When world-class architectural lighting firm BEGA went looking for its second corporate home in the U.S., it began with a long list of must-haves and nice-to-haves. Little did the BEGA team know that all their needs would be met and all the niceties found in the emerging urban center of Baseline in Broomfield, Colorado.
But before we tell you that story, a little background on BEGA. With its roots in Germany and its corporate philosophy built around a dedication to (bordering on obsession with) quality, BEGA is a third-generation family-owned manufacturing company specializing in architectural lighting and furniture. Its U.S. subsidiary, BEGA North America, is headquartered just south of Santa Barbara, CA. And with BEGA’s business growing rapidly in both North and Central America, it became clear that another manufacturing and distribution campus was in order.
Must-haves and nice-to-haves
To facilitate shipping, the new facility had to be near the center of the country and close to interstate highways. It needed to be surrounded by a large pool of well-educated talent and well-qualified suppliers. And of course it needed to meet all the basic requirements for square footage, ceiling height and so forth. The nice-to-have list, on the other hand, included things like a building with lots of natural light and a location convenient to an international airport with short direct flights from California.
Above all, BEGA’s new home had to be in a place where BEGA employees would want to work and live. A place with interesting local culture and an abundance of natural beauty. And a place that reflects BEGA’s corporate values of fostering trust, building community, embracing growth and living responsibly. In other words, the new campus had to be a proper home not just for BEGA’s growing operation but also for its distinctive culture.
As Alec Veldhuizen, BEGA North America’s business development manager, puts it, “BEGA operates in unique, desirable places. It is a huge part of our secret sauce and our DNA.”
“It felt like home”
Alec was part of BEGA’s site selection team that traveled to Colorado. The team had a double-digit number of locations in the Denver area to tour. “And when we all set foot on where our campus would be in Baseline’s Innovation District, and we looked west and pictured our facility with the Front Range behind it, with a beautiful sky and the sun just starting to set, it clicked. Baseline absolutely checked all the boxes. It felt like home.”
Speaking of home, one of the BEGA team’s favorite things about Baseline is how it offers employees the opportunity to live close to work. Like walking-close. And, as Alec explains, with the cost-of-living difference between Colorado and California, “Home ownership is actually possible here.”
Aligned on quality
In Baseline and in McWhinney, BEGA feels it has found not just a great location but a kindred spirit. “What the McWhinney team and the designers working on the Baseline community are trying to create, it all aligns with what we’re trying to do as an organization,” says Alec. “Baseline is quality, quality, quality.”
And McWhinney feels the same about BEGA. So much so, in fact, that McWhinney is now using BEGA lighting and furniture products in Baseline. Which, as Alec points out, has created an interesting new experience for BEGA team members. “Now our employees get to see our product full circle, from design and manufacturing to interacting with them first-hand in the community.”
All the way around, it seems BEGA and Baseline were simply made for each other.
