Road
races, basketball tournaments and biking events don't just happen;
expert managing and marketing is necessary to successfully pull
them off, and that's where Event Marketing and Management, International
comes in. Known as EMMI, the company is owned and operated by
Jon and Betsy Hughes.
While
EMMI may not be a well-known name, the company's store, Track
Shack is familiar turf to sporting enthusiasts who compete in
Central Florida races, including Walt Disney World Race Marathon,
of which Jon Hughes is the director.
Although
Jon and Betsy remodeled the store's space themselves(with some
help from a few subcontractors), the couple approached PSG Construction
to create additional office space for their growing company.
Jon
has no trouble recalling what motivated him to seek out a professional
to remodel the EMMI offices instead of doing it himself. "Remodeling
the store was so incredibly stressful that we didn't want to
go through that again," Jon says. "After the time [we
put in], effort and frustration [of doing a remodeling project
ourselves] we weren't about to do it again. We made some costly
mistakes and wasted money. We'd take one step forward and two
steps back," Jon recalls.
The
couple confess it was the "dumbest thing we had ever done"and
knew they would seek out a professional remodelor to complete
the office renovation.
Since
PSG Construction had sponsored the company's road race maps,
it seemed logical to approach them to see what they could do.
"We saw PSG's newsletters, which were very impressive and
showcased some of the work they did," Jon explains.
The
couple's goal in remodeling EMMI's office space was to create
a "nice professional office with enough space to grow,"
Jon says.
Working
within a strict budget, PSG Construction and Slocum Platts Architects
Design Studio, P.A., played off the existing structure that had
originally been warehouse space with a block exterior wall. By
incorporating the block wall, a functional sliding panel warehouse
door (to create character), existing skylights and exposed pipes
into the plan, PSG kept within the budget while creating a pleasing
working environment with unique style.
A
glass block wall is creatively shared with Track Shack store
space, allowing natural light from a bank of windows in the store's
front to illuminate the otherwise dark office space.
The
remodeled office includes a conference room which Jon has come
to use as a second office because of its spaciousness and seclusion.
A bathroom with shower allows staff members to run during the
day and clean up prior to returning to work.
One
requirement Jon and Betsy placed on PSG was that the store had
to remain open during the course of construction. PSG met that
challenge by constructing a temporary wall which allowed business
to go on as usual. "They went above and beyond [the call
of duty] to keep the noise and dust out of the store," Betsy
recalls.
Having
worked from the space for several months now, Jon says he is
impressed with the "attention to detail and the quality
of products" chosen. "The space is finished off
very nicely," Jon remarks. "We're very pleased. If
we have the slightest concern, [PSG] either comes here personally
or sends someone out." PSG
SOURCES
Design - Slocum Platts Architects Design Studio, P.A.
Furniture - Florida Business Interiors & HAWORTH
Doors - Residential Building Supply
Air conditioning - Standard Air Services
