Firm commemorates 50th anniversary with a $50,000 donation to 50 local charities

On April 1, 2022,  award-winning, international design firm Ware Malcomb announced its celebration of the 50th anniversary of its founding on April 1, 1972. The anniversary was celebrated by team members in Ware Malcomb’s 25 offices across the Americas. Ware Malcomb provides planning, architecture, interior design, civil engineering, branding, and building measurement services to commercial real estate and corporate clients, and the firm has completed projects for one in three Fortune 50 companies.

“We are so proud of this significant milestone,” said Ken Wink, CEO of Ware Malcomb. “It’s our people, our clients, and our partners who have propelled us this far. Because of our commitment to continual innovation, we are focused on pushing the limits of technology and innovating in all that we do.”

Ware Malcomb has experienced consistent, tenfold revenue growth over the last decade. With a focus on commercial real estate–driven design, Ware Malcomb makes “future-proofing”—maximizing the long-term real estate value of its projects—a priority. The firm is equally committed to innovation and recently implemented the third iteration of its continuous improvement program, which is titled WM 5.0. Through WM 5.0, team members across the firm submitted over 1,000 ideas on topics such as culture, innovation, design, and operations.

Founded in 1972 as Ware & Malcomb Architects Inc., by Bill Ware and Bill Malcomb, Ware Malcomb focused on commercial office, industrial, corporate office, and tenant improvement projects through the 1980s. In the 1990s, Ware Malcomb’s clients fueled significant growth for Ware Malcomb outside of California. Lawrence R. Armstrong assumed the role of CEO in 1992 and, with then-President Jim Williams, expanded the firm to seven offices. They continued the company’s diversification by growing the interiors practice and expanding into healthcare, and science and technology, projects during the 1990s and early 2000s. The firm continued to grow during the 2000s, adding branding and civil engineering services, and the first offices outside of the US. Williams retired in 2006, and Armstrong assumed the roles of CEO and president. During the 2010s, building measurement services, workplace strategy, and land surveying were added to further diversify and strengthen the company. Armstrong’s 28-year tenure as CEO was hallmarked by an unprecedented fortyfold revenue growth, and he transitioned to chairman in 2020. Today, under the helm of CEO Ken Wink and President Jay Todisco, the leadership team continues to guide Ware Malcomb through a period of extraordinary growth. To this end, Ware Malcomb recently opened its 25th office in São Paolo, Brazil.

“Over the years, we have adopted conservative business operations practices for the health of the company, our clients, and our team members,” said Jay Todisco, president of Ware Malcomb. “This mindset has allowed us great resiliency. Strategic thinking and future flexibility are in Ware Malcomb’s DNA, and we hope that this legacy will inspire future generations.”

To commemorate the 50th anniversary, Ware Malcomb will be donating a total of $50,000 to 50 charities in local communities across the Americas.

Ware Malcomb offers a positive, dynamic, and collaborative environment where team members are encouraged to grow their careers and continue learning. The firm has developed unique programs including WM Active and WM Community, which are geared toward supporting team members and local communities. These programs, along with many others, unite to exemplify the strong, people-focused, Ware Malcomb culture.

“Our founders’ philosophy of great design, excellent client service, and relationship-focused business rings as true today as it did 50 years ago,” said Lawrence R. Armstrong, chairman of Ware Malcomb. “We are excited for the future of Ware Malcomb and look forward to seeing what the next 50 years of our design, people, community, and innovation holds.”