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V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 From the Editor W e hear all the time about the diffi culty in fi nd- ing qualifi ed employees. Unemployment is at historic lows. e workforce is aging out. Maine's population growth has been static. All of that has been well reported. What's caught our attention in recent months has been the signifi cant investment companies are making in offi ce space. On-site cafes and fi tness centers, "huddle rooms" and "story walls" are part of a new look in offi ces around Maine. As reported by Senior Writer Renee Cordes, with photographs by Tim Greenway, our cover feature off ers an inside look at the new space at Clark Insurance, Tilson, Tyler Technologies and Unum. e new look offi ces are enticing, but the defi ning theme is that companies are using offi ce space as a means for recruitment and retention. Employees want to be in clean, well-thought-out offi ces. Clients want to be part of a companies that are investing in the workplace and people. Let's make it clear that this isn't the 10s, with gratuitous spending on fountains, outrageous art or gargantuan corner offi ces. In many cases, the compa- nies are doing more with less. Open offi ce plans and a lack of private offi ces speak not just to a culture of more cooperative workplace interactions, but also a thrifty use of space. Have you heard of this company with 250 Maine employees? If we hadn't run a list with the wrong address for this company we might never heard from them. But, as luck would have it we ran a listing of RMS Residential Mortgage Services with an out-of-state address (that of one of its 7 offi ces), without realiz- ing it is based right here in Maine, in South Portland. So I recently stopped by for a visit. RMS is one of those companies that, in some circles, has operated under the radar. However, in the residential mortgage circles is making a big impact. In 2016, it closed on 17,110 loans, a volume of $3.3 billion, up from $00,000 million in 2011. is year, it expects to write mortgages totaling $.5 billion. Mortgage Executive, a trade journal, ranked RMS No. 37 on its list of Top 100 Mortgage Companies in America. RMS is the No. 1 resi- dential mortgage originator in Maine and New Hampshire and No. 2 in Massachusetts. Not bad for a company that started in 11 and has endured two economic down- turns since being acquired in 2001 by President and CEO James R. Seely. Since I tend to obsess about employment num- bers, I was struck by the sheer number of employees at RMS. ere are 66 overall at the company's 7 offi ces; about half are in sales, though local offi ces have a good deal of administrative staff . In South Portland, there are 250 employees in a smattering of offi ce buildings on Donald B. Dean Drive, Christopher Toppi Drive and John Roberts Road. RMS has outgrown its own buildings and is leasing space in surrounding buildings. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Workspace as a recruiting tool Featured @ Mainebiz.biz bernsteinshur.com Be smart. BE SHUR. When you need a lawyer who thinks like an executive and speaks like a human. For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Get Maine's business news daily at mainebiz.biz and on Twitter (@Mainebiz). Below is our top content from the week of March 26–April 9. 1. SEC charges Michael Liberty with $48M scheme to defraud investors 2. Chesuncook Lake House owners will rebuild 3. Colby College: Downtown Waterville investment 'already paying off' 4. Boston couple pays $1.8M for Belfast inn with 'wow' factor 5. Proposal for 23 units in downtown Augusta would 'provide a huge jolt' 6. SBA Maine announces its 2018 award winners 7. A sea change is happening in opportunities for women in Maine's banking industry 8. Frontier Airlines adding nonstop flights from Portland to Denver, Raleigh, Orlando 9. Cranberry Isles' $1.3M broadband initiative seen as a model for Maine 10. Maine makes top 5 in states with highest tax burden P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y M O Z I D O 1 The new look offices are The new look offices are The new look offices are The new look offices are The new look offices are The new look offices are The new look offices are The new look offices are The new look offices are enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining enticing, but the defining theme is that companies are using office space as a means for recruitment and retention.

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