In October of 1987, a handful of RAND Engineering, PC employees (we hadn't added the "& Architecture" part yet) set up shop on the 12th floor in a drab building in what was then a sketchy part of Chelsea, on 25th Street near Seventh Avenue. The building lacked amenities, the street lacked safety, and the company lacked paychecks. Twenty-five years later, Rand is still in the same location, though we're happy to report the building, the neighborhood, and Rand itself have come a long way since then.
To celebrate our quarter century of service, we've launched a 25th anniversary ad campaign, starting in the May issue of Habitat magazine, featuring Rand employees who have been with the firm since Day One.
Fittingly enough, the first ad stars Executive Secretary and Grand Dame Faye Varone, who just so happens to be the mother of Rand's founder and President Stephen Varone. To read Faye's memories of those early days—which include office Wiffle Ball as well as office mice—click on her photo above.
Stay tuned for upcoming ads featuring other Rand veterans (whose appearances admittedly have changed a bit more than the ageless wonder Faye) as they look back over the years at how much Rand has grown.
If there's a "secret sauce" to the company's success, Faye and her fellow Rand lifers are the chefs behind it. For those of us lucky enough to benefit from their vast experiences—and hear their great stories—this ad campaign is a tribute to how they helped make Rand the firm it is today: A quarter of a century old and still going strong.
