June 2, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Interstate Office Products.

For years, the team at Landscape Garden Centers had been so focused on making outdoor spaces beautiful that their own indoor workspace took a bit of a back seat.

“Not only were we out of space, but the space we had wasn’t laid out efficiently,” owner Erik Helland said.

“At the same point, we had a 45-year history at our previous location, and we wanted to incorporate some of that in our new space.”

When Landscape Garden Centers began planning its new location on the south edge of Sioux Falls at 47238 271st St., Helland reached out to design and furnishings partner Interstate Office Products.

“Part of the vision was to try and repurpose as much as he could,” workplace specialist Mark Payne said. “He brought us in at the time of his initial design, which was helpful, and that allowed us to evolve the space with him from there.”

The office space, which serves as both a headquarters and design center, is one of several buildings on the new campus. The idea is that customers can efficiently work with landscape architects on their projects given the more efficient layout.

“It’s very streamlined, and part of the concept behind the office is that it allows for meetings with landscape designers in a professional space, so you can go through your plans and then go into the garden center and look at plant material and the other products making up the design,” Helland said.

“It’s very unique in our industry, blending the showroom with the greenhouse and the design space.”

The overall contemporary industrial aesthetic of the office incorporates the reuse that Helland initially envisioned.

Wood from the former location is upcycled into the ceiling and other elements of the space, including the table in the conference room.

“Because of that, we kept the overall design pretty neutral, so the things that stand out are the focal points they brought in from the old space,” IOP interior designer Erica Endres said.

The office building includes a central gathering area that can be used for training.

Further inside, an efficient design makes good use of a fairly compact space.

“Even though the offices are on the smaller side, it gives everyone a dedicated space and takes the professionalism and design up a notch,” Endres said. “When you’re working in landscape design, you want to feel some inspiration from your space. And they had just outgrown where they were in a way where the space wasn’t providing that.”

The spaces utilize a lot of glass, which adds to the open feeling, including panels in workstations that blend privacy with visibility.

“They are not high workstations – you can see around them,” Endres said. “And we added marker boards to give them an extra work area.”

IOP even considered how the work sometimes can be a little messy.

“A lot of the furniture has a neutral earthy palate because we kept in mind hands can get dirty here, so we didn’t go with any super light colors,” Endres said.

All team members received height-adjustable Steelcase desks with the move, “which they absolutely love,” Helland said.

“They have flexibility. They have their own space. They were asking for the desks at the old location, and everyone is really pleased with the option to change between sitting and standing throughout the day.”

The IOP team worked closely with Landscape Garden Centers throughout the multiyear process and gave the necessary attention to detail to ensure it all worked, Helland said.

“We sent lots of changes their way throughout, and they were great – from working through the supply chain to installation,” he said.

“After I was treated and how they responded in such a timely fashion, I actually went back to my staff and told them what an enjoyable experience it was and reminded them I wanted us to be just as consistent, timely and responsive with our own customers.”

And now that the team is moved in – just in time for the busy spring and summer seasons – the feedback is fantastic, Helland added.

“My team just loves it,” he said.

“We went back and forth about whether to do largely all new furnishings, but it’s worth it. You have to move forward, and we wanted everybody sitting in something new, and at the same time we were able to still bring over very, very functional pieces from our old site. We’re just extremely happy with how it turned out.”

See the space for yourself! Landscape Garden Center’s ribbon-cutting will be at 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 6, at 47238 271st St.

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

Landscape Garden Centers opens in expanded new location