HQ: New Office Solutions for a new age

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HQ: New Office Solutions for a New Age

Photo by Joash Bloom

In 1989, Mark Dixon noticed a problem. He saw that business travelers in Brussels, Belgium, were struggling to work and conduct meetings in cafés. They had to compete with the noise of everyday life and the hectic pace of a major global city. In response, Mr. Dixon founded the office-sharing company Regus that same year, offering rentable office space to the business community.

Since then, Mr. Dixon has rapidly expanded his company to keep pace with worldwide market demand. Eventually, Regus was rebranded as International Workplace Group (IWG), bringing together world-class operations, management, and unmatched industry experience. As the company has grown, it has acquired several office brands, including Signature, Spaces, and HQ. These brands provide a range of workspace solutions, from luxury office environments to affordable shared workspaces located around the world.

According to Simon Condon, an executive at the company, IWG has “more than 4,000 buildings globally… IWG is located in every major town, city, and transport hub worldwide, so startups, global companies, and every business in between can work wherever they need.”

In recent years, IWG established a presence in Akron with an HQ office-sharing location. Situated at 388 S. Main St., the HQ Akron office exemplifies effective and flexible workspace solutions. From walking through the modern lobby to being greeted by Community Manager Olivia Baumoel and seeing the wide variety of office spaces available, visitors immediately experience the professionalism and expertise that come with more than 35 years in the industry.

The Akron location offers coworking spaces, private offices, and meeting rooms available on a pay-as-you-go basis. HQ also provides long-term options through monthly memberships. Members receive furnished office space (if desired), the freedom to personalize their workspace, and access to essential business services such as printing, scheduling, IT support, mail handling, and more. Membership also provides access to IWG locations worldwide, allowing your office to move with you wherever business takes you.

HQ Akron offers more than 30 private offices, comfortable lounge areas, meeting rooms, and complimentary coffee. For professionals who work remotely but still want a prestigious business address, HQ also offers a virtual office membership starting at $55 per month. This option allows members to work from home while maintaining a professional office presence for meetings, mail services, call handling, and other business needs. Most services are managed through an online portal, requiring minimal interaction with the physical location while still providing the benefits of a downtown Akron business address.

Although the Akron location is the first HQ office in the city, it is not the first in Northeast Ohio. HQ already operates locations in Cleveland and nearby suburbs, including Independence. The Independence office served as something of a test case for the Akron expansion. Following the success of both locations, plans are already underway to expand office space within the AES Building, adding more private suites and coworking areas in partnership with the Schipper Group, which owns the building and has been instrumental in the location’s success.

The AES Building itself offers more than 1,000 free, suburban-style parking spaces for visitors and employees. The property borders the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and is surrounded by many of Akron’s cultural, artistic, educational, entertainment, government, and transportation amenities. With its convenient location and extensive amenities, the AES Building lives up to its slogan as the place where “Akron’s leading businesses thrive.”

Through the Schipper Group’s partnership with Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA), three students from the School of Business and Entrepreneurship had the opportunity to interview HQ Akron Community Manager Olivia Baumoel, Schipper Group President and CEO David Schipper, and Schipper Group Vice President Joash Bloom. Students David Siff, Trent Lindh, and Evan Kolb were accompanied by the program’s director, Alicia Chamberlain.