZA design software ensure that furniture and floor plans are virtually fault free. Installations are supervised by MAiSPACE personnel or those of its authorized dealers and distributors and are generally ready for move in within 6 weeks of placing an order.

Commercial real estate owners and property managers are seeing a shift in the balance of negotiating power to tenants as rental markets dry up due to the economic downturn. To combat rising vacancy rates and weak to no rent growth owners will be in heavy competition with each other in seeking ways to attract and hold viable tenants.

“We expect that many lessors of commercial office space will re-examine their policies relating to rental packages as they weigh the advantages of lower profits versus no profits or a loss,” says Mark Bassil, vice president and co-founder of MAiSPACE, a modular office furniture manufacturer based in Mt. Olive, NJ. “One of the ways they can increase their competitive advantage is to offer fully furnished workspaces regardless of the amount of floor space being leased. Traditionally,” Bassil explains, “landlords were not interested in furnishing spaces under 50,000 square feet, and if pressured to do so would make it uneconomically attractive in terms of increased rental costs. This effectively put the tenant in charge of furnishing the space.”

Today’s modular office furniture systems from manufacturers such as MAiSPACE combined with attractive lease packages present a strong case for landlords to relax their position on furnishing leased space. “Landlords may also be able to take advantage of substantial tax benefits under Section 179 of the Economic Stimulus Act, and may qualify for lower real estate taxes,” Bassil says, adding that “building owners should fully discuss tax issues with their accountants.”

Benefits of Leasing Systems Furniture

A major advantage of a lease, whether undertaken by a landlord or a tenant, is to conserve working capital, a major concern in a tough economic climate. “Our lease calculator demonstrates this quite clearly,” Bassil says. “Take as an example fitting out 12,000 square feet for a 60 month lease. Upon qualification a landlord can lease everything required by the tenant – including furniture, accessories, delivery, installation and other soft costs – for $3,747.60 per month or $0.31 per square foot. This example,” he explains, “is based on the MAiSPACE $15 per square foot installed price, which as an outright purchase would be $180,000. This is faster and easier than a bank loan and just as competitive.”

Adding $0.31 or even $1.00 per square foot to a tenant’s lease is not particularly painful, and can be promoted in several ways, according to Bassil.

“For example, landlords can work with prospective tenants along with our designers and installers to create a beautiful, custom, ergonomically correct office environment incorporating panels in clear or patterned glass, painted, fabric and wood grain finishes; curvilinear worksurfaces with cascade edges, task and executive seating, fixed and movable tables and storage facilities, and a high capacity local area network,” he says. “Workspaces from 6 x 6 cubicles to conference areas, private offices and reception areas can be move-in ready within 4 to 6 weeks of placing an order. Prospective tenants will appreciate the landlord’s attention to their needs and fast installation as well as the fact that our products are GREENGUARD indoor air quality certified.”

Accommodating Moves, Adds and Changes

Moves, adds and changes (MACs) in office layouts are a fact of doing business. By its very design, modular office furniture systems are flexible systems, meaning that landlords and their tenants are not locked into a floor plan that is difficult or costly to change. “Our MAC-friendly stackable panels enable the construction of walls up to 14 feet in height that are fully capable of supporting bins, shelving and other furnishings,” Bassil says. “Modular floor-to-ceiling full wall offices, conference rooms and reception areas are attached to floors and ceilings with non-destructive fasteners. All furnishing components including our plug-and-play cabling management system are designed to be reconfigured virtually overnight by on-site maintenance personnel. The noise, dirt, distractions and disposal challenges associated with traditional fixed wall offices do not apply to modular systems.”

Rugged construction backed by lifetime warranty and guarantee against obsolescence goes on the plus side for landlords considering fully furnished offices. “When leases are up and tenants move on, the added value of offering fully furnished workspaces should help immeasurably in writing a new lease,” Bassil says. “Modular movable full wall systems ease the task and lower the cost of either subdividing into smaller spaces or opening additional floor space to meet the needs of new tenants.”
Cost of equipment$300,000.00
Section 179 deduction250,000.00
50% bonus depreciation on balance25,000.00
Regular first year depreciation deduction @ 14.28%3,750.00
Total first year deduction278,750.00
Savings assuming a 35% tax bracket97,562.50
Lowered cost of equipment after tax savings202,437.50

“Cash, lease or finance, companies contemplating acquiring new office furniture systems can take advantage of Section 179 deductions along with our extremely competitive pricing,” Bassil says.