As he surveys the sprawling expanse of New York City 85 floors below, Marcus Moufarrige easily grasps why businesses are clamouring to use his office. The view, stretching from river to river, is spectacular from his vantage point in the One World Trade Centre, the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and sixth tallest, globally.
Since its opening in 2014, it has been touted the best office address in the world, an epicentre for retail and commerce, a hub of prestige and influence. It’s a location blue chip companies vie to be in, and has a space Marcus has made available to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
For Marcus Moufarrige, it’s all about location, location, location
Marcus is COO of Servcorp, a multinational providing office space to 35,000 businesses in more than 155 locations across the globe. All of these offices in 54 cities boast exclusive addresses and stunning outlooks over water, city skylines, or rambling botanic gardens – perfect for first impressions, priceless in value. “Our philosophy is to help our clients be successful in business, so location is definitely where we focus a lot of energy,” Marcus says.
“Having a recognisable address is the premium niche we offer, always. The other factors that set us apart from our competitors are our fantastic support teams providing professional services and cutting-edge technology. We’ve invested $100 million to operate all our offices on one technology platform.
“NTT was the first to step up and say it could deliver this international global network and was instrumental in helping us build it, while Dropbox is another service essential to our operations. Our clients can have the same technology no matter where they are working from in the world. Our locations, support and technology all combine to convert an empty space into a luxurious office suite.”
Servcorp delivers 5 star office space
Servcorp was launched in 1978 by Marcus’s father and CEO, Alf, a formidable boss, still very much hands-on in the company and described by his son as a force of relentless energy with an incredible drive to succeed. Alf’s concept was born out of his frustration at paying for office space and secretarial support he wasn’t always using.
Taking a piece of chalk to divide his corner office in Sydney’s MLC Centre, Alf rented out the space he didn’t need. Within a year, he was renting out 2 floors of office space and another in Melbourne. “There were other services around at the time, but they were in B-grade buildings,” Marcus explains. “No-one took the plunge to offer decent, well-fitted office spaces in prestigious buildings at reasonable prices. Alf did.”
Our locations, support and technology all combine to convert an empty space into a luxurious office suite
Today, Servcorp has 25 locations offering serviced or virtual offices in Australia, including elite addresses in Collins Street in Melbourne, Georges Terrace in Perth, Barangaroo in Sydney, and Eagle Street in Brisbane. Head overseas and business can be conducted in London’s famous Leadenhall Building, affectionately known as ‘The Cheese Grater’; Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi; Marunouchi Trust Tower in Tokyo; or PwC Tower in Auckland. All deliver 5 star comfort featuring elegant meeting rooms, designer furniture, contemporary art, and kitchen facilities, and are all ideal for pitching, presentations, workshops or training sessions.
A shift in mindset that’s good for business
Marcus recently relocated from Sydney to New York to expand the brand in America, where the company has kept a “relatively low profile” despite its 22 offices scattered across the country. “There’s a real shift in mindset around how renting space and virtual offices work, particularly here in the US where there’s been a ‘boutiquification’ of so many industries. Technology enables us to be more mobile and have better productivity.
“People are also realising that being locked into the long-term obligation of an office lease before achieving a steady revenue stream is risky and just not worth it. Millennials wanting to work for themselves all believe they have a magical start-up which will produce millions of dollars, and I think a lot of them will potentially succeed, at least in earning a living. All those things combined have been good for our business.”
Ultimately, however, Marcus acknowledges that the real key to Servcorp’s success lies in the passion and dedication for the family business that he, his father, and his brother Taine – a consultant and non-executive director – operate. “Our business is a great business,” he says.
“We don’t have to create a culture of commitment and love; it is already there. It is gratifying to know that the intellect and the guts of your father built something out of nothing. It is the ultimate skin in the game.”