Search for Space

The art-meets-commerce of product design, from women's undergarments to iPhone cases to a bomb squad robot, is on full display at R&R Associates.

But what R&R President Leo Riza really seeks is a new spot to showcase all his business, with 35 employees and $3.6 million in 2013 sales, can do. His needs fill a long list: Riza wants a space that's 40,000 to 50,000 square feet; something sleek enough to host clients who visit from across the globe; and something cool enough for a mostly 20-something, hip workforce. R&R currently works from two places, a cramped 5,000-square-foot office in downtown Sarasota and an equally crowded 10,000-square-foot assembly facility in a Manatee County industrial park.

“(Space) is the biggest problem we have now,” says Riza. “We need to address those needs.”