Saying Goodbye to Saunders Station

Saunders Station Post Office - 2015, before renovation

The software world has taught us that great products continually evolve. It's the ones that stay the same and are unwilling to adapt that struggle the most. We often joke that the digital products we build are our babies. They require time, attention and care. They require an ability to evolve based on their environment and those that it supports. And sometimes you have to end one product in order to make another greater.

When everyone's world was turned upside down with COVID, we were all forced to adapt. In our business that meant no longer going to our modern Post Office home - Saunders Station. A place that really had become a core part of our identity. It was something we were so proud of that one of our tag-lines as a company was "great products built under one roof." The building was our home and a physical representation of a lot of who we are as a company.

A year and a half later into COVID and we have learned a lot. We learned to trade coffee breaks with employees to breaks with our kids and pets. We learned that the commute to work was actually a fairly big chunk of time. We learned that digital tools for communication have gotten good. I mean really good. We learned that getting in front of a camera isn't that bad. In short, we learned that we were more productive not only with our projects but in life by staying at home. In many ways life got better.

We are in an era where responsibility to our employees and their families need to come first. What we used to think worked well might not have really been the best for us. I have long believed that an employee is happy when they are doing meaningful work. I now also believe that a big part for someone to be able to give meaningful time is a higher respect and care for their personal life.

So in the world of software, we are simply iterating. We have decided to sell our modern Post Office and change how we work and operate as a company moving forward. Instead of being forced to be remote, we are choosing to be remote. Our company is what it is because of the people that work here and the amazing things that they are able to build. That has not changed.

We are excited about this for a multitude of reasons. First, we are no longer just a Virginia company. We actually just hired our first employee that lives in Arizona and we are grateful that we are now able to broaden our talent pool across the country. Smart and talented individuals are in high demand and widening our pool for our Mobelux family will only make us better.

I know the next 12 months will bring more iterating and fine tuning for the way our company will operate. I'm sure there will be more posts for things that we have found to help us on culture, work productivity, and relationship building. I know we also aren't the only company choosing to go this route and many great companies have shown us how powerful this can be,

I am personally sad to sell the Post Office. As a designer I was taught to “kill your darlings.” Essentially, don’t let things of nostalgia impede growth and more importantly a better product. That place is special but in order for Mobelux to become a better company, it is time to shed that skin and jump into the next era.

I feel like we gave this building a second life as we restored a key building in Richmond. It was not part of the plan to sell it, but it deserves a company that will continue to cherish and utilize it. I have great memories there. Many wonderful conversations with amazing employees, great clients and partners. It has been a great home for Mobelux and I'm sure will be a great home for another amazing company.

Below are a few images that stand out to me from our time in Saunders. You can also learn more about the building here: Saunders Station