Managing an office, taking in appointments, and helping any clients is a huge job for any receptionist or front office worker. However, this can be made even more difficult by having bad reception area casework. Does it actually matter that much? Absolutely. Take a look.

The Importance of Good Casework

In a nutshell, reception area casework is the seating area occupied by a receptionist that has many drawers, spaces for books, and a computer keyboard spot. This can be customized for any individual needs.

A reception desk can say a lot about an office. At first glance, people can tell whether the office is well kept and professional or just struggling to stay afloat. It’s also obvious if the owners of an office are not investing enough to even give their receptionist a good working area. All of these factors can go into whether you will accrue new clients.

Don’t overlook the importance of happy employees, too. Comfortable seating means a happy receptionist, and a good choice of casework makes for a beautiful office people want to work in day after day.

The best casework designs echo the other aesthetics in the building, making it look sleek and modern. Depending on your clientele, you may want a certain casework choice. For example, traditional wood paneling may work well in typical settings like law offices, insurance companies, and more, but something like stainless steel may help create the perfect feel in a cutting-edge industry like technology.

There are so many ways reception area casework can beautify your space, but only a professional can advise you well of all the options at your disposal as well as the best one to fit the needs and looks of your space. If you need help designing the casework that will make your reception area gorgeous, don’t hesitate to contact Carroll Seating Company, the golden standard of the seating industry!

Think about this: your company’s reception area often provides the first impression of your business to your customers or clients. So let us ask you this. Is this space inviting? Is it interesting? And most importantly, is it reflective of your business or brand? If you answered no to any of these questions, it may be time for a reception area overhaul, starting with the furniture.

There are lots of options for reception area furniture, along with a variety of materials and finishes. In terms of furniture types, there are two main categories: modular and custom.

  • Modular – This is furniture that is prefabricated and ready to install. The pieces are essentially one-size-fits-all, and you simply piece them together to create your desired workspace.
  • Custom furniture – Custom furniture is designed especially for your space, and according to your needs and specifications. With custom furniture, you get to choose the configuration, the materials, the finishes – literally everything.

With a custom reception area, you can design your furniture to match your existing space, creating a seamless flow from the front entrance to the rest of the space. Customized furniture also gives you the opportunity to let your creativity shine through, creating an inspiring workspace for your employees.

Carroll Seating specializes in creating custom casework for homes, offices, and more. We have extensive experience in working with customers who are redesigned their reception areas, and we know what it takes to maximize functionality in a space. Our quality and craftsmanship is top notch, and we have the experience to back it up. We’ve been in business since 1952, and our skilled team members can assist you every step of the way. Let us help you transform your reception area into a space you can be proud of!

The National Real Estate Investor online publication recently released a story about the increasing interest in student housing. There has been a lot of interest in student housing over the past twelve months or more. Why? People are seeing the economy improving, but interest rates remain low. While they can’t get a big return on more traditional investments, these people are finding that they can get big turnaround on their money when they buy properties and rent it out to students.

A long list of new investors have also joined the bidding for student housing assets, including high-net worth individuals, private equity fund managers and institutional investors… The total number of transactions grew slightly and the average sales price per bed also grew by about $3,000.

So, what does this mean for traditional student housing operations? It means that you have to step up your game to continue competing with those who are new to the game. New buyers tend to sink money into the off-campus properties at the start, to make them as attractive as possible. Students like the luxuries that come with houses and apartments that are off-campus, and which rise above the uniform dorm room look.

If you want to continue to compete effectively, then you need to design rooms that are inviting to a very creative generation – one that is used to customizability and one that embraces individuality. Built-in furniture isn’t against the rules, but it should have a modern feel with plenty of space for personalization. At Carroll Seating, we allow you to start the trend of customization. Create the layouts, select the pieces that you think will best accommodate the incoming students and we can make that happen. Wardrobes, dresser systems, and desks with plenty of overhead storage, are just a few of the pieces that can make your rooms attractive enough to compete with the new student housing investors. At Carroll Seating we have the knowledge and expertise to customize your student housing built-ins. To find out more, call us at 816-471-2929 or visit us online.

 

Laboratories have to be more flexible now than they’ve ever been in past years. With so many industries relying on the results labs produce, the facilities themselves must be nothing short of incredible so scientists can come up with the right solutions. One step that can make those facilities better environments is the right research casework.

The Casework of the Past

Crowder collegeNot too many years ago, floor mounted casework was the standard. With no real ability to adapt a lab to a current project, many were frustrated with the facilities, but things have changed. Instead of the old floor mounted standard, today’s casework options offer so much more. With full systems that are designed to be more adaptive to the needs of any given project, labs find the help they need within their own facilities.

Looking for The Best

As you search for the right casework to support your own research facility, you’ll want to keep several things in mind. First, consider modular options with individual components including cabinets, storage units, and work surfaces. Modular designs mean setting up for the next project is always going to be easier than it might be with floor mounted casework. Second, if it may come up in your research work, you’ll want to consider chemical resistance. Not all work surfaces incorporate this feature, but depending on the type of research you do, it may be essential. Finally, don’t forget to factor in the overall appearance of your casework, as well. Not only may it make your facility a better place to work, but it also may prove important should any new companies or investors tour your lab.

As you shop for the right research casework to meet your needs, contact us for help. We carry a full line of excellent options that can help put your lab one step ahead. Learn more now.

 

How often do you notice the little things in an office? It may actually be more often than you think. The smallest details can leave an impression on potential team members, clients, and more. Nowhere is this more true than in the woodwork you choose to grace your offices. Go fast and cheap and people will think the same of your company. Choose to make it count, and the professionalism your office will exude is certain to be immeasurable. High quality architectural woodwork says a lot about how much you care about your office surroundings, and Carroll Seating Company can help you make the right impression from the outset.

The Perfect Finish

blog2aWhether you’ve just finished a full office remodel or you’re moving into a brand new space, the finishing touches mean so much to the space. Choosing to go with custom architectural woodwork means significantly altering the aesthetics of the whole space.  By adding the right designs to your offices, you’re creating accents that can be both functional and beautiful at the same time.

The Ideal Team

Not every team, though, can give you the look you want. Only a group with the experience of Carroll Seating Company has the extensive knowledge you need to build out intricate, functional designs that will complement your company’s image. From the moment you contact us, you’ll know a very different experience is in store for you. We offer a dedicated project manager, a vast selection of ideas and products, and the significant skill necessary to tackle even the toughest projects from start to finish. To learn more about our architectural woodworking services or any of our previous project designs, contact us today to get started. We’ll be happy to come up with the ideas necessary to help get your dreams off the ground.

What kind of space best suits your needs? If you are an educator, what do you need to help your students learn best? If you are a medical professional or technician, what type of space do you require for testing, experiments, and storage? If you manage an office and want to work efficiently and create the right image for clients/visitors, what will help you do that? For professionals all over the country, the answer to all of these questions – and more – is Case Systems casework.
Casework Case SystemsCase Systems is a premier provider of quality casework. You may be unfamiliar with the term, but think about your bookcases, display cases, desks, and kitchen cabinets. These are all examples of casework: they can contain shelves, drawers, doors, covers, and other features to add to their functionality and aesthetics.
Why choose Case Systems? A few of the many benefits:

  • Meticulous attention to detail. A professional team gathers all pertinent details about your needs, taking care to listen to what you really require for optimal workspaces, whether a lab, a classroom, or a business office. Then, they can create systems that work as hard as you do.
  • Form and function. These pieces allow you to work seamlessly – everything you need is there; the design is intuitive and comfortable. But they also look great. If you are customer-facing, Case Systems can help convey a professional, sophisticated image to your visitors.
  • On-time delivery. Your order is filled in a timely manner, so you are never waiting on us.
  • Warranty. Case Systems stands behind the quality and durability of their work. Casework is backed by a five-year guarantee and limited warranty.

Carroll Seating specializes in education, laboratory, medical, and architectural casework, offering top-of-the-line solutions with Case Systems. When you need work space that is efficient, attractive, durable, and of the highest quality, count on Carrol Seating Company and Case Systems for the right help.

The classroom – it’s a space for learning and discovery like no other. So many amazing things can happen in a classroom, and while a classroom doesn’t even have to be a defined space, it certainly helps to create the right atmosphere for learning. From primary school classrooms through university spaces designed for those obtaining degrees at the highest level, aesthetics can actually enhance the learning process, and one simple way to ensure you’re building the right aesthetic feel is to choose custom casework for every classroom in the building.

453911359Understanding the Process
It starts with a simple idea. You know what you want in a given area. Whether it’s a science lab or a foreign language classroom, your ideas go far during the process. From there, you’ll contact the right custom casework company to meet your needs. While there are many, you’ll want to select one with extensive industry experience so you can make certain you’re getting the best from the outset. You’ll also want one with a fairly large catalog of options so you can make sure you’re getting exactly what you want in terms of look, options, and finishes. Once you’ve found the right company, you’ll sit down with your case or project manager to make your order. Order placed, the waiting process begins. Often within a few weeks, your order will be ready, and installation can begin in your facility. This is perhaps the best part, as you begin to watch your classrooms transform from drab and dull to nothing short of magazine-style amazing. Be sure to take lots of photos during the process for your newsletter or newspaper so everyone can watch the process unfold just as you have. Once the casework is installed and the finishing touches are put on, it’s time for your magnificent unveiling to students and staff. They’ll be so surprised at the new atmosphere you set into motion with a single call.

Making the Right Choices
With so many potential selections out there, it’s easy to wonder if you’ll make the right choice and create that perfect atmosphere for your students and teachers alike. Fortunately, most companies that create and install custom casework have you covered there, too. With designers on staff to help guide your decision making process and ensure you get exactly what you need in your order, you’ll have beautiful classrooms no matter what selections you make.
Custom casework can do so much for your classrooms. Look into it today, and enhance learning throughout your facility.

The Lake County Animal Control Center provides a wide range of services to Lake County, Illinois residents.  This particular building is used to house stray cats and dogs.  They hired Carroll Seating Company to design this wash area and storage area.  New stray dogs come into this area to get washed and treated by medical staff.  The staff will use both over and under custom cabinets to store the many cleaning supplies and items used for the animals’ health.  Carroll Seating Company installed custom Case Systems plastic laminate cabinets. Because of their concern for cleanliness, they chose stainless steel countertops from Institutional Equipment.  These are easy to keep sanitized and easy to care for.

More About Animal Care and Control (AC&C)

Animal Care and Control (AC&C) is designed to prevent the spread of rabies through vaccinations and education.  They do this through a number of services including: Animal Control Photo

  • Supporting a database of registered dogs and cats
  • Maintaining a lost and found network.
  • Providing spay and neuter assistance to low-income residents of Lake County.
  • Enforce animal control laws, including Lake County Ordinances and Policies, and Illinois Statutes
  • Provide interim shelter and care for stray and unwanted animals and transport to adoption center
  • Investigate complaints of nuisance and/or threatening animals
  • Provide emergency rescue of injured and sick stray animals
  • Investigate incidents of animal bites and/or scratches
  • Observe impounded biting animals
  • Submit specimens to the State of Illinois laboratory for rabies testing
  • Present educational programs to schools and community and civic groups
  • Provide animal control support services to Sheriff and municipal police departments upon request

The team at Carroll Seating was pleased to work on this project with the Lake County Animal Control Center.  For more information about this custom cabinet project, please visit the Carroll Seating website or call us in Elk Grove, IL at 847-434-0909.  For more information about the Animal Care and Control facility, please visit their website or call them at 847-949-9925.

 

The needs of college students continue to shift and change. Just a half-century ago, dorms were still ways of separating students from the outside world so they could focus on their studies. These days, students look for an increasing number of amenities from dorms. Some dorms include pools and waterfalls. Others have Mongolian grills and climbing walls. Many demand luxury at every turn in every inch of their living space. If you’re considering a dorm upgrade to help meet student needs, summer is the perfect time to do it, and we can help.

What to Consider

IMG_4287There are several upgrades you may want to consider in your dorm rooms. Perhaps you’d like to add shared or individual kitchen space to your units. Our custom casework is the perfect fit, providing excellent durability as well as the functionality students will demand.

Common areas are also usually ripe spaces for upgrades, and the key there is to get a good sense of the space before you begin making changes. Whether you want your common areas to have the feel of a cozy café or you’d prefer they look a bit more like a typical bookstore with tables and work spaces abound, we have the options that are ideal, no matter what the size of your project.

Tackling the Most Important Part

More than any other aspect of the project, you need to focus on making students comfortable in the space. At home, students may be used to moving from a bedroom to a living room to a kitchen with ease, and giving students the space to feel that they’re truly at home while on campus can help attract them to your university and keep them there.

Carroll Seating Company has been combining aesthetics and functionality in all of our dorm projects for decades. We can’t wait to help with your redesign. Give us a call now to learn more about what we can do.

 

It seems almost everyone and everything has gone green these days, and with talk of climate change continually in the media, it’s little wonder why. While you might remember your commitment to a greener world when you’re composting or using the water in your rain barrels, it can be a bit tougher to see how to incorporate it as you sit on the planning committee of a new lab. Even in educational and commercial laboratories across the country, though, going green can play a factor, and LEED designed lab casework can help you meet that goal.

What is LEED? LEED Certified

There are lots of terms associated with today’s green revolution, and LEED is one of many. The acronym actually stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and it is part of an initiative by the U.S. Green Building Council to help encourage professionals to design and build buildings and structures that are a bit more environmentally appropriate. There are a number of different categories within LEED goals including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation and design process, and regional priority.

How Does It Apply to Casework?

The casework for that new lab primarily falls into the materials and resources category.  In order to get that LEED certification, you’ll want to choose sustainable materials or those that use recycled components to be more ecologically friendly. Still lost as to even how that works? Here are a few examples that may help.

  • Those hardwood, veneers, and plywood choices that come from forests that are FSC managed are considered to be fully sustainable. The timber there is rapidly regenerated and the soil and site productivity is carefully protected and managed.
  • Steel choices can also be considered green because it can be made from sheet steel that contains scrap material that comes from old cars, appliances, and manufacturing fall off.

Don’t feel limited by going with LEED certification, though. There are still lots of options available to you. The key here is to talk to your designer and project management about your goals. It’s the only way to make sure every scrap of material that goes into your new lab is actually meeting your overall green goals.

The Benefits

Not sure why you should even consider LEED casework for your new lab? There are actually a number of different reasons.

  • Tax Credits: There are ongoing tax credits for certified LEED facilities that may help your organization save some money at the end of the year, something that’s certain to make the accounting staff a bit happier.
  • Smaller Price Tag: It may seem odd, but LEED materials often come with a far smaller price tag than even traditional materials, helping to put more money back into your project budget.
  • It’s Healthier: LEED materials often have fewer associated health problems than more traditional materials today, and that can be an excellent choice for those employees or students who will be in there on a daily basis.

To learn more about LEED certifications and materials, contact your designer or project manager.

 

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Dustin Hecht ,  Project Manager email our team
Dustin is a life-long woodworker with a passion for crafting. When he's not in the workshop, he might be found tinkering with cars or hitting the links for a round of golf. Dustin is a family man, happily married to Courtney, and together they have two daughters.

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Jacob Allen,  Rproject Manager & Estimator  email our team
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Connie Gillam,  Repair & Service

Connie Gillam,  Repair & Service  email our team
When out and about I enjoy spending time with my husband Michael and our 5 grandkids.

Brock Christopher,  Sales

Brock Christopher,  Sales email our team
On the weekends and during the evenings, a majority of my time is spent playing soccer with my 7-year-old Kade or working on various projects with my 12-year-old Kael.  During the fall you can find me doing anything related to the KC Chiefs or Mizzou Tigers.

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Suzi Johnson,  PM Coordinator email our team
I have spent most of my life in Illinois. I enjoy traveling and taking photos. I need coffee to function. My life revolves around my fur child, Norman.

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Dineen O’Keeffe,  Project Accountant

Dineen O’Keeffe,  Project Accountant  email our team
I enjoy spending time with my family. 

Sarah Maynes,  Project Manager/ Estimator

Sarah Maynes,  Project Manager/ Estimator  email our team
When I am not at work I enjoy baking.

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Sam is a safety trained supervisor of construction whose experience ranges from factory to field.

He enjoys hiking, road trips, and rock concerts.

Mike Gillam

Mike Gillam  General Manager & Director of R&S   email our team
My life outside of the office consists of trips to remote locations and spending time with my family and five grandkids.  I love the Lord and doing His work.

PJ Carroll

Patrick J. Carroll,  President  email our team
Patrick Carroll, Jr. assumed the positions as President, in 1998.

Alexander Klopp

Alexander Klopp  Sales   email our team
When I am not in the office I enjoy my life in the western suburbs as a Husband of 30 years, father of 2 adult children and an active member in our local Presbyterian church. Passions include family adventures with one-of-a-kind experiences.

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Evan Carroll,  Sales & Special Projects email our team

Evan Patrick Carroll, following an internship from 2003- 2005, joined as full-time sales in 2008.

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Outside of the office, I love spending time with my wife, 3 kids and our dog!  My hobbies include playing golf and practicing guitar which I keep working at. 

Meredith Pollard (Carroll),  General Manager  email our team

When I am not at the office, I enjoy my life in Roscoe Village, downtown, with my husband Mike, son Cameron and our dog Addy!

PJ Carroll

Patrick J. Carroll
President

Patrick Carroll, Jr. assumed the positions as President, in 1998.

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