Making a Quick Office Space Move

One facility manager’s tale.

Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a facilities manager for the Albany, NY office of an international provider of financial services technology solutions. Now let’s imagine that you have a week to find a new office space that not only accommodates your employees but also meets strict security and data-protection standards. Sounds daunting, right?

That’s what happened after Broadridge Financial Solutions (Broadridge) purchased DST Systems’ North American Customer Communications Division. Competition between the two companies made sharing office space, networks, and phone lines an impossibility. So Broadridge had to find new office space…fast.

Finding new space quickly was further complicated by a host of technical and security issues that needed to be addressed prior to employees moving in. The new Broadridge space needed to be outfitted with a secure network, cable, fiber optics, swipe-card readers and new door locks.

So Broadridge, headquartered in New Jersey, gratefully accepted Joe Gunther’s offer to find the company new office space. Gunther is a lifelong Capital Region resident and a system administrator/facilities manager in Broadridge’s Albany, NY office.

Through word of mouth, Gunther found The Anderson Group and gave them a call. The very next day, he was looking at office space on Madison Avenue Extension in Albany, NY. He says he knew right away that the office building was a perfect fit in terms of size, immediate availability and close proximity to the company’s former office building.

“The Anderson Group gave me access to the building right away so I could get measurements and layouts and get contractors and tech vendors in for estimates,” Gunther says. “There was such a feeling of trust, commitment, and flexibility. I never got a ‘no’ from them on anything I asked. It was nice to know that the last thing I needed to worry about was my landlord.”

In addition, Gunther said he thought he needed more space than he actually did. It was The Anderson Group that advised on square footage based on the company’s very specific needs.

“Anderson was able to meet our needs and save us money. They also worked with us on flexible lease terms that met our company’s strict guidelines,” Gunther says.

Broadridge now calls 28 Madison Avenue Extension, Albany, NY, located in the historic Pine Bush Preserve, home. Its employees moved into their new Albany office in February, a full week ahead of schedule.

“The Anderson Group’s crew took care of everything. Basically, we had to pick up the stuff on our desks and move right in. Our secure network was up, and our cubicles were moved in. When our people arrived on Monday, they were working,” Gunther says. “On Day One, all of our security systems were in place.”

Gunther says although making a quick corporate office move can be stressful, it’s far easier when you find a real estate partner not only capable of helping you find a new space but also with the resources and expertise to make sure you have what you need when you need it.

“Ours was a complex move because of very strict technical aspects. Some people thought there was no way we’d be able to pull it off in such a short timeframe,” Gunther says. “Working with The Anderson Group, not only did we pull it off, it was smooth and extremely easy. If I ever had to do this again, they would be my first call.”

Andy Anderson, a partner at The Anderson Group, says that’s the kind of experience they’re known for.

“There’s an old adage about things ‘moving at the speed of business.’ We know that every day a business is down is a day the business loses money,” Anderson says. “Our goal is to make finding and moving into office space as efficient and worry-free as possible. We’re very happy that Broadridge put their trust in us and that they are happy in their new location.”