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When College Loan Corporation, headquartered in Poway, California consolidated several locations into a leased 135,000 square foot, renovated warehouse it had two goals: to provide a vibrant new workspace for a predominantly young staff and to stay within budget.

"We wanted an inviting atmosphere conducive to hiring and retaining a highly qualified staff of loan consultants," says CLC’s Vice President of Human Resources, Heather Hole. "Call centers are frequently characterized as suffering from high turnover, and we sought to change that by providing a modern and attractive working environment while incorporating the conservative and stable image. Turning a warehouse into such an environment called for making the space warmer through the use of colors and bringing the disparate parts of the facility together into a more integrated whole."

CLC worked with interior design and strategic planning firm ID Studios and Integrated Commercial Environments LLC, a MAiSPACE dealer. “The project was competitively bid by ID Studios and us,” says Hole. “MAiSPACE won the business hands down as the systems furniture supplier. No one else offered the quality we demanded at a price that allowed significant design upgrades for a more attractive and customized workplace environment. With all the design options available in the MAiSPACE system we were able to create beautiful and functional workstations.”

"At CLC’s request we prepared a comprehensive matrix designed to assist them in comparing all the important features and capabilities from the various competitors,” recounts Deborah Elliot, principal and head project designer for ID Studios. “To our surprise, MAiSPACE won out over the more established brand names scoring higher in almost every category even though their price was substantially lower.”

ICE’s DeLinda Anderson says “The MAiSPACE solution was so well priced that we could upgrade fabric and finishes to provide a stronger visual appeal to the new facility yet remain competitive and within budget. Taking advantage of this, we worked with Designtex fabrics to produce a custom pattern and two custom colors all at graded-in prices and coordinated with the MAiSPACE systems furniture and workplace furnishings.”"

"Best of all," summarizes Heather Hole, "the cost to furnish the workstation portion of this project was only $12.00 per square foot installed. And the systems furniture has a lifetime guarantee as long as we own it. I’m able to report that our employees are very pleased with their new facilities as is senior management."

Custom furniture, such as reception desks and conference room tables, comes standard in five designer finishes of Cherry, Mahogany, Anigre, Maple and Dark Walnut. The natural rift-cut, book matched veneers, coupled with elegant design, create a truly superior product. "To increase the aesthetic, we have the capability to add marble and glass to complement any environment or desired look," says Bassil.