Oct. 30, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by Interstate Office Products.

In the next 25 years, Sioux Valley Energy forecasts show that the electric cooperative will add more than 22,000 members and between 50 and 60 megawatts of electric load on its system in Minnehaha County alone.

And the cooperative is building for that future today, recently completing a 32,500-square-foot expansion at its Brandon service center.

“Our current building is just about 20 years old, and we needed more modern space and additional functionality,” said Molly Burmeister, the billing supervisor who served on a building committee that helped work on the yearlong project.

Sioux Valley Energy turned to Interstate Office Products for help designing and furnishing the new space, building on a long relationship working together on other offices in Colman and Hartford and Pipestone, Minnesota.

“We interviewed multiple firms, but it really came back to our past relationship and the ease of working with them that made it a no-brainer,” Burmeister said.

Working with the design team of Marcia Young and Abby Tufvesson, Sioux Valley Energy toured several other Sioux Falls-area offices to gain ideas and inspiration.

“We were able to see options that would work for a diverse workforce and continue to work into the future as things change,” Burmeister said.

“We have engineers, operations and the leadership team there, so we need functionality for each of them while keeping our furnishings fairly consistent across the space.”

The tours “allowed them to see some newer looks and styles that are out there, and it was helpful to get ideas on everything from the conference room to technology,” Young said. “It gave them lots of options to consider.”

For example, new locker-style storage became a popular option for the team, allowing extra space for work boots, vests and other personal items.

“They love the lockers and how it’s a space made for what they need,” Burmeister said.

The workspace is all stand-alone offices, so IOP worked with Sioux Valley Energy to select consistent height-adjustable desks and chairs and a setup for dual monitors and easy cable management.

“The offices are pretty standardized, and they went with the same chair they ordered elsewhere in the organization 10 years ago because they like it and it’s performing well, but we carried through a fresher palate with similar styles,” Young said.

The overall look creates “a timeless space,” Tufvesson added. “It’s a very clean aesthetic.”

Team members are enjoying the new space, Burmeister said.

“We removed upper storage in these new offices, which was an adjustment, but they’ve realized they didn’t need all the stuff, and that was a good thing,” she said. “They all have standing desk options and are enjoying using those.”

The expansion also included a new training center that will serve the entire Sioux Valley Energy workforce.

“Our workforce has grown to 115 employees, and we anticipate that to increase even more through the years. Unfortunately, none of our existing spaces in our various service centers allowed us to hold that many employees at one time, which is essential for our all-employee training and safety meetings,” Burmeister said. “Our goal was to make that room functional for all employees to come together, whether they’re eating together or learning as a way to build culture.”

Additionally, a new large conference room “is phenomenal,” she continued.

“The large conference room is very versatile, with the ability to hold larger meetings, including board meetings if they so choose. There’s seating on the side along the table that will be great for when people are visiting, and overall, it’s just a great space. It’s my favorite room, and it turned out even better than the picture they sent us of it before. It’s really a professional setting and stands out and gives us a lot of flexibility as we continue to grow.”

Other smaller conference rooms support Sioux Valley Energy’s ongoing workplace needs in addition to the rare instances when its emergency operations center needs to be activated.

“If they need people there working around the clock, it’s set up for that,” Tufvesson said. “There’s a table and height-adjustable workstations, and there’s even a couch in an adjacent room, so someone could sleep there if need be and be close by.”

Another room slated as a mother’s room, as well as an emergency preparedness room, includes a sleeper sofa, “so they really tried to plan ahead for accommodations they don’t currently have,” Young said. “They’re very enjoyable to work with, and they ended up with a great look, nice and fresh but also that isn’t dramatically different from their existing adjacent space.”

For Sioux Valley Energy, “it was a great experience” working with IOP, Burmeister said.

“They’re professional, knowledgeable and not afraid to give different ideas that are maybe a little outside the box. They’re super-responsive and just good people to work with. They made a large project not seem so daunting, and it became something I think we can all be proud of. Going forward, for any future needs, we would definitely work with them again.”

To learn more about how IOP can support your workplace vision, visit i-o-p.com, or call 605-339-0300.

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