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US BUSINESS REVIEW: INTERIOR MOTIVES
Interior Systems Inc. says its one-stop-shop services and products 'help businesses get noticed.'

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When it comes to turnkey offerings of interior design, seating and décor manufacturing, brand management and program management, Interior Systems, Inc. (ISI) leads the industry, CEO Lindsey Bovinet says. “The difference between ISI and our competitors is our people,” he states. “Our passion for what we do is expressed through our work and is evident in every element of every design.”

The Wisconsin-based company is the world’s largest supplier of seating and décor, and the firm specializes in serving the restaurant, retail and education industries. “Our qualified staff of interior designers, computer-aided drafting specialists, artists, project managers, installers, skilled manufacturing associates and innovative leaders supports this one-source entity,” Bovinet explains.

Founded by Bovinet in 1979, Interior Systems started with just $500, tools and a down payment on the company’s first job – a restaurant in Norfolk, Neb., he says. Soon after, Bovinet hired two employees, and the small company moved into the basement of a second-hand store in Fond du Lac, Wis.

ISI now is headquartered in Milwaukee and has grown to serve a national and international customer base. The Fond du Lac facility has expanded to 100,000 square feet, which houses multiple shops, including millwork, steel, upholstery, fiberglass and art departments. Its Santa Fe Springs, Calif., facility houses a design studio and additional production facilities.

The company’s turnkey services include interior design, product design, 3-D modeling, fixture prototyping, engineering, estimating and project management, the company says. ISI also offers art services, including signage, graphic design, large-format printing, airbrushing, hand painting and on-site mural work.

“From initial design through manufacturing and installation, ISI is a one-stop source for your interior needs,” Bovinet says. “We have the talent and the tools to guide you through projects from concept to opening day – with results that exceed your expectations.”

Broad Client Base
ISI works with six of the top 10 restaurant chains in the United States, such as McDonald’s, CKE and Yum! Brands, and it designs spaces that are comfortable and sophisticated. “We create experiences that are relevant to the brands we are working with and to the customers,” Bovinet says. “Understanding the unique goals and challenges of our client is our first critical step to creating truly inspired solutions. 

“We work closely with our clients to develop a strong partnership to facilitate our in-depth understanding of their unique goals and challenges. This rings true in each project we undertake.”
Interior Systems’ education clients include a variety of school districts across the United States, including Austin Independent School District and New York City Department of Education. School cafeterias are redesigned to draw students in and better accommodate the growing school population, Bovinet says. As an added benefit, the space is transformed into a much-needed source of revenue by increasing student participation. 

For its retail clients, ISI has been the key for countless clients in creating environments that are inviting and effective selling spaces to which customers want to return again and again. 

Interior Innovation
Bovinet says the diversity of the industries it serves challenges the company to always produce the best solutions. “The biggest challenge for our company is to continually innovate, invent and deliver relevant interior experiences for the markets we serve, at the same time maintaining costs and investment dollars in a time of great general economic concern,” Bovinet explains. 

At a time when competitors are clamoring for business, ISI has positioned itself as an industry leader with careful fiscal planning, solid judgment and foresight, Bovinet states.

Green products and practices are becoming increasingly important to the company, Bovinet says, and it offers its clients several sustainable products. “In 2009, we will have attained Forest Stewardship Council certification and be staffed with LEED-accredited designers,” Bovinet states. “Our sense of responsibility extends to leadership in protecting the environment and good citizenship in the communities where we work and live.”

Pride in its People
Interior Systems’ core values are what propel it to the forefront of the industry, Bovinet explains; the core values include people, customers, integrity, creativity, excellence and performance. The company values its employees, because the people “built this business and are the key to its future,” he says. “We strive to make the work place safe, value diversity and emphasize teamwork and leadership.

“We are committed to a work place where individuals are treated fairly with respect and dignity, where all associates have an equal opportunity to expand their skills and take advantage of new opportunities, and where accomplishments are recognized,” he continues.

The company’s drive to meet and exceed customers’ expectations in every market is a top priority. “We are a client- and market-driven company that prides itself in outperforming industry expectations in creativity, listening, response time, production quality and in-field service,” Bovinet says. “Each contact with a customer is an opportunity to increase customer satisfaction and develop new business.

“Creativity is key in meeting and exceeding customers’ expectations,” he continues. “Creativity [is] driving and uniting the company, separating ISI from competitors. We pride ourselves on having a mosaic of talent, resulting in diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences that fuel our creative process. When combined, each person’s unique traits help build and develop solutions.”

The company also embraces the importance of taking accountability for its performance and products. “We recognize that profits are essential to creating capital for growth, prosperity, opportunity, job satisfaction and job security,” Bovinet explains.

Its core values helped make the company the success it is today, he says. “Through these values, we are able to create a service that believes in accountability, operates ethically, exceeds customer expectations and strives for innovation and excellence,” he explains. “This distinguished set of values really separates us from our competition.”