IGI’s grading lab and offices in New York City have relocated to 545 Fifth Avenue. On March 16th the institute hosted a reception to commemorate the expansion to two floors and over 20,000 square feet of space.
Tours and hors-d’oeuvres
Guests enjoyed hors-d’oeuvres and beverages while mingling in the common area, and were given ‘behind the scope’ tours of the grading laboratory and offices by IGI personnel. Members of the press, along with representatives from all sectors of the diamond, gem and jewelry industry attended the reception, which lasted for just over two hours.
Avi Levy, IGI’s North American President, described the impetus for the move.
We built this new office for many reasons. The foremost is we wanted to provide our employees a place where they can come in every day and feel comfortable, happy and proud of the place where they work. At IGI we are doing a lot of great work servicing the industry at large, retailers and consumers. Our eye is looking to the future for growth, and we needed a space that could handle that. We are excited about this new office and to welcome customers to set appointments to visit.
Growth and talent
Roland Lorie, CEO of IGI’s 29 locations, traveled to New York to attend the reception, as well as a variety of industry events taking place the same week. He provided additional context on the institute’s expansion:
Expanding our footprint in New York City is a strategic, customer-centric move to accommodate the tremendous growth in demand for IGI reports and services in the US and globally. Demand for IGI reports has more than tripled in the last three years and we are looking to build our team and attract the best talent for exponential growth in the years ahead.
545 Fifth Avenue
Built in 1897 as a hotel, later converted to offices in 1930, 545 Fifth Avenue is located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The new modern industrial offices feature an open loft style with bright natural light from windows.
Original features
The new facility keeps many of the original features of the building, like exposed brick and mosaic tiles, yet infuses modern design touches and gemstone-themed artwork coupled with energy-efficient LED lighting and other eco-friendly practices.
Environmentally responsible design
After modern renovations, 545 Fifth Avenue became a sustainable office building, boasting an environmentally responsible design, showcased by LEED Gold green building certification.
About IGI
The first gemological institute to commit to carbon neutrality, IGI operates 29 grading laboratories and 14 education facilities in major diamond and jewelry centers around the world. For over 45 years, IGI has provided the fine jewelry community and consumers with a broad range of services including natural and laboratory grown diamond reports, colored stone grading and origin reports, as well as jewelry identification and appraisal reports.
With the increase of lab grown diamonds in the marketplace, IGI screens millions of natural and lab grown diamonds in order for the industry and consumers to receive the product they expect. Regardless of location or marketplace, an authentic IGI Laboratory Report is the common language of trust and confidence in the gemological world.
Contact information
Contact us to learn more about IGI and any of our 29 locations around the world.
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