The Whalen Berez Group

What The Whalen Berez Group does

The Whalen Berez Group (WBG, DBA "The WBG") is a privately held, Red Bank, NJ-based professional services firm providing consultative FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment) procurement management, custom architectural millwork design and fabrication, interior design/space planning, 3D rendering, and project management for institutional and commercial clients. Formally established in 2008 by co-principals Jim Whalen (25 years in contract interiors) and Jay Berez (33 years, including distribution and manufacturing-side experience), the firm operates as an independent entity whose revenue derives solely from client-paid fees, with no manufacturer or brand affiliations.

WBG's operating model centers on a 30+ year vendor relationship network spanning standard and custom products globally, combined with in-house custom millwork design, drawings, sourcing, and fabrication. Project engagements typically follow a four-phase lifecycle (discovery/strategy, design/prototyping, finalization/pre-implementation, implementation) over roughly 3-4 month cycles. Notable deliverables include the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center ($5M, 3,500+ custom chairs over 24 months), Avenues: The World School (60% of a $5M FF&E budget across a 215,000 sq ft campus), Princeton Theological Seminary library renovation, Emory University Candler Library restoration, and recent MESA Charter School completion for August 2025.

The firm sells exclusively through direct B2B enterprise engagement (initial consultation, scope definition, ongoing project management) to clients in education (independent/charter/K-12 schools), higher education and libraries, theaters and arenas, corporate offices, hospitality, healthcare, and faith-based institutions, with project geography concentrated in the Northeast US and selective Southeast and West Coast engagements. The leadership team is small and family-influenced: Kelly Whalen (COO, prior JCDecaux Director of Operations) and Barbara Whalen (CFO) join principals Jim Whalen and Jay Berez, alongside interior designer Giana Castelli and project manager Geni De Russo. Marketing is conducted through the company website, blog content, detailed case studies, multi-platform social media, and 3D renderings used to help clients visualize spaces pre-procurement.

Name

The Whalen Berez Group

Legal name

The Whalen Berez Group

Website

https://thewbg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Whalen Berez Group is a Red Bank, NJ-based FF&E procurement and management firm that sources furniture, fixtures, equipment, and custom architectural millwork for institutional clients across education, higher education, libraries, theaters, and cultural venues throughout the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Red Bank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consultative Procurement Management Services: WBG provides consultive procurement management services to organizations renovating or building new facilities. Their revenues are derived solely from client paid services. They offer complete objectivity by only recommending project strategies and product solutions that are best for each application.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Whalen Berez Group provides consultative FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment) procurement and management services for organizations renovating or building new facilities. Its offerings span interior design and space planning, custom architectural millwork design and fabrication, vendor sourcing and procurement, project management, 3D rendering, logistics, and installation—delivered as a turnkey package primarily to education, cultural, performing arts, corporate, and faith-based institutions.

Product overview

The Whalen Berez Group (WBG) is a premier FF&E procurement and management firm offering a turnkey approach for building and renovation projects. The company's core service offerings include FF&E (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment) Procurement & Management, Interior Design Services, Custom Architectural Millwork, and Project Management & Consultation. These services are supported by specialized offerings including 3D Rendering Services, Auditorium & Multi-Purpose Seating Solutions, and Logistics & Installation Services. WBG serves diverse sectors including independent and charter schools, hotels, universities, corporate offices, libraries, faith-based institutions, theaters, arenas, and residential projects. The company has developed a proprietary procurement system refined over 30+ years that delivers projects on-time and under budget through established global vendor relationships. WBG operates as an independent entity providing objective recommendations without brand or manufacturer restrictions, acting as the owner's advocate throughout the project lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FF&E Procurement & Management Comprehensive furniture, fixtures, and equipment procurement and management services including sourcing, vendor coordination, logistics, and installation for new building and renovation projects. Targeted at organizations undertaking construction or renovation of facilities.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services specializing in educational and institutional environments, offering space planning, finish selection, and aesthetic design coordination to support new construction and renovation projects.
• Custom Architectural Millwork Custom millwork design, fabrication, and installation including shelving, tables, cabinetry, and architectural woodwork elements tailored to project specifications and historical design matches.
• Project Management & Consultation Consultative project management encompassing discovery and strategy, design and prototyping, finalization and pre-implementation, and implementation phases, delivered over a 3–4 month project timeline.
• 3D Rendering Services Detailed computer-generated rendering services providing realistic previews of spaces before construction, enabling clients to visualize furniture layouts, lighting, color schemes, and materials.
• Auditorium & Multi-Purpose Seating Solutions Specialized seating procurement and installation services for theaters, arenas, auditoriums, and assembly spaces, including custom seating configurations such as radiused bolted-down chairs.
• Logistics & Installation Services Expert logistics coordination and installation services ensuring on-time delivery and seamless project execution with attention to unpacking, assembly, and quality assurance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed Avenues: The World School project at just 60% of the $5 million FF&E budget
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ted Moudis Associates: Interior architecture and design firm with workplace, financial services, and cultural-sector clients. Similar project-based service delivery and FF&E specification capability as WBG, with comparable scale.
• IA Interior Architects: Global interior architecture and design firm combining workplace strategy, FF&E specification, and design execution — directly comparable to WBG's integrated procurement + interior design model, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Tangram Interiors: Furniture dealer and interior solutions provider offering FF&E procurement, space planning, and project management for commercial and institutional clients — comparable core service mix to WBG's procurement-led model, with a stronger furniture dealership component.
• Huntsman Architectural Group: Interior architecture and design firm delivering workplace, hospitality, and cultural-institution projects with FF&E expertise. Comparable boutique scale and integrated design + procurement model.

Emerging players

• EwingCole: Architecture and engineering firm with higher-education and cultural-institution practices; named collaborator on Princeton Theological Seminary FF&E engagement. Represents the architect-side counterpart WBG partners with on institutional projects.

Broad incumbents

• CannonDesign: Integrated design practice spanning architecture, interior design, and FF&E consulting with deep K-12, higher education, and healthcare practices. Overlaps WBG on education-sector FF&E and interior work, but offers full architectural services rather than procurement-only.
• Nelson Worldwide: Architecture, interior design, and branding firm with a substantial workplace and education practice offering FF&E services — comparable client base and design-led positioning, but at materially larger scale.
• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm offering interior design, FF&E procurement, and workplace strategy across virtually all verticals. Provides the upper bound on scale WBG could grow toward and overlaps on corporate, education, and cultural-institution work.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/whalenberez

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Whalen Berez Group