JKaiser Workspaces: Creativity & Personal Touch
Impacting Workplace Culture & Environment
By Loni Nannini
In the past decade, JKaiser Workspaces has evolved into a powerhouse in the $579-billion global industry of commercial furnishings and design.
Since 2019, JKaiser Workspaces has twice been ranked as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies in the country by Inc. 5000. In 2020, the company was at the top of the list for fastest-growing companies in Tucson with 274% growth. The full-service furnishings and design firm is led by Founder and CEO Jessica Kaiser, who prides herself on unparalleled personalized service.
“Even as my revenue has grown, my staff stays small and that is intentional,” Kaiser said. “I like efficiency. Sometimes when companies get too big, the client experience suffers. I like to operate very small and work hands-on with my clients.”
That clientele spans the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Kaiser has designed more than 1,300 projects of varying sizes for partners in education, healthcare, food and entertainment, financial services, mining, utilities, defense, technology and other industries.
Kaiser’s portfolio includes the $20 million headquarters for Hexagon Mining in Downtown Tucson, the $62 million University of Arizona Student Success District, the $29 million renovation of the UA Chemistry Building, and the $40 million Tucson GEICO office. Other projects include Pima JTED Innovative Learning Center at the Bridges, Hughes Federal Credit Union, Tucson Electric Power and many more.
Through her work, Kaiser has cultivated professional relationships with many local, regional and national stakeholders in the building and design industries. Frequent collaborators include Swaim Associates Architects, Bourn Companies, Sundt Construction among others.
The extensive network stems from a foundation of commercial furnishings.
“When describing my business, I lead with commercial furnishings because we really are product-based,” Kaiser said. “The industry is interesting in the sense that you can be a commercial designer and not procure furniture. But JKaiser Workspaces is a one-stop shop where we can assist with furnishings and every aspect of interior design − ergonomics, acoustics, lighting, artwork, architectural finishes, greenery and accessories, basically anything from the drywall in. We can create a total turnkey design package if that is what a client needs.”
Kaiser works routinely with premier manufacturers whose products feature high-end and luxury finishes and lifetime warranties.
“Jessica really has a passion for office furniture and for the design work that she does,” said Tony Ferradino, a principal for 360 Furniture Group, which has worked with Kaiser for 15 years. “She loves picking out fabrics, finishes and color schemes for her customers and getting them the best products to fit their needs. We use her work with Hexagon Mining and Hughes Federal Credit Union as case studies on our website and showpieces if we have customers in Tucson.”
Kaiser’s extensive knowledge is a huge asset to clients who view their projects as investments in both their businesses and their employees.
“Jessica has a wide range of availability from different manufacturers and can look at design styles as well as price, and work with us to find the best solution for each client, not only aesthetically and functionally, but within their budgets,” said Michael Cuthbert, principal with Swaim Associates Architects and a frequent collaborator with Kaiser. “Maintenance is always a concern for our clients, and she knows the products that will last and provide the highest quality for the best price.”
“First and foremost, Jessica is a professional,” said Ian McDowell, VP and regional director for Sundt Construction. “She does what she says she will do when she says she will do it”
“She is very reliable and always shows up prepared with answers,” McDowell added. “We can recommend her to business partners and know the job will turn out well. She always delivers on what she says.”
Kaiser’s customer care is grounded in her creativity and problem-solving skills.
“I have always been creative, and I think my love of guiding people and helping to solve problems drew me to this field,” Kaiser said.
She said she honed those skills and her business acumen as a real estate professional after relocating from the Pacific Northwest 20 years ago.
When the residential real estate bubble burst in 2008, the mother of three transitioned into project management for a small commercial furnishings firm. She knew immediately she had found her niche.
She immersed herself in furniture sales, taught herself AutoCAD, the prominent design software, and learned the ins and outs of operating a commercial furnishings firm. After several years, she struck out on her own with a small office in Connect Coworking in downtown.
“I had enough money saved to start my business with no debt and I said, ‘If I can’t do this in six months and be profitable, I don’t want to be doing it.’ That is not a traditional business model, but normal is not my pace. I blaze trails,” she said.
JKaiser Workspaces was profitable within the first month and business snowballed. In 2015, the company moved to a space in the basement of Bourn Companies at 20 E. Congress, cementing a mutually beneficial relationship between the developer and the designer.
Business continued to boom until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. By April 2020, JKaiser Workspaces had lost $1 million in anticipated revenue.
An offer to buy out her lease and the furniture in her showroom enabled her to transition to remote work and weather the pandemic.
In 2021, she again partnered with Bourn to build out a dedicated space in the vacant first floor of the building known as City Park at 40 E. Congress St. It was a strategic move to maximize her business profile, particularly since her client, Hexagon Mining, occupies the upper floors.
“I have always loved the energy downtown and I have always appreciated the synergy with Bourn and Hexagon,” Kaiser said. “For my 2,000-square-foot-office, I basically get a five-story showroom because Hexagon is so great about letting me tour clients through their space.”
The working showroom gave JKaiser Workspaces its first street presence while helping Kaiser realize her philanthropic aspirations.
“I really put my mark on it and designed it exactly the way I wanted, from the dirt floors up,” she said. “I love this space, and I love working here. In addition to showcasing what we do, it provides a space for the community to come together for events and fundraisers.”
Kaiser said she is grateful for opportunities, through JKaiser’s work, to elevate corporate culture for her clients and work experiences for their employees and, ultimately, the community.
“I have built a business where I have an impact on the community, the environment and on the way people work, not just in Tucson, but around the globe,” said Kaiser.
On the design horizon, Kaiser is gratified by trends in flex working models and workspaces dedicated to general health and wellness, including gyms, yoga spaces, meditation rooms and other quiet areas.
“It is rewarding to see that many businesses are taking mental health and their overall concern for work families into consideration when furnishing and designing spaces. It has also been really cool to see the hybrid work model develop,” Kaiser said.
Ultimately, Kaiser looks forward to continued expansion of her professional network and her long-term client base.
“I want to work on meaningful projects and have partnerships of longevity,” Kaiser said. “I am strategic about the projects I take on because I know I am entering into relationships with my clients. I support them not just throughout the lives of their projects, but as years go by with the care of their furniture.”
Pictured above – Jessica Kaiser, Founder & CEO, JKaiser Workspaces
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