So, what’s a business committed to the Greater Peoria region to do when it is growing and needs more space? Easy decision. Stay local and expand to a second space, literally in our ‘back yard’—across the alley in the iconic MAXAM Building.

“The post-pandemic return-to-work was unchartered territory for so many businesses,” said Tim Leesman, principal at Simantel. “As we were having conversations about how to transition our employees back into the office environment, we were also experiencing significant growth in our workforce that required more physical space.”

We started by building out more space on the ground level of our current location. But thanks to a rapidly growing headcount, Simantel leaders quickly realized we needed even more space. With an employee roster topping out at over 160 individuals, possibilities both inside and outside the region were considered. But we all knew we could never stray from our roots.

“Ultimately, we agreed that this is our home,” Tim said. “We are downtown Peoria. It’s part of our DNA. It’s part of our culture. We wanted to build on that.”

The MAXAM Building was looking to lease out their former second-floor banquet venue. The rest, as they say, is history. “The minute we walked into the space, we knew it was exactly what we wanted,” said Simantel VP Chris Moehn. As the leader of the buildout and redesign of the space, Chris rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

It’s now home to 45 Simantelites, collaborative meeting spaces and areas for employees, clients and visitors to relax and connect. Other features of the new space include: a workshop space where employees and clients can gather to innovate and create, a podcast studio, a bar and a hand-painted mural by local artist Jeremy Berkley.

That’s right, we said bar. Or “The Distillery” as we call it. Along with meeting spaces known as “The Warehouse,” “The Barrel,” “The Nook” and “The Cooperage,” we couldn’t think of a better way to top off a space designed to embrace Peoria’s legacy as “The Whiskey City.”

“We created a space that encourages creativity, and that people are proud to work in,” said Chris.

“Simantel is an ideal fit for the building, and I couldn’t be happier to welcome them here,” said property owner, Andrew Driscoll. “In a time when we’re seeing businesses reducing scope, it’s encouraging to see Simantel expanding their footprint in downtown Peoria and including the MAXAM as part of their growth.”

We couldn’t agree more, and we’re excited to officially unveil our new space.