08 May 35 Years of RI Workplace: Our Founder’s Story | NYC Office Design
35 Years of RI, Told by Our Founder
Our story really begins in the early 1970s, when several of us – who would later become RI’s senior team – were working in the trades across New York City and its suburbs.
We spent decades in drywall, ceilings, and finished carpentry – and learned from skilled artisans, architects, and designers along the way. Over time, we grew beyond the trades into project management, office furniture, and eventually full design-build, building not just spaces, but something bigger.
The 1990s
By the early 1990s, we were starting to shape what would eventually become RI Workplace.
We launched Renotech Interiors – a business providing commercial interior renovation services.We operated out of a converted residential space in Valley Stream, New York.
But while our set-up was modest, our dreams were big.
We were working from makeshift cubicles, laying the foundations for what would become a third-generation workplace design/build firm.
By the mid-90’s, we began offering turnkey commercial interior design/build services as a package, which included design, construction, millwork and furniture.
A New Millennium: The 2000s
By the early 2000s, it was clear how far we’d come – and that it was time to take the next step.
Our growth led us to purchase a larger building next door, where we built a showroom, corporate office and large custom fabrication shop.
This new space allowed us to expand our operations and create a more refined office environment and showroom.
The space reflected the design trends of the time, with traditional cubicle layouts and rich cherry and mahogany finishes.
Into the 2010s
In 2010, we relocated Renotech Interiors to Tappan, New York – an exciting step forward for the business.
Our new office gave us the opportunity to embrace a more modern, open-concept design, blending private workstations with collaborative areas and updated finishes that reflected how the workplace was evolving.
A couple of years later, in 2012, we marked the next chapter in our story, evolving our name from Renotech Interiors to RI Group.
The 2020s
By 2020, our team had grown again, becoming a third generation firm.
To accommodate this expansion, and to bring us even more centralized to our client base in New York City and the surrounding suburbs, we relocated to our new workplace in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.This new space gave us the opportunity to create something different: a workplace that truly reflected how people work today.
That’s where the idea of our “Workplace Retreat” design-build approach began. Our vision was to design an office that supports productivity, collaboration, and employee wellbeing – while reflecting the latest thinking in workplace culture and innovation. Our Saddle Brook office became the blueprint for this approach.
The result was a unique, future-ready space that brought our mission to life:
Dream. Design. Build. Transform.
Today, that same approach is how we deliver workplaces for our clients.
Changing our Name in 2021
In 2021, RI Group became RI Workplace – or simply ‘RI’ as we know it today.
As the team grew and the business evolved, our new name better reflected what we had become – a company who simplifies the creation of inspiring workplaces that help our clients’ teams do their best work.
Our Workplace Today
Every workplace we design has a story, and ours is no different.
When we first took on our Saddle Brook space, it was outdated and lacking character – but we saw the opportunity in that.
As a team, we came together to reimagine it from the ground up, creating a space that reflects how we work today.
Different zones were carefully planned to support focus, collaboration, and everything in between.
Since this space would also act as our showroom, it was important to us that clients could experience it firsthand. Now when clients visit, they get the chance to see everything, from lighting and finishes to furniture and layout, and imagine how it could look in their own workplace.
35 Years in the Making
Our 35-year journey has been a rewarding one.
Along the way, we’ve learned how to overcome challenges, stay focused on quality, and deliver projects on time and on budget – without losing sight of what matters most to our clients.
We’ve embraced new technologies as they’ve emerged, helping us deliver faster, smarter, and with greater precision.
But some things haven’t changed. We don’t walk away from a problem, and we’ve always placed a high value on trust, relationships, and doing the job right.
Time and again, we’ve seen how the right workplace can make a real difference – and help our clients attract and motivate great people, and ultimately grow their businesses.
All Eyes on the Future
Now, 35 years on, those same values and skillsets have been passed down through generations, helping guide where we go next.
We’ll always look to stay at the forefront of design, construction, and technology, but never at the expense of the principles that built this business: trust, quality, speed, and doing right by our clients.
We’re passionate about what we do because every project brings its own challenges, and with that, the opportunity for our team to do their best work, creatively and technically, for our clients.
Over the years, we’ve built something we’re proud of: a track record based on trust, long-term relationships, and consistently delivering on our word. In an industry that can be unpredictable (lawsuits, broken promises, and failed companies), that’s something we never take for granted.
It’s that trust – built over more than three decades – that continues to drive everything we do.
