When Hughes Marino CEO Jason Hughes decided to set up his company workplace in San Diego, he knew he and co-owner and President Shay Hughes wanted to totally transform their Front Street property in Downtown San Diego with modern elements while leaving historic features intact.
The vision was to create an inclusive environment chock-full of cozy aspects of home. People took notice, and the San Diego office was highlighted on officesnapshots.com.
Hughes says before the firm took it over in 2011, the space was an auto repair shop and a magazine’s headquarters. It had an ’80s feel until the team transitioned it with more modern accents, and has been the cherished home to their San Diego team for over a decade. After two years of Webex video calls during the pandemic, the crew is thankful to be back in its offices, meeting in person again.
Hughes predicts the back-to-the-office trend will continue to happen across the nation as workers to grow weary of work from home isolation.
Here are key details that make the headquarters of Hughes Marino so special:
1. What’s Cooking?
Hughes’ San Diego office features a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen equipped with two Sub-Zero refrigerators, an industrial oven, and two dishwashers. Snacks are delivered each week for employees, and team members have access to dual espresso machines throughout the workday. Team members can congregate around a farm-style table to catch up over lunch and brainstorm ideas.
2. The San Diego Headquarters Has Got Game
Like many contemporary offices, this workspace incorporates fun game room details including a billiards and shuffleboard table and a putting green. There’s even a basketball court in the parking lot. Hughes says the goal is to have these collaborative spaces for team members to relax and build camaraderie while embracing their competitive side.
3. It’s All About That Space
“We’re committed to creating a welcoming space,” Shay says. “Everyone knows that happy employees are productive employees.
Other defining details of the San Diego digs include an 80-inch high-definition television, plenty of skylights, a baby grand piano, and several guitars, which have been used for jam sessions by team members and guests who are musicians.
4. It’s Picture Perfect
All of the company’s office locations feature a family photo wall of team members and their families. It’s a nod to the company’s core value of embracing the family spirit.
“‘Embracing the family spirit is one of our team’s 10 core values, and we actually do embrace it on a regular basis,” Shay says. “We share meals together in the office every day. We laugh at our family snapshots that flash across a slideshow playing continually in our company’s ‘living room.’”
The 12,500-square-foot, two-story headquarters also incorporates eco-conscious office features.
Hughes installed a Solatube in a dimmer spot of the San Diego office and because of that, he needed to add fewer lighting fixtures, which led to conserving energy. He also made the headquarters more sustainable by changing the building’s halogen lighting to LED.
The building is also Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified as a green building.
The office also features a variety of original artwork. Shay says details matter and playful decor “adds to the creative vibe of a workspace.”
Multimedia sculptures by Gary Polonsky and paintings by James Wolanin are peppered throughout the premises.
Hughes continually finds himself asking, “Is my team enjoying the journey?” and developing ways to make his headquarters a fulfilling workplace. He has brought in various motivational speakers to amp up the team, such as rapper-turned-mega-entrepreneur Jesse Itzler and author and business coach Mike Robbins, who mentioned the enterprise in his book We’re All in This Together.
Hughes says he hopes his team members see the San Diego office as a second home. “We encourage everyone at our company to get a little bit better every day,” he says. “It’s all about enjoying the journey and loving who you’re working with.”
Says Senior Vice President Sean Spear: “You have to appreciates how much attention to detail John places on creating a welcoming and productive workplace. He made it a top priority to provide outstanding spaces to make our teams as welcome and comfortable as possible. As workplace amenities have almost become expected, it’s important to invest in your employees’ happiness by investing in your office. Employees will have even more reason to love where they work.”
