‘Like an extension of the team’: Sioux Falls Canaries’ new office knocks it out of the park

Feb. 17, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Interstate Office Products.

Every office design strives to be a home run – and for the Sioux Falls Canaries, it was mission accomplished.

“It’s amazing what a new space can do,” said Jack Fossand, the team’s executive vice president.

“It’s been huge for us.”

Fossand is part of a team that aims to take the Canaries to a new level of performance in Sioux Falls – both on the field and off.

Last season, a new ownership group took over, led by Brian Slipka, the founder and managing partner of True North Equity Partners.

Redesigning the longtime Canaries office was one of many immediate improvements prioritized by the owners.

“It was a complete gut job,” Fossand said. “We have a ton of new people on our team, and we talk a big game about our vision for the Canaries, and this new space is a true reflection of the vision.”

The Canaries worked with Interstate Office Products interior designers Marcia Young and Abby Tufvesson to bring that vision to life.

“Their vision was to bring the space up to the modern era,” Young said. “It hadn’t been a focal point, and there hadn’t been a lot of thought put into the design for a long time. But they wanted to convey the corporate image of the ball club in a way that, when you walked in, it felt like an extension of the team.”

Here’s how the office used to look:

Walk in now, and “the brand definitely jumps out at you,” Young said. “We have the blue and yellow on the reception desk, on the seating and the carpet. And yet it’s not screaming out loud. It’s nicely tied into the space.”

New flooring and paint, some wall removal and entirely new furniture helped create “a completely fresh space,” she said.

“For the flooring, we did a wood grain laminate that reminds you of a baseball bat, so we played off that a bit and continued to integrate the blue and yellow in the furniture and accents.”

Interstate Office Products “gave us renderings early on, so we could make decisions on doors and colors,” Fossand said.

“We needed more private spaces. Before this, we only had one private office. Now, we have sliding doors in two office spaces and a hotel desk where two or three people can work at a time because we have so many seasonal staff constantly moving around. It’s been huge for meetings, for interviews. Before, we’d have to go into the stadium or merchandise area to have a private conversation.”

The team also now has height-adjustable desks, including in the refreshed sales “bullpen.”

“My favorite piece in the entire office are the chairs in the conference room. I joke about it, but it’s true. We haven’t had new chairs for a decade, and now there are pops of color everywhere,” Fossand said.

“They were able to customize everything, from the color of the desks to the faux wood to the striping in the carpet, and we’ve put up photos of our stadium, our players, our community foundation, so they were able to tie in everything, and it’s really coming together.”

Interstate Office Products also provided the Canaries with modular walls for the offices and conference room.

“It’s all very open and glass when you walk in, so it’s very welcoming and just a fun space,” Young said.

Interstate Office Products also has served the city of Sioux Falls in multiple office projects, so the Canaries chose some pieces that are typically used.

“It’s a good example of how we can use the same pieces but make them look completely different with the finishes and the overall environment we create,” Young said.

“So it was a nice spin on a traditional product. It’s a high-quality Steelcase line, so we incorporated that but used different finishes to change it up and make it unique for this niche within the city.”

The refreshed space already is making it easier for new and current staff “to buy into us,” Fossand said.

“We just hired a salesperson from Chicago who is super excited about it, all the things we’re doing in the ballpark, and this office is a reflection of executed vision.”

The team at Interstate Office Products was “really, really good to work with,” he added. “They were fast, efficient, and they put a really good product in front of us. They also were very transparent about timing. We know shipping and products can be unpredictable, but they gave us a plan, and I said I didn’t want to be out of our office more than two weeks, and it ended up being that way. So it was very efficient in terms of scheduling.”

And with the office essentially done, the team is ready to look toward opening day.

“You throw around words like ‘face-lift’ and ‘rebuild’ a lot, but this really does show our vision in terms of the level of professionalism and newness we’re committed to here.,” Fossand said. “We’re putting our money where our mouth is, and that’s been a huge piece for us.”

Are you ready to move your office space into 2022 and beyond? Visit i-o-p.com, or call 605-339-0300.

Want to stay in the know?

Get our free business news delivered to your inbox.



‘Like an extension of the team’: Sioux Falls Canaries’ new office knocks it out of the park

Every office design strives to be a home run – and for the Sioux Falls Canaries, it was mission accomplished.

News Tip

Have a business news item to share with us?

Scroll to top