Where there”™s smoke, there”™s fire. Unfortunately for the principals of The Ruby Group, the smoke they smelled when they drove up to their Goshen headquarters in February was their own building, gutted by an electric fire.
“A combination of off-site data backups and help from our vendors turned what could have been a disaster into a non-event,” said Pete Berman, a principal in the family owned company. “We were open for business the day after the fire. Work on all of our projects continued without interruption; our clients probably wouldn”™t have known anything was amiss unless they read about it in the newspaper.
“It did create a challenging spring and summer, working at home and in temporary trailers on the site” said Berman, “but we were able to complete the planning phase and start construction about eight months after it happened, a quick turnaround for a project like this.”
The 4,200-square-foot, two-story building going up on Goshen”™s Route 17A is designed to reflect the pre-war homes, barns and farmhouses that surround it. The Ruby Group will occupy the second floor and have four office/retail spaces available on the first; one already has a tenant secured.
Green technology will play a major part in its construction: waterless urinals, high-efficiency spray-foam insulation, an insulated attic and heat-recovery ventilators on mechanical equipment are just a few of the energy-efficient and ecologically sustainable ways the family will re-build.
“Our new headquarters will be an example for our clients of how to ”˜go green”™ and keep it affordable,” Berman said. The new building, which will cost approximately $370,000 when completed, is expected to be open for business by February.
