AMARR GARAGE DOORS
When CEO Richard Brenner was designing the corporate headquarters of Amarr Garage Doors in 2002, he followed one guiding principle: “I wanted our space to be a great recruitment tool. I wanted both employees and visitors to have no doubt that this is a great place to work,” Brenner explains.

Founded in 1951 by brothers Abe, Morris, and Herb Brenner, Amarr has grown into one of the world’s leaders in the design and manufacturing of garage doors.
Details such as bright, bold colors, whimsical furniture, and funky art lend themselves to an inviting work climate, Brenner says.

In the building’s main atrium, linoleum spirals of yellow, blue, green, and black map out an intentional “yellow brick road,” an allusion to Amarr’s manufacturing plant in Lawrence, Kansas. This space is used frequently for company meetings and events. Brenner says this fosters a feeling of approachability.

The creativity doesn’t stop there. Garage doors are a natural theme throughout, with many used as moveable walls, workable white boards, and even art canvases.

Maintaining a focus on people, the building is also punctuated by a foosball table, picnic tables, a gas grill, a full kitchen, and an employee fitness facility next door in the research and development building.

Executive Assistant Terri Elliott has been with Amarr for almost four years. One of the personal touches she notes is that human resources is instead called the People Department.

In 2000, The Business Journal awarded Amarr one of the area’s Best Places to Work. “Richard wants us to be all about people,” Elliott says. “Clearly he is achieving his goal.”

For more information, go to amarr.com.

ISP SPORTS

America’s Home for College Sports loves calling Winston-Salem “home.”

Founded in the Twin City in 1992, ISP Sports now boasts more than 60 regional offices. Still, CEO Ben Sutton Jr. remains committed to staying in the city that has been so supportive of him and ISP — a nationally recognized sports marketing business, says Executive Assistant Anne Reddy.

When the company outgrew its corporate building in 2007, ISP moved to Trader’s Row, a mixed-use office, retail, and residential building on Trade Street. “The move not only solidified Ben’s loyalty to Winston-Salem, but also his dedication to the revitalization of downtown,” Reddy continues.

The 31,500-square-foot headquarters is an impressive space for visiting partners. And Winston-Salem’s location makes ISP convenient to many of its collegiate partners, including schools in the ACC, SEC, Conference USA, and Southern Conference, among others.

Company team members — many of whom are young professionals — say they enjoy the facility too. Sports memorabilia lines office walls and hallways, regular 3-on-3 basketball games take place in the lobby after-hours, and employees can take advantage of the state-of-the-art workout facilities and locker rooms with hand-crafted wood lockers.

“Being in such a unique sports environment combined with the energy in the downtown Winston-Salem Arts District makes ISP an amazing place to work,” concludes Sarah Brophy, benefits manager.

For more information about ISP Sports, go to ispsports.com.

THE THOMAS S. KENAN INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS

“As an institute for the arts, it is appropriate that our offices showcase original artwork,” reads the introduction to The Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts’ collection guidebook. Truly, this mission is accomplished when visitors come to the renovated 1910 cottage on South Main Street.

Established at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the institute is an incubator for projects that sustain artists at every point in their creative development. Staff members make their offices in the rooms of the spacious cottage — in an old kitchen, dining area, and bedrooms. Handcrafted furniture pieces replace traditional metal filing cabinets, and more than 100 pieces of art, from paintings to fine crafts, grace the space.

“The vision of the Kenan Institute for the Arts is that the people with whom we work are given the opportunity to dream,” explains Executive Director Margaret Mertz. “Therefore, the
atmosphere of the institute should foster this sense of possibility and a chance to reconnect with a creative spirit.”

For more information, go to kenan arts.org.