Our Commitment to Our Clients
We believe a physical space can shape the human experience when the built environment, furniture, acoustics, technology and aesthetics work in harmony. We work to combine these elements with foresight and relentless planning, while being fiscally responsible, providing an insightful journey and seamless client experience. Through this process, we hope to become a trusted partner who evolves with you .
Bringing office and academic spaces to life through contemporary design and innovative furnishing solutions.
About Us
Claudia Russo has been a mainstay of the Massachusetts furniture industry for over 40 years. Her story in furniture began when she started working for a contract office furniture dealership after coming to the realization that law school was not for her and needing to support herself and her young daughter.
She had been working in the industry for 18 months when she realized the opportunities for growth within contract sales divisions. However, in 1983, Contract Office Furniture Sales positions were limited for women. Rather than accepting the status quo, Claudia followed a script that has guided her ever since, evolving philosophically from the book Games Mother Never Taught You. Claudia contacted every furniture dealer within a fifty mile radius, ultimately earning an interview and position with a company.
Though that first company ultimately closed, she interviewed with a second company who elevated her to Manager of the Worcester office and its lead salesperson, a position at which she excelled for several years. In the late 1990s, she eventually moved on from that company after realizing its management style did not align with her values and ethics, and, following the international adoption of her son, she made the decision to open her own business.
By 1999 she was ready: she developed her business plan and opened Workplace Resource in Worcester. With the singular goal of creating a different kind of furniture dealership: one that raises the bar on personalized client service, builds lasting relationships based on trust and respect, and celebrates diversity and social responsibility. Workplace Resource is the only woman-owned office furniture dealership certified by the State of Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office. In 2006 she purchased and renovated a building at 162 Prescott Street in Worcester which allows the company a statewide headquarters for service across the Commonwealth.
Through well-established partnerships with leading manufacturers like Teknion, Workplace Resource offers its clients a wide selection of today’s products, including many sustainable options. The Workplace team learns each client’s unique goals and differentiates projects with effective, creative solutions that optimize performance, improve user well-being, and enhance customer experiences. In so doing, Claudia maintains an active involvement in all phases of furniture projects and implementation, working closely with all members of her team and the end-users.
One Team. One Practice.
Claudia Russo
Principal
Giovanni Blue
Business Development
Michelle Rubin
Interior Design Manager
Julie Hamilton Grant
Senior Interior Designer
Ellen Wahle
Account Coordinator
Shibi Karukappilly
Account Coordinator
Chad Muzzy
Senior Project Manager
Yolanda Doiron
Finance
Christine Hamilton
Office Support
Who We Serve
With our offices and showroom located in Worcester, Massachusetts, we are able to provide convenient access to many universities, businesses, non-profits, and public organizations throughout the region.
As an approved supplier of the Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium (MHEC), Workplace Resource has completed numerous projects for learning institutions across the state. Our team is well-versed in space planning and furniture requirements of institutions and individual academic departments.
Community Focus
Through our focus on promoting large-scale positive change, we support and enhance our community through a variety of service and social action endeavors. WPR is a sponsor of Kiva, a non-profit organization whose mission connects people in third-world countries with micro-lending. In our own community, we extend four-year need-based scholarships and walking-around money to students at schools including Clark University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Middlebury College, Smith College, and Westfield State University. These monies support student up-front tuition costs as well as living expenses with flexible spending options.
