Going the Extra Mile for Lectorum’s Office Renovation and Expansion
Since its founding in 1960, Lectorum Publications has grown to become the largest Spanish language book distributor in the country with titles from more than 500 domestic and foreign publishers.
The company had leased warehouse space near the Meadowlands, NJ, for close to 20 years. But lease rates had shot up recently as Amazon and other online retailers demanded more and more prime warehouse space. As a result, Alex Correa, president of Lectorum, and his team found it necessary to seek lower-cost locations, eventually choosing to relocate to Pinebrook, NJ.
The company leased an industrial space, which needed to have 5,000 sq. ft. of new offices with modern, open workspaces built. “We wanted to be in a place that we were comfortable and we could operate efficiently. To get something we needed, and exactly how we needed it, was hard. So, we basically had to redo the entire space,” said Alex.
A customer-oriented team
Time was not on Lectorum’s side. The company was under considerable pressure to clear out of their current space as their lease drew to an end. It was critical to complete the fit-out and relocation on a tight schedule.
Alex reached out to three contractors to discuss the renovation project and request project estimates. “JR Recchia, Northfield’s project manager, was faster in getting back to us with a quote,” said Alex. “His level of attentiveness meant a lot to us and our timeline. That’s why we decided to work with Northfield.”
Northfield’s responsiveness and openness continued throughout the project. As Alex said, “They were quick to come back to us on any question we had. They were very clear in everything they were going to do. And they were very transparent in the budget and gave us fair prices.”
He found Northfield’s field crew to be equally customer-oriented. “Nick Recchia, JR’s brother, ran the crew and he would be right on time getting started each day. He would be very responsive and positive,” said Alex adding, “Both Nick and JR are goal oriented. They know what they need to do. They are very friendly and people-oriented, which made it easier to work with them.”
Going the extra mile
Lectorum’s office construction occurred during the pandemic, so it’s no surprise there were some supply chain issues. When this happened, “Northfield was really good about communicating ahead of time with us. They were ahead of things instead of waiting until the last minute. And they went the extra mile to keep to the schedule,” said Alex.
For instance, when the local distributor was unable to supply the paint needed for the office, Northfield found it elsewhere and had it delivered quickly so the company move-in would not be delayed.
Alex and his team are pleased with the way the new corporate office turned out. “It’s a very nice place to work. When people come in, they’ll ask me who did our space, and I have recommended Northfield Construction to them.”
“I think they made the process as clear and easy as possible. Northfield’s people give more than 100% of their knowledge, customer understanding, and service to make it easy for you. They try to make your construction project a really good experience for you. And at the end, it shows,” Alex concluded.