SOUTHINGTON — There are no cubicles at the FLP Financial offices in the Clark Brothers bolt factory building on Canal Street.
Employees and executives work intermingled at reclaimed crate wood desks on the former factory floor. To one side of the desk clusters are glass-walled conference rooms and a meditation space. At the other end of the 10,000 square foot space is a full kitchen for employees.
FLP Financial, which offers wealth management and accounting services, moved from a Cheshire location two months ago. Owner and founder Matthew Glatt said the former factory had the right location and aesthetics.
“Traditional office space just didn’t do it for us,” he said. “We try to create an environment where people want to work.”
Renovations took about nine months. When designing their offices, Glatt said they thought of how people work from home and incorporated those features. There’s an area with couches by a fireplace where employees might join a video conference. It is by the kitchen, which can be used throughout the day.
“You don’t need to sit in a 10 by 10 room all day to be productive,” Glatt said.
There are no desk assignments and employees can choose a different desk every day and usually group with other employees working on the same project. Employees use lights with various colors to indicate whether they’re concentrating on a task or available for interruption.
Carmelina Mancini, hired in June, wasn’t sure how she’d adapt to the unconventional environment. She’s found that she likes it and has grown used to sitting at different desks.
“It keeps the clutter down. It keeps me disciplined to be organized,” Mancini said.
The company has 14 employees and plans to double in size over the next few years. Glatt moved FLP Financial from a building he owns in Cheshire that wasn’t big enough to meet its needs. He started the company in 2012.
The redesigned space reflects the company’s values, Glatt said, and shows clients that the company is different. It’s also a way to attract quality employees and keep them.
Lou Perillo, the town’s economic development coordinator, said he was glad to see factory space being repurposed as offices. The Clark Brothers building has attracted growing companies like Kinsmen Brewing Co., which opened an event hall this year.
Former factories can be attractive to companies looking for unique and interesting working spaces, Perillo said.
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