A new office-space alternative is coming to St. Joseph and Berrien County.
MPI Properties LLC, doing business as ‘Plus’, is offering shared office space co-tenancy as “the ideal arrangement for companies seeking hybrid-friendly or less-expensive office solutions,” says Plus founder Steven A. Reed, who also is CEO of long-time St. Joseph firm Marketing Partners, Inc.
Office space “on demand” and co-working facilities offer shared working spaces, but, says Reed, “both options lack the personal, more permanent appeal of a home base that co-tenancy offers.
“Small business and professional firms as well as start-ups have embraced hybrid work schedules. They still need office space but the financial investment in a permanent home office may be too steep,” he says.
“We customize co-tenancy agreements based on your in-office schedule, employee preferences, and productivity goals. We invite individual professionals and small organizations that have a compatible need to enjoy office facilities and flexibility that would otherwise be unaffordable.”
The Plus co-tenancy facility offers move-in-ready efficient and flexible office space in a 5,250 square foot one-story office building at 2919 Division Street in Southtown St. Joseph a block off Niles Avenue.
Flexible floor plans are available for organizations ranging from solo practitioners to organizations of a dozen or more people. The office building features a waiting area, both private offices and cubicles, a refreshment area, a full kitchen and break area, conference room and a large meeting room suitable for seminars or training sessions. The space is fully furnished and ready to move in. Internet and wi-fi is provided and land-line phone service is available.
The building is the headquarters of Marketing Partners, Inc., which will continue to occupy a small section of the building. The company, founded in 1984 by Reed and partner Stephen Sizer, continues to do business in Berrien County but also serves clients elsewhere the United states and Canada.
“Like many companies with an expanded geographic footprint, our employees, contractors and suppliers are widely distributed,” says Reed, while noting that even local Marketing Partners employees primarily work from home.
Co-tenancy offers two key benefits, Reed says. First, like on-demand office and co-working facilities it allows companies to cut office space costs. But, unlike those alternatives, it provides an always-available home-base for hybrid employees to connect with one another, a key advantage of in-person work.
He points out, “The difference between this and on-demand office or a co-working space is that we offer an opportunity to create a home base with psychological safety for your team members to be their full selves, to be creative and share their ideas and take risks.
“That synergy can be difficult to create in an environment that feels impersonal or temporary. Here, they get to go into the office when scheduled or when they feel a need and feel like it’s theirs. They know the other people there and they can feel comfortable in their space,” says Reed.
“There’s even the possibility of synergy between the businesses that are co-tenants,” he added.
Reed believes hybrid-friendly office solutions that offer a sense of permanency and a feeling of “our place” are a better solution than drop-in or on-demand models. He cites a recent survey by the national commercial real estate firm CBRE about the appeal of different leasing trends.
Most respondents preferred options such as “bundling access to shared building services amenities and/or flex space” with move-in ready spaces. Among companies with fewer than 100 people, 24 percent of respondents expressed interest in sharing space with another tenant.
