Low Country Profiles
McWaters
Stepping into the expansive showroom of McWaters on Shop Road, it's quickly apparent that we're not talking about your father's cubicle. Far from being "trapped in their cubes," today's office workers are constantly on the move, both in and out of the office. As a supplier for Steelcase, McWaters designs, sells and installs office environments to encourage mobility and accommodate the kind of collaboration that is vital in the 21st Century economy.
"It's not uncommon today to have 'satellite employees' who are only in the office a few days a month. They need a place to spread out for a few hours, hook up a laptop and recharge their cell phone or PDA," says Ned Little, McWaters general manager.
At the same time, full-time inside employees are also moving from a conference room to a colleague's desk to another shared space. Again, they need a place to plug in or to capture that brilliant idea that often hits you when you're down the hall somewhere. Whiteboards – electronic and traditional – provide an outlet for that bit of inspiration. In a McWaters-designed office, you might also find "conversation stations," almost like a bar area, for impromptu meetings. One of the most innovative new products is the "Room Wizard," which includes a scheduler and a door side message board for booking conference rooms.
"It can tie directly into Outlook, so that when you schedule meetings, you also book your room," says Little.
William Gresham, president of McWaters, says the explosion of office technology, as well as a preference for environmentally friendly "green" manufacturing of furnishings are the biggest changes in his business.
"Technology and mobility have changed the workplace dramatically," said Gresham. "There's an amazing amount of wiring for telephones, computers and power. And you don't want to have to crawl under your desk every time you need to plug in a laptop or a cell phone."
McWaters has been helping Columbia work better since 1945. From a single location in Columbia, the company has grown to include offices in Savannah and Augusta. In fact, the company doesn't just work around the Southeast, but globally as well. McWaters recently designed and installed workspace for a multi-agency government facility in Guantanamo Bay.
In addition to office environments, McWaters has a division solely dedicated to selling and installing flooring. The newest service the company offers is corporate moving and installation.
"We don't use contractors or temporary workers. All of our installers are our employees – they are trained to do the work right," says Gresham.
Gresham also points out that McWaters has degreed interior designers on staff, certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification.
"Our focus is on how you're going to use your building," says Gresham. "The earlier we can become involved with your project in terms of design and functionality, the better."
