PORTLAND – Executive Office Centers, Maine’s largest and oldest shared office space, is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its founding this year. The significant milestone comes following a year of adversity for the co-working industry, which saw a sharp decline in occupancy rates as more people were forced to work from home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, the co-working industry experienced significant growth, with the number of co-working sites in the United States expected to double from 18,000 in 2019 to 36,000 in 2025, according to Space IQ. This quickly changed last March, as public health restrictions limited in-person gatherings and people became wary of sharing spaces with others. Co-working giants like WeWork lost billions of dollars, while many small co-working spaces closed permanently. Yet as the industry has collectively struggled, EOC has adapted and thrived. Unlike open concept co-working spaces, executive suites have offered occupants privacy and peace of mind.
After leaving its decades-old home in the Time and Temperature Building last year – a move that had been in the works for several years – the company successfully settled into a new, smaller location at 254 Commercial Street on Merrill’s Wharf overlooking Portland Harbor in June. By the end of 2020, it achieved 100 percent capacity in its new space, and has since closed on an additional 5,200 square feet on the same floor to broaden its potential offerings. In total, EOC has more than 40 offices, with some available for multiple occupancies.
“Like so many Maine businesses last year, we were on the brink,” said EOC owner Bowen Depke. “Reaching this milestone was not guaranteed. On top of mandated shutdowns, people were uncomfortable being indoors with each other. But through flexibility and a lot of hard work, our staff has been able to seamlessly transition to our new location, fill each of our new offices, and implement COVID-19 protocols to keep everyone safe. We’re excited about our future.”
A full walkthrough of the 5,200 square feet of new space available in the Portland office can be found here.
Now located in the heart of Portland’s waterfront, Executive Office Centers has been providing office suite rentals in the city for more than 30 years. As Maine’s largest and oldest shared office space, EOC offers fully furnished offices and conference rooms to provide businesses with a professional environment that includes decorated common areas, friendly reception services and essential utilities like high-speed broadband. For more information, visit https://www.executiveportland.com/ or call 207-773-8890.