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• Author: Beers, Heather
• Position: Henriksen/Butler Design Group - Brief Article

The whir of saw blades and rap of hammers seem a fitting part of the ambiance at Henriksen/Butler Design Group (HBDG] . Here, founders Ron Henriksen and Steve Butler are amid their second office renovation in Salt Lake City's former Jewish Synagogue, an historic landmark at 249 South 400 East. As leaders of one of the region's top furniture-systems design firms, the perpetual buzz only seems to amplify the partners' energy and ability to renew themselves and their company.

Twenty years ago, as young graduates working at Clark Leaming Designs for Business, Butler and Henriksen thought they might test a few ideas of their own. After months of scraping, Henriksen/Butler sold its first desk.

"When we started, we had an answering machine for a secretary, and the two of us would go out and make the sales calls, produce the documents, drawings, color and material boards," says Butler, whose title is secretary/treasurer.

"There was a lot of furniture we'd install ourselves. We were right there, underneath the desks," adds Henriksen, now company president.

It wasn't long before business escalated. "Customers started recognizing the energy that we were giving to the industry, then opportunities just started to come to us," says Henriksen.

Now a multimillion dollar company, Henriksen/Butler is a renowned Herman Miller products dealer employing nearly 60 people. Its expertise in maximizing space, functionality and style has earned it a prestigious roster of clients in the commercial office, healthcare and residential arenas.

"We measure ourselves by how effectively we can apply every element involved in an interior to help [customers] solve a problem or concern," says Butler.

"And we listen to what a...