George Riddering, office managing partner of Plante & Moran in Grand Rapids, in the firm’s new office space at 634 Front Ave. SW.
Plante & Moran moves upstream
Pete Daly
The Grand Rapids office of Plante & Moran has moved a few hundred yards upstream, from its former Bridgewater Place quarters to a new building — officially known as the Plante & Moran Building — which also has splendid views of the Grand River, plus it was built to be seek LEED-green certification from the get-go.
The accounting and business advisory firm moved in Dec. 8 after signing a 12-year lease with The Christman Co. for a larger amount of office space at 634 Front Ave. NW, Suite 400. Plante & Moran now has 34,000 square feet — two full floors of the five-story building. The first and second floors of the building are mostly parking, and the top floor is occupied by the West Michigan offices of The Christman Co., which broke ground on the $11.5 million building in the fall of 2007 and completed it one year later.
"We are committed to downtown Grand Rapids and determined to be a major player in this business community," said George Riddering, office managing partner of Plante & Moran in Grand Rapids.
Riddering noted that the new quarters offer a very close view of the Sixth Street dam and the fish ladder, plus a good view of the extensive construction activity on the Michigan Street hill — “the Medical Mile” — across the river.
"We were at capacity at Bridgewater," said Riddering, noting that the firm's Grand Rapids office had been in that location for about 15 years.
The Christman Co. also enjoyed a very short move to its new location in Grand Rapids — an even shorter distance than Plante & Moran. Joe Hooker, Christman’s development services manager in Grand Rapids, noted that Christman had been located in the Riverview Center building just to the north of the new Plante & Moran Building.
The Plante & Moran Building is the first new office building constructed directly on the west bank of the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids since Robert Grooters built Bridgewater Place in the early 1990s.
The Plante & Moran project also included new construction on the paved Riverwalk on the bank of the river from Fish Ladder Park to the north.
As part of Plante & Moran’s commitment to sustainability, the firm designed its new office space with a significant number of green features, such as energy-efficient utilities, on-site recycling and related attributes. About 75 percent of the occupied areas in the building receive natural light from the floor-to-ceiling exterior windows. The interior hallways are fitted with high windows to preserve the privacy in the offices while letting natural light into the halls.
Plante & Moran is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification for commercial interiors and expects to know the results by February. Christman is also seeking LEED certification for the core and shell of the building.
Plante & Moran donated a significant number of office furnishings — from tables and chairs to computer stands and bookcases — to The Potter’s House School in Grand Rapids, where they will enjoy a useful second life and actually help contribute to a higher LEED rating for the Plante & Moran Building.
“We have also made a significant investment in green products and processes, reflecting the importance that we — and our clients — place on the principles of sustainability," said Riddering. He noted they have also "built in a number of special features, including enhanced technology and improved communications, to serve our staff and clients now and well into the future.”
Some of the environmentally friendly features include a white roof that will reduce energy use for cooling and reduce the urban “heat island” effect from sunlight heating up manmade materials in pavement and buildings. Plumbing fixtures that use less water are expected to result in a 40 percent reduction in water and sewage usage.
Diane Bauman, marketing manager at Plante & Moran, noted some other features that support sustainability and a higher LEED rating, such as a “green” housekeeping program that precludes use of cleaners high in VOCs, to protect the health of the occupants and the environment. Of course, there is also on-site recycling of paper, cardboard, plastic and other materials, and a parking rack for bicycles, which has at least one member of the staff looking forward to bicycle weather so he can ride to and from work.
Bauman commented that "many of the things you can get LEED points for are common sense."
When the staff moved in, there was an opening celebration in which Bauman passed out a handy little gift for everyone to take home — a high-efficiency spiral light bulb.
She said they are hoping there are enough LEED points for a Gold rating for the new Plante & Moran Building interior.
The building houses Plante and Moran's 112 Grand Rapids staff members, with room to accommodate future growth. To encourage efficiency and collaboration, staff members' offices are clustered around the firm’s seven industry focuses: manufacturing, health care, financial institutions, real estate and construction, service industries, private equity and public sector.
The space includes a training center with seating for 38, but the seating can be moved out of the way when the space is used as a day-care center for employees' kids when moms and dads have to go into the office on Saturdays during the spring tax season. A large closet off the training center is equipped with shelves already storing toys and games.
The new offices also feature state-of-the-art technology for communications and conferencing, and enhanced security technology.
“We are very pleased with our new space,” Riddering said. “The move coincides with our 20th anniversary in Grand Rapids — and our 85th anniversary as a Michigan-based accounting and business consulting firm.”
Founded in 1924, Plante & Moran has more than 1,600 professionals in 18 offices throughout the Midwest and in Mexico and China. The Grand Rapids office, which is one of the largest in the state, is one of three in West Michigan. The others are in St. Joseph and Kalamazoo, which have a combined total of more than 225 staff members. Combined, the West Michigan offices employ more accountants than any other accounting firm in the region, according to the company.
The firm, the nation’s 12th largest certified public accounting and business advisory firm, has more than 7,500 clients and focuses on middle-market companies. Services include audit, tax matters, wealth management, litigation management, real estate consulting, investment banking, merger and acquisition, and related services.
Plante & Moran has been recognized by a number of organizations, including Fortune magazine, as one of the best places to work. |