“We’ve created an extremely flexible working area,” said Talbot Gee, chief executive of the Heating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International. “On any given day, we can offer the environment best suited to our employees’ needs, whether it’s maximizing team collaboration, holding formal meetings or plowing through work in periods of quiet focus. When you couple that with the newly implemented technology and anticipated tech upgrades, HARDI is well-positioned to be a leader in talent recruitment and retention.”

The office includes a training room with space for up to 50.

“We’ve been searching for a practical way to host groups of our members, especially those partaking in our educational certification programs, and this is the perfect solution allowing us to welcome them to our headquarters, introduce them to HARDI staff and complete their training all in one visit,” said Emily Saving, the association’s vice president of professional and program development.

It’s just what the association needed, added Gee.

“We’ll finally be able to host our own strategic planning meeting,” he said. “In past years everyone has had to travel to an out-of-town location. It was inefficient, costly and you end up making major organizational decisions in a completely unfamiliar place.”

HARDI marketing manager Chris DeBoer said he thinks any HARDI members who drop in will like what they see.

“Aesthetically, we’re light years from where we were,” said DeBoer, who had a major role in the look and feel of the office. “Everything has been updated with a style consistent with HARDI’s image and branding. No detail was overlooked.”