Millar HQ
INDUSTRY: Medical Manufacturing/Technology and Research
2020 EXHIBITS CREATES INSPIRING SIGNAGE AND A BRANDED CORPORATE INTERIOR FOR THE NEW MILLAR HEADQUARTERS
CHALLENGE:
Established in 1969, Millar, Inc. is a medical device manufacturer that pioneered the development of pressure sensor technology used today in life sciences and clinical applications. Their catheters and other equipment are used in clinical trials and research areas.
After being at their previous location for more than 30 years—a dark building with low ceilings on Houston's Highway 45—Millar felt it was time to move into a new facility that was more comfortable for their close to 140 employees and better reflected who they are as a company. When the time came to entrust a company with its corporate interior vision, they knew who to turn to.
2020 Exhibits and Millar have a working relationship of more than twenty years. We first gained their trust when we began designing and building their exhibits for trade shows, so it was no surprise that they also reached out to us and entrusted us with creating the signage and corporate interior design for their new headquarters. In partnership with Brand Extract Agency, we took up the challenge of creating a welcoming and inspiring environment.
One of Millar's initial distinct requests was to give certain areas of their new facility the look and feel of a museum–with vivid, colorful, and palpable details. In the lobby area especially—and on their timeline wall—they wanted to showcase their initial equipment and how it has impressively and successfully progressed over thirty years.
With a clear objective, the 2020 Exhibits' Environments Team set out to create a space reflective of the Millar brand.
SOLUTION:
From initial design to installation, the project took a year and a half to complete. The Corporate Design and Signage Teams acquired the desired results with imagination, creativity, and collaboration.
PORTHOLE DISPLAY IN THE LOBBY
The first challenge accomplished was fabricating and installing the built-in porthole display in the lobby. The team used portholes to exhibit catheters and other equipment manufactured by Millar to accomplish the "museum feel" request.
With a technique called "Museum Mounting," 2020 Exhibits cleverly devised a system to flaunt the products. The team first constructed a wooden box with three round aluminum portholes to display the devices and then placed it inside the wall. To add to the ingenuity, LED spotlight lights were installed to shine down on the products. For the finishing touch, fabricators placed a door on each porthole that inevitably invites visitors to open it and take a peek.
TIMELINE FEATURE WALL
For their Timeline Feature Wall, Millar wanted the same "museum-like feel" to display their history and achievements, so the team replicated the steps taken for the porthole display in the lobby to showcase their most memorable moments.
Then, they meticulously designed each built-in wooden box to fit the featured products.
To highlight the graphics used on the timeline wall and throughout the building, a printed dreamscape wallpaper was used to accomplish a clean, smooth, seamless look.
The Signage Team completed the building's look by designing, detailing, and installing brand-reflective signs at each room's entry.
Millar Inc. opened its new 56,000-square-foot headquarters in Pearland's Lower Kirby District in August 2023. Through team effort and collaboration, the 2020 Exhibits' Corporate Design and Signage Team created an aesthetically clean and precise environment that reflects Millar's commitment to excellence, learning, and innovation.