In just three decades, CCS has grown from a two-person operation to one of the largest AV integration firms in the U.S. With more than 300 employees spread across 17 states, CCS has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in our industry.
But CCS wasn’t content with just being big — the integrator wanted to showcase their AV design capabilities in a truly innovative and dynamic way. That’s why they embarked on a mission to create a modern headquarters office that would leave a lasting impression: CCS’ own headquarters!
And boy, did they succeed. CCS has been recognized as the 2023 Commercial Integration Award Winner for Best Corporate Campus Project!
The new CCS headquarters is a sight to behold. From the two-story lobby that opens up to a multi-functional indoor/outdoor café event space and training center, to the large glass movable walls and oversized garage door that lead to an outdoor amenity patio, every inch of this space screams “state-of-the-art.”
But it’s not just about the aesthetics. CCS made sure to incorporate the latest technology throughout the entire building. With wooden bleachers facing a massive DVLED videowall in the entrance, glass and wood conference rooms acting as focal points, and the ability to showcase real-life working AV solutions, clients and visitors are in for a treat! Above the lobby is a glass and wood conference room that acts as a bridge and focal point connecting the first and second floors.
Related: 2023 Commercial Integration Awards Winners Announced
What’s more, CCS is attracting future staff with innovative features like floating offices, custom TV displays, fitness and esports gaming rooms, and full-height storefront windows offering breathtaking city views.
Far From an Ordinary Project
This project was far from ordinary for CCS. They took on the roles of both integrator and customer, spending years meticulously planning and designing their dream headquarters. With customer experience, technology and variety at the forefront of their minds, they transformed the entire building into a Customer Experience Center with the help of over two dozen manufacturing partners.
Construction began in January 2022, with the goal of vacating their old building by the end of the year. Despite the challenges of moving a large corporate headquarters after 20 years in one location, CCS remained determined. “Despite many challenges, we did not slow down,” says Julie Solomon, chief marketing officer, CCS. “If anything, we sped up to have one of our busiest and most successful years in 2022. We were able to accomplish this through a collaborative approach with our build team. Weekly meetings either in person or over Teams from the job trailer made it possible for everything to stay in order and ensured our new HQ was moving in the right direction without delays. Strong relationships with our manufacturing partners provided quick shipments of necessary equipment, even during a time of industry-wide supply chain issues,” she says.
CCS staff and installers did not stop any time during construction, working remotely as the company finished packing up the old headquarters and moving into the new. The holidays even saw a family Install Day added in to make staff members feel a sense of ownership and ensure that everything was ready on time. It all paid off, and by the beginning of 2023 CCS was able to welcome employees and guests to its new headquarters.
CCS Headquarters: A Striking and Functional Space
As soon as one enters CCS headquarters, they are greeted with one of the most eye-catching spaces in the whole building. the two-story lobby leads to a multi-functional indoor/outdoor café space and Training Center. The space’s large movable glass walls and oversized garage door open to an outdoor amenity patio, which can quickly transform the area into an event space large enough to host over 250 guests.
The first sighting of tech integration at CCS HQ is in its lobby with its unique 90-degree angle Sharp/NEC DVLED videowall. This space also incorporates two premium, compact large-venue EPSON laser projectors shooting messaging directly down onto the polished concrete floor, six 55-inch SONY displays on Chief Fit Menu Board Wall mounts, and a Q-SYS sound and paging systems.
The Customer Experience Center is distributed through a Crestron DM NVX system, with tvONE’s CorioMaster 2 and multiple BrightSign players providing content to all displays. The patio features JBL speakers and a Peerless High Bright Outdoor display. All of this comes together to create a streamlined and immersive experience for everyone entering CCS’s front doors and sets the tone for the AV technology to be found throughout the building.
On the second level, CCS was concerned that transitioning to workstations in an open floor plan would be a noise issue. They were able to reduce noise distraction and protect speech privacy by using Cambridge soundmasking and Jabra wireless headsets. CCS provided additional privacy for unified communication needs with individual chat rooms featuring Jabra Panacast equipment.
Looking to the Future
The new space offers an open concept floor plan, high ceilings and lots of light — something CSS’ previous space lacked. The the bar/cafe, gym and esports Gaming Center make it a great environment for unwinding after hours. “Our local customers and prospects’ reaction to our new HQ has also been overwhelmingly positive,” says Solomon. “We have had more guests wanting to visit and explore our HQ than ever before. We happily host customer events and charity functions after hours and on weekends.” She continues, “We are thrilled to see the increase in collaboration our HQ has afforded and can’t wait to see how it will continue to impact our operation in years to come.”
CCS’s new national headquarters is at 1426 W. Bass Pro Drive Mesa, Ariz.
Click “view slideshow” to see images of CCS’ new headquarters. All images courtesy of Kyle Zirkus Photo.
Equipment List
- Crestron control processors, touch panels, encoder/decoder
- QSC audio DSP, speakers, amplifiers
- Sharp/NEC DVLED videowall
- Sony displays
- Epson projectors
- NETGEAR switches
