company history
Creating Functional Workspaces
for Over 80 Years
Humble Beginnings
In 1940, as the country emerged from the Great Depression and World War II raged abroad, Delbert Machabee and Frank Morrill opened a small office supplies and stationery business at 57 North Sierra Street in Reno, Nevada. Morrill & Machabee, Inc. sold greeting cards, typewriters and general supplies. An advertisement listed the company’s phone number as 7676, the population of Reno that year was a mere 21,317, and Las Vegas was populated by only 8,422 residents.
a family affair
In 1952, Delbert's son Gary Machabee began working in the family business. At the the time, he was only twelve years old. By 1972, after Delbert's retirement, Gary purchased Frank Morrill's share of the firm with the help of his father. Five years later, Gary's son, Scott Machabee, also began working in the company at the age of twelve. Scott spent many years in the warehouse delivering furniture, and eventually he began working in sales while attending the University of Nevada, Reno. Upon graduating, Scott moved to Las Vegas with his wife, Judy, to be a part of the company's Southern Nevada expansion. Scott eventually became Las Vegas's general manager, and in 2010, he purchased Gary's interest in the business. He is now the president of Machabee Office Environments.
A Modern Approach
When asked what is on the horizon for the next 75 years of workplace design, Scott stresses that because today’s workplaces are smaller and more open than ever before, they must promote efficiency while balancing collaboration and privacy. “Designers of office spaces must provide solutions that are not only collaborative, but are also functional and flexible. Office spaces needs to support privacy and technology while still helping companies attract and retain the best and brightest employees,” he said. "Times and technology may change, but our goal will never change. We do more than selling products and services. We furnish our customers with solutions."