Blue Foundry Bank has provided comprehensive financial products and services to Northern New Jersey for nearly 150 years. The Rutherford-based company creates services using innovative methods, attention to detail, and craftsmanship to deliver the best experience for its customers.
For Blue Foundry’s 40,000-square-foot administrative hub, the financial institution’s President and CEO, James Nesci, sought to create a space where employees would have the opportunity to work collectively in a flexible workspace. As Blue Foundry Bank considered the design of their new hybrid offices, they viewed a technologically infused working environment as an essential investment to engage and retain employees while also attracting new ones.
Blue Foundry partnered with global collaboration services provider Kinly and designers at DMR Architects to adapt a technology standard that would foster a more collaborative and productive office environment. As an office standardized on Microsoft Teams, Crestron’s ability to seamlessly integrate and support the software made the Crestron Flex Digital Workplace Platform the right selection.
With Crestron Flex, employees can fully embrace the opportunities afforded by a hybrid work schedule, collaborating seamlessly with their teams and remote workers. Additionally, the range of the Flex platform allowed Blue Foundry to utilize different form factors to scale the audio and video experience appropriately for every space.
“The versatility is tremendous,” said Nesci. “We have been able to evaluate our spaces and get the proper feedback to equip each meeting space with the Crestron Flex solution that will best serve our employees.”
The Crestron and Microsoft Room Scheduling Panels with Microsoft Teams software help foster a productive work environment where personnel can book rooms like a hotel. Employees have embraced the scheduling system, structuring meeting room usage and streamlining management of these spaces. For the health and safety of employees, wave sensors were also installed to eliminate touchpoints throughout the office.
Blue Foundry Bank worked with Kinly to fully integrate every piece of Crestron technology, driving how the office functions and performs for employees. The audiovisual experience is consistent throughout the office, including in common spaces. Music plays throughout the facility to enhance the ambiance as employees go about their day. To support health and wellness, Blue Foundry has installed circadian rhythm lighting— dimming, brightening, and changing hues to adjust with the natural light of the sun throughout the day.
The new office space also features many customized finishes and unique amenities such as a wellness room, lounges with fireplaces, and a café which serves as a space for teams to connect. In the café, twelve large displays show sports games and news programming, in addition to corporate branding and advertising content. To boost morale and show appreciation for employees, Blue Foundry also displays company signage to acknowledge work anniversaries, significant events, and more.
“Incorporating Crestron technology into the office encourages employees to engage,” said Kevin Carpenter, operations manager at Kinly. “Blue Foundry’s philosophy on the modern workplace allows their company to stand out as an industry trendsetter.”
