BTA member Pulse Technology has announced it will open a new location in Merrillville, Indiana, early this year.

Pulse Technology CEO Chip Miceli confirmed that the company has purchased a 13,500-square-foot building at 3801 E. Lincoln Ave., Merrillville, and is in the process of a build-out that will double the existing building's size to nearly 27,000 square feet. The structure formerly housed a fitness center and the building had been vacant for the past few years.

The Merrillville building will serve as Pulse Technology's new Indiana headquarters. Since expanding into Indiana in 2016, the company has operated in leased space at 312 Roberts Road in Chesterton, which was home to McShane's, one of the companies Pulse Technology acquired (the other being Kramer & Leonard in Munster, Indiana).

However, "We have outgrown the space," Miceli said. "As we have introduced the other services that our company offers to the Indiana market, including managed print and managed network, we needed more warehouse, storage and office capabilities. This move also affords us the opportunity to custom-build a first-class showroom."

Approximately 13,000 square feet of the new building will serve as warehouse space. The other half of the new Indiana headquarters will include a centrally located showroom, eight individualized offices around the perimeter of the facility, a conference room with built-in web conferencing capability, collaboration space, a break room and several other features. Entering the showroom, visitors will see a large LED wall display, where technology integrates with the latest office furniture lines that the company carries. The showroom will feature Kimball International, HON and Trendway, as well as multifunction printers and copiers.

Pulse Technology Project Designers Jolee Allerdin and Lindsay Kornau have overseen the layout and design for the company's new Indiana home, including the floor plan and build-out.

"We have designed a cohesive environment for the space, grouping the equipment by manufacturers, giving it a real showroom look and feel," Allerdin said.

"The showroom will showcase Pulse Technology's abilities and capabilities for the work office, from furniture and copiers/printers to other technology," Kornau said.

The designers are working with Griffith, Indiana-based Region Contractors on the build out. Because the building served as a fitness center previously and was a large open space, the build-out has necessitated the addition of walls and new flooring. The facility will be home to approximately 45 employees representing Pulse Technology's Indiana team.

The company has its Illinois headquarters in Schaumburg, as well as several smaller satellite offices throughout the state.

Some of the finishing touches, such as painting the exterior of the building, will have to wait until the temperatures are warmer, but the designers anticipate that all of the exterior painting can be completed by March or April.

Kornau and Allerdin are design specialists at Pulse Technology. Even when not tasked with designing the company's new Indiana headquarters, their days are spent collaborating with the company's sales staff executives who come to them with client needs. It may be furnishing a single office or an entire building.

"We're looking forward to seeing this new building completed," they said.

"We are looking forward to our new Indiana headquarters," Miceli said. "It's a high-visibility location and the design will be uniquely suited to our needs. We have enjoyed our time in Chesterton, and we are looking forward to becoming part of the Merrillville community and continuing to serve the needs of our customers throughout northern Indiana."

In other news, Pulse Technology has announced that Will Miceli of Barrington, Illinois, has been promoted to the position of service manager. As Pulse continues to expand with the construction of the new office and warehouse facility in Merrillville, the role of the company's service manager has expanded. The responsibilities of this new position will include overseeing Pulse's team of dispatchers, multiple warehouse facilities and the organization's team of service technicians at its Illinois and Indiana locations.

"We are very pleased to announce Will's promotion to service manager," said Michael Fair, director of business development. "Will's tenure here covers nearly two decades, and his knowledge of the different roles of technicians, warehouse workers and dispatchers makes him the ideal choice for this role."

In his 17 years with Pulse, Will has been successful in several roles, including the past five years as service technician. The Palatine, Illinois, native earned an associate's degree from Harper College and has continued to further his education in the industry by earning certifications from Sharp, Epson, Kyocera, HP and OKI. In his spare time, Will enjoys outdoor activities including hunting and fishing.

"As we continue our expansion into Indiana with a new facility, the role that our warehouse team, technicians and dispatchers play will become even more critical," Will said. "I'm glad to have the chance, as service manager, to help with this expansion."