Old office space in downtown Kalamazoo gets 'invigorated' after tricky carpet install

His work often takes him to historic locations, including the venerable building picked by Azon, and he believes there is a unique achievement that comes from making old things new again. "The locals take ownership of downtown buildings," says Collins. "When you remodel a space that is part of a downtown area, you want people to pass by and say, I love what they did with that old building."

For Collins and his crew this would be a compelling-and challenging- assignment. The client, an international manufacturer of thermal technology, wanted a headquarters facility that would send a message to visitors and office personnel alike. Writing in the company newsletter, Chairman James Dunstan told his staff: "Our new headquarters means much more to us then just having a nice place to go to work. The new environment promises to invigorate our attitudes as we connect to our global partners." They were also on a tight deadline to get their new digs up and running.