Hartford Business Journal

12 Hartford Business Journal • September 5, 2016 www.HartfordBusiness.com Red Thread Headquarters: 300 East River Drive, East Hartford No. of Employees: 100 employees work out of CT headquarters; 470 employees total R ed Thread's business is helping shape workplace interiors so it's no surprise the company's own office reflects some of the latest trends in the industry. The company has eliminated private offices in favor of a residential open-plan neighborhood. Each employee has his or her own work station with an adjustable height work sur- face, allowing for changes in posture. There is plenty of open/closed storage for antici- pated and archival work, but the storage unit also functions as a place to perch for spontaneous collaboration with neighbors. In addition, team studios allow groups of employees to collaborate for extended periods of time, while the work cafe acts as a social hub where employees eat, connect and hold casual meetings. Symmetry Partners LLC Headquarters: 151 National Drive, Glastonbury Employees: 100 plus S ymmetry Partners recently renovated a Glastonbury building that features an open floor plan with large, long tables designed to promote greater communica- tion among employees. An exposed beam and pipe ceiling, coupled with natural light provided by newly installed long windows and a large sky light over the cafe area, make the building unique in the financial services space. To promote collaboration and idea shar- ing, Symmetry's new office space features 11 conference rooms, each with whiteboard walls and televisions with wireless connec- tivity for presentation purposes. The office features an advisor center designed to host educational sessions and business building meetings. There's also a marketplace that sells everything from cof- fee and snacks to fully prepared meals TriPoint Headquarters: 21C Arts Center Court, Avon Employees: 12 (including two in China) W hen business insurance broker TriPoint decided to move in 2014 from Torrington to Avon it was in search of a hipper office envi- ronment that could help attract young people. The most unique aspect of the company's Avon space is that it's wide open. The CEO sits in the same open work environment as everyone else, allowing easier communication and better productivity. They also have several unique conference rooms, both small and large, for collaborative work as well as exposed brick and vertical and wooden beams throughout the space. The office also contains an old Coke cooler full of beer and a kitchen with every sort of coffee and tea, including cappuccino, espresso, etc. P H O T O S | C O N T R I B U T E D P H O T O S | C O N T R I B U T E D P H O T O S | C O N T R I B U T E D SMC PARTNERS LLC has an office on the ninth floor of Hartford's "Candy Cane" building on Columbus Boulevard. The company's logo and the four colors that reflect its vision statement (red, blue, green and yellow) are reflected on much of the space within the office. They have a large open area with versatile seating arrangements to encourage collaboration and teamwork. Commercial furniture dealership ROBERT H. LORD CO. created an open floor plan for its Manchester office/showroom with fewer private offices located along the perimeter. The office has several spaces for collaboration: a soft-seating space for casual conversations; a standing-height table for quick, on-the-run consultations; and a booth for more focused meetings. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D

• Cover