What's Happening at ACDI's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

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By Andy Slawetsky – ACDI recently moved into a state of the art facility in Benton Arkansas. The event was impressive as local leaders, including the Benton Mayor and even Arkansas’ Governor Hutchinson were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

I had the opportunity to attend the event, along with partners from Konica Minolta, Toshiba and PaperCut, dealers such as Barry Simon of DataMax, Darrell Amy and many others. PaperCut CEO and founder Chris Dance, a personal friend of ACDI’s president Josh Lane, came all the way from Australia for the big moment.

When I arrived, Josh took me on a tour of their new digs. Indeed, this facility is brand new, state of the art and beautifully decorated. A wide open layout with rustic looking wood floors greets visitors when they arrive. Lots of collaboration space and breakout rooms can be found throughout both floors and they event put a roof terrace on the second floor that’s incredibly cozy, with a massive fireplace and couches, yet another out of office space where employees can work and meet. A ping ping and foosball table can also be found on the second floor in an entertainment area.

Several attendees said the same thing, “it’s like a mini Google facility,” referring to the modern look and feel. It’s very bright inside, with windows everywhere. ACDI didn’t spare any expensive, choosing to outfit the building with new furniture throughout.

According to Josh there are many reasons for the move into this new location. First, they simply outgrew the old place. They could have just moved into a larger space, yet they chose to build this one from scratch. It allowed them to get exactly what they wanted, set up specifically for their needs.

Also, no more renting out hotel facilities for the many training sessions they run throughout the year. It can all be handled in house. Better yet, no more relying on hotel WIFI and projectors at these sessions. All the technology and expertise they need will be under one roof. It’s much easier to manage and provides a better training experience for their guests.

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The building also conveys a hip, successful vibe that will no-doubt, help ACDI in their continued expansion. In fact, they’re hiring now. As employment levels are at an all time high in Arkansas, it’s critical for companies like ACDI to stand above other employers, particularly to Millennial workers who will be impressed by the beautiful layout. Simply put, it’s just a really nice place to come to work every day.

A bit later, the crowd had formed and the Governor arrived. Josh, the Mayor, Governor Hutchinson and Chris from PaperCut took the stage for a series of speeches. Josh’s was great. He is super humble and it was a truly proud moment for him with his wife and four children watching from the first couple of rows.

They started this company with three people and now they’re surrounded by employees in one of the most impressive buildings in the regions. It’s seriously one of the nicest buildings in our industry and if you have a chance, you should definitely pop in for a visit. I’m told this building will be featured in architectural publications.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, many attendees were treated to a dinner down the street where we spent the evening celebrating with ACDI. It was a quick visit, but I appreciate ACDI inviting me to a monumental event in their history. Congratulations!!!

~Andy