Kolar launches parent company Kolar Group as it marks 35 years

Kolar unveiled Kolar Group, a new parent company that brings together Kolar Design and Kolar Experience Innovations to pair human-centered design with workplace intelligence. The Cincinnati firm says the move is meant to help organizations measure, optimize and better understand how people experience their built environments. Why it matters: - Kolar Group gives the Cincinnati firm a single go-to-market structure for design and workplace intelligence. - The move is meant to help organizations connect space design with measurable business outcomes. - Kolar says the combined model helps clients understand not just how a space functions, but how people experience it. - The launch comes as organizations rethink workplaces after the pandemic, especially around utilization, employee experience and technology. What happened: - Kolar announced the launch of Kolar Group, a parent company that unites Kolar Design and Kolar Experience Innovations (KXI). - The company made the announcement on June 17, 2026, in Cincinnati. - Founder, President and CEO Kelly Kolar said the new structure reflects 35 years of work designing environments that support culture, performance, well-being and growth. - Kolar is also a Cincinnati Business Courier Fast 55 finalist this week. The details: - Kolar Design focuses on human-centered environments that align space with culture, brand and business goals. - KXI adds workplace intelligence through utilization analytics, behavioral insights, employee sentiment and artificial intelligence. - KXI’s technology is patent-pending. - KXI was developed through years of research and collaboration with organizations looking to better understand how healing environments affect performance and satisfaction. - Kolar says the platform combines physical, behavioral and sentiment-based insights. - Through a partnership with SpaceTi, KXI helps organizations measure, interpret and predict how people interact with their environments. - The company says the platform shows what is happening in a space, why it matters and what actions organizations should take next. - Kolar Group says it works with organizations ranging from regional leaders to Fortune 500 companies. - The company says it helps clients improve employee experiences, optimize real estate investments, strengthen workplace culture and support long-term business success. - One Fortune 500 client reported annual savings approaching $1 million after using recommendations informed by KXI’s workplace intelligence platform. - Another Fortune 500 client said the platform showed the company had nearly 50% more space than needed, unlocking millions in savings and potential. - Kolar Group is headquartered in Cincinnati and has offices in New York and, soon, Dallas, Texas. - The company was founded in 1991. - Kolar Group’s website is Visit kolar.group . - Kolar Design’s LinkedIn page is LinkedIn . Between the lines: - The launch positions Kolar as more than a design firm. - Kolar Group is trying to own both the aesthetic and the analytics side of workplace strategy. - That matters because clients are increasingly asking for proof that space decisions improve performance, not just appearance. - The company’s pitch is that design and data work better together than either one alone. What’s next: - Kolar Group says the new structure sets up continued growth and innovation. - The company expects continued expansion this year. - The Dallas office is expected to open soon. - The firm will likely keep pushing the message that built environments should be measurable, adaptable and tied to business value.