An Atlanta-based family business decided it needed to establish a presence in Jacksonville and a member of the family wanted to get out of Washington, D.C., and finally join the family business.
That’s the story behind Office Creations at 100 W. Bay St.
Casey Moore, president of Office Creations Jacksonville, grew up in the office furniture business but had a different career track in mind.
After studying biology and then earning a master’s degree in physics from Georgia Tech, he began working to develop cancer treatments.
That changed after 9/11 when venture capital dried up, he said.
After a few years as a consultant, he took another track and became a special agent with the FBI, based in Washington, D.C.
Along the way, Moore got married and started a family and one day decided it was time to get out of the Beltway.
Also along the way, the family business that was founded in Atlanta in 2001 had grown and formed strong relationships with Jacksonville-based clients, such as Pond & Company and Reynolds, Smith and Hills.
When Moore decided he’d had enough of Washington, the family decided they were racking up too many frequent-flier miles and it made more sense to open another office and showroom.
“We needed to be in Jacksonville to better serve the relationships we built and we needed to create some new relationships,” he said.
Office Creations opened its showroom Downtown in August 2015 and a few months later, was approached by office furniture manufacturer Allsteel to become its local dealer.
Moore said Office Creations already had a portfolio of more than 100 office environment vendors, but adding Allsteel gave his company the opportunity to be part of a unique competitive sales environment.
Steelcase and Herman Miller dealers have showrooms Downtown and Knoll is opening a showroom in December — and they’re all within a few blocks of each other.
That will create a new kind of Downtown walking tour.
“In about two hours, you can visit four of the major office furniture manufacturers,” he said.
Office Creations doesn’t have the largest showroom Downtown, but there’s a wide selection of the company’s portfolio and the sales and administrative staff work at the products, which gives clients the opportunity to see how people interact with the furnishings in a working environment.
That’s one way selling office furniture has changed in the 21st century, Moore said.
Typically, the decision-makers are the chief financial officer — who is looking for value and productivity — and the human resources director — who’s looking for health, wellness, employee retention and recruiting, said Moore.
“It’s not just about desks and chairs, it’s about the environment,” he said. “We’re in a commodities business. It’s incredibly competitive and our job is to find the best solution for the client.”
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