Marek Weglicki was not long finished school when he started his own business in Poland, mostly doing kitchens and soft furniture with a team of fitters. The business culminated in a 25-person crew, before Marek moved to the US in 2002 and started working with an Italian company doing custom metal work. “I started making connections with contractors, doing some side jobs,” Marek says. Two years later Marek reopened his Polish company on American soil with the same name, Bestmark National, which today is a professional millwork firm based in Irvington, New Jersey. Through one of Marek’s industry connections the team picked up work in Brooklyn’s commercial market doing amenity spaces and reception areas, and while the company had found early success in residential work, the New York commercial sector quickly became both its preference and its specialty alongside retail and hospitality.
Bestmark National’s early experience in the commercial market was directly with WeWork, who at the time were thriving in the business of providing office space throughout New York City. By the time WeWork moved on from New York and into the global market, Bestmark National had years of architectural woodwork experience under its belt in some of the city’s most impressive commercial developments. Today, Bestmark National’s portfolio is packed with notable commercial, retail, and hospitality clients including Paramount, Fubo TV, Alexander McQueen, and JP Morgan Chase. Bestmark National is also the approved nationwide vendor for Capitol One Cafes which combine banking, coffee, and community. “A couple of years ago we did the NHL flagship store in the Hudson Yards,” Marek says of another notable contract. “There was a lot of high ceiling work, all kind of high gloss panel, a lot of shapes, a lot of connections.” Kenvue, which is part of the Johnson & Johnson family, is another of Bestmark National’s large accounts, for which it is currently finalizing work on a new headquarter building.
Bestmark National secures work based on its core services, which are architectural woodwork, ornamental metalworking, and stone and solid countertops. These standalone services can then be enhanced through the company’s add-on services, which include upholstery, acoustical paneling, fabric wrapped panels, and specialty ceilings. As such projects are typically a combination of Bestmark’s core and add-on services, but sometimes, like in the case of the Paramount Theatre project, clients benefit from the full Bestmark National package. “One of our biggest hospitality projects is Paramount. It is an example of our full architectural package.” The restoration of the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre saw Bestmark National play a significant role in enhancing the building for modern use while preserving its historical features. “We were involved in pretty much every aspect, from early design stage and planning by the General Contractor. We were involved in the touch up of seven bars, multiple lounges, bathrooms, and various other key areas.”
“One of our biggest hospitality projects is Paramount. It is an example of our full architectural package.”
Bestmark National’s unique ability is showcased in the theatre’s skillfully crafted balcony balustrades. “We designed a replica of the original balconies and built them in shop, then delivered in piece and installed them on the side. We primed and pre-painted them and then they did some additional decoration. They look 120 years old, like in the original building.” Not long after the project was completed, Marek visited the venue for a concert and was able to experience it in all its revitalized glory. “It’s nice when you walk around and you hear people talking about all the interiors,” he says of the venue he helped to mould. “That really made me proud.”
On the back of this successful project Bestmark National has signed a direct contract with Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment company, which opens up a new avenue of work in the entertainment and hospitality industry. As part of this contract Bestmark National will provide its services to Live Nation venues throughout the country, preassembling external fixtures such as bars and food kiosks. Another project that represents Bestmark National’s skillset in the hospitality sector is the Clemente Bar, an intricately-designed lounge bar on Madison Avenue. “It actually had a different name when we started working on it,” Marek tells me. “One of the chefs passed away while it was under construction, and they renamed it after him. We were involved in the decorative panels. There was a lot of CNC work, and we also did handmade solid wood pieces. There was a lot of detail, flowers, all kinds of stuff. When you build projects like this it’s not like typical office furniture, it’s actually a piece of art, and whoever is looking at that is looking at a story.”
At every turn, quality control is top priority for Bestmark National and the service it provides. “Everything is coordinated with the client from the beginning,” Marek says, “then after approval of shop drawings we have a team of draughtsmen, or our CNC machine team, who implement the programs based on the drawing. From the point when we start carrying the material, we try to control the product at every step of production. We do our own delivery so we can control the shipping process and make sure nothing gets damaged. The biggest issue is controlling the product in between trades. If we need, we send a finishing team to make final touch ups on projects so we can get approval and get paid by the end of the line, and of course make sure the client is happy.”
Bestmark National’s commitment to quality is recognized through the company’s membership of the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI), which holds it to a set of best practices in the architectural woodworking industry, ensuring quality in woodworking projects which is enforced by the AWI Quality Certification Program (QCP). “We have an in-house engineering team, so all of our shop drawings are made here. They’re heavily integrated into our process, so we’re there every step of the way. We are really involved from the very beginning all the way to the end, and all of our products undergo a very rigorous inspection phase before being packaged and shipped out.” For Bestmark National, quality control does not only start at the outset of a project, but instead is woven into the fabric of the company, even driving the hiring process. “At the end of the day, there’s no quality without a knowledgeable and passionate team, and we prioritize that when we hire. Most of our staff have years of experience and are highly trained. We’re really confident in our employees and our team.”
“At the end of the day, there’s no quality without a knowledgeable and passionate team, and we prioritize that when we hire.”
Not long ago, the company invested in new Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines that have huge potential when it comes to carving. It is seeing the payoff of this investment as it gets to work on Printemps, the luxury department store hailing from Paris which is set to open on Wall Street later this year. The project comes with challenges in both its decorative design – think millwork trees with leaves and branches – and the historical nature of the building. Equipped with a highly-skilled team and its new technology, Bestmark National is up to the task. “The part we’re doing right now, they call this red room. The red room is an antique place where you cannot drill or attach anything to the historical details. This is a challenge for us, how to set up our designs without attaching to the original finishes which they want to protect. A lot of stress comes with this type of project, but we’ve been there before, and we always deliver on time.” Marek is confident that the Printemps job, once complete, will have a positive knock-on effect that will see the company secure similar projects in the future.
The next few years will see Bestmark National reposition itself in the market as it changes its business model from architectural woodwork fabricator to full-service provider of architectural interior solutions. “The Paramount Theatre; that’s what we’re aiming to do for our future projects. Instead of just providing those standalone services here and there, we want to take on everything for that single project. We want to add additional services in the architectural finishing world and to be able to provide more design assist services, so start projects earlier and work with the designers and architects from the jump.” Bestmark National’s plans to reform its business model are underway in tandem with its intention to extend its geographical reach. “With projects in Texas and Missouri we do have a nationwide reach,” says Marek, “and we want to expand on that in the next coming years.” With all this, there’s a bright and busy future on the horizon for the team at Bestmark National. Under Marek’s leadership the company will move forward with passion and precision, treating every project as a piece of art in pursuit of exceptional results and client satisfaction.
