KRE concept, general contractor since 1998, is the partner for global project management, offering its customers a tailor-made, turnkey solution. James Konjovic, founder and managing director, a multicultural man with dual Franco-American nationality, explains the philosophy and methodology of this human-scale agency.
How would you define KRE Concept's business?
The agency's differentiating expertise lies in the design and optimization of service sector spaces. We study our customers' needs, assess the constraints of their project, work with them to design spaces where their staff can work efficiently, and carry them out on time and on budget.
Our priority is to listen to our customers, to understand their business issues, to find ways of optimizing their spaces, to identify their explicit and implicit needs and, more generally, to immerse ourselves in their philosophy. Only then do our experience and expertise enable us to contribute our ideas and our vision of the project (within budget): we exchange ideas, open up avenues and advise. There's no one-size-fits-all solution: every customer has his or her own philosophy, and every project is unique.
It's our job to show our customers the different trends, such as open-spaces or coworking spaces, because each of them must be used wisely, taking into account the needs of the users. It's important to strike the right balance between collaborative spaces and those dedicated to activities requiring individual spaces, which remain the best solution for certain functions or professions: carefully defining the number and size of meeting rooms, always thinking about the well-being of users, and not neglecting acoustics and decoration in the broadest sense of the term.
In recent years, the quality and appropriateness of space planning have acquired strategic importance, as they are also recognized as effective arguments not only for retaining, federating and energizing talent, but also for attracting it. Employers know that, in an often tense job market, if a good candidate is hesitating between several offers, a visit to offices offering a real quality of life at work and where a real atmosphere reigns, will help tip the balance in the right direction. This approach also helps to retain the best employees and motivate all staff.
What is the profile of the KRE Concept team?
We're a company on a human scale, with 27 employees and sales of just over 10 million euros in 2017. Our aim is to win the loyalty of our customers over the long term, and to achieve this, I attach great importance to the quality and seriousness of our work. My aim is therefore to control our growth and maintain control of our sites, both in terms of quality and on-time delivery. For several years now, Thomas Cheseaux, sales manager and associate, has been supporting me in this endeavor, enabling me to supervise all projects and ensure that our customers benefit from the latest innovations in our profession.
Our team includes 7 architects, an economist, an acoustician, 4 site managers, space-planners, 2D and 3D specialists, a marketing department and an accounting, secretarial and administrative department. We carry out over 150 turnkey projects a year. We have been using the same partners for each trade for 20 years, with 4 different companies for each trade, to ensure perfect adaptation to the size and needs of the project, and to be able to compensate for any failure on the part of one of them.
One of our distinguishing features is the versatility of our staff and the synergy that exists between them; this ensures seamless project management from conception to delivery to the customer.
What are K.R.E Concept's strengths?
Unquestionably adaptability, advice, speed of execution and respect for deadlines. For example, we have just completed a project to refurbish 3 800 m² floors on an occupied site (all trades, including demolition and relocation) in six weeks per floor, including relocation, office furniture, acoustics and blinds.
But also the speed of project quotation, clarity of presentation and quality of execution. Our turnkey services range from the feasibility study to the execution of the work, including the production of 2D, 3D and axonometric drawings, and the drafting of specifications and schedules.
For the peace of mind of its customers, KRE Concept also supplies furniture and decorative accessories, offering a complete turnkey solution.
Finally, it's the quality of our interface with the customer, who is always in contact with the same architect, project manager, works supervisor and furniture manager throughout the entire project (from design to handover).
We have many loyal customers, some of whom have already completed several projects.
Some of the big names among our references: L'Oréal, ICF Habitat, La Maison des Buralistes, SII, Potel et Chabot, Facebook.