The modern workplace is evolving, and so are the companies shaping it. In this episode of The Philippine Business Playbook, Bryan speaks with Marc Schwartzberg, CEO of Office Furniture Heaven (OFH), to explore how a New York design firm successfully built high-performing teams in the Philippines without compromising quality, culture, or client expectations.

 

Their conversation highlights a truth more leaders are waking up to: offshoring is not about hiring virtual assistants. It is about building real departments, creating strong systems, and empowering professionals to do world-class work from anywhere.

 

A Legacy of Design and Reinvention

 

Office furniture and workplace design run deep in Marc’s history. His grandfather launched an office furniture business in New York before World War II, long before the modern concept of collaborative workspaces even existed. Marc carried that legacy forward but evolved the company into what OFH is today, continually adapting to market shifts, technology, and the changing demands of office environments.

 

That spirit of reinvention eventually led him to explore hiring offshore. What started as a casual idea about adding a virtual assistant transformed into something much more strategic.

 

Why OFH Looked Beyond New York

 

Marc and Bryan first connected through Entrepreneurs’ Organization, where conversations about growth, operational structure, and global talent eventually led to the topic of offshoring.

 

Marc initially explored the idea of hiring a single assistant, but through deeper discussions with his leadership team, it became clear that their needs were broader. Design talent in New York had become increasingly expensive and harder to retain. Recruiting qualified designers locally was becoming a major bottleneck.

 

As OFH assessed its needs, it became obvious that the opportunity was far bigger than administrative support. They needed design expertise, operations support, and long-term scalability. The timing aligned perfectly with their business momentum, and partnering with Tahche opened the door to building full departments instead of isolated roles.

 

Why Training Is Never the Problem

 

One of the concerns leaders often express about offshoring is whether offshore hires can keep up. Marc dismisses the idea entirely. For him, every employee, whether in New York or Manila, requires training. Great work comes from great onboarding, clear processes, and strong leadership. The blueprint does not change based on geography.

 

This mindset became part of OFH’s offshoring success. Designers in the Philippines were not hired to be cheaper alternatives. They were brought in as designers. Marc believes that the same talents that make great designers in New York are the same talents that make great designers in the Philippines. Skill, creativity, communication, and ownership are not limited by borders.

 

Today, team members in the Philippines who started in design roles have since grown into expanded responsibilities, including leadership and specialized positions, a reflection of both the talent they bring and the culture of development Marc continues to champion.

 

Systems and Leadership: The Real Differentiator

 

Both Marc and Bryan emphasize a critical point: success in offshoring is determined by management, not location.

 

The offshore roles that succeeded early on for OFH, according to Marc, were the ones supported by strong leadership and well-built systems and processes. In cases where the structure was less established, performance naturally lagged, highlighting how much effective management influences offshore success.

 

The lesson is simple. A company that invests in real leadership, clear direction, and strong workflow design will thrive with offshore teams. A company without those foundations will struggle whether the team is onshore or offshore.

 

This is why both leaders believe hiring only VAs, without a department or system behind them, often leads to poor outcomes. Hiring a team with defined responsibilities, upward mobility, and coordinated workflows creates far more stability and return on investment.

 

The ROI of True Offshoring: Professional Work, Not Cheap Labor

 

Bryan reiterates that the advantage of offshoring is not access to low-cost labor but access to high-level professionals at sustainable cost structures. When companies rely on the cheapest possible support, they often accept mediocre output. That mindset limits growth.

 

When companies invest in real talent, however, the returns compound. OFH is a clear example. Instead of relying on expensive designers who are difficult to hire and retain in the U.S., they built strong design and operations teams in the Philippines who deliver top-tier work. This created consistency, scalability, and resilience.

 

And when life happens, the benefits of a team model become even clearer. If one designer is unavailable due to emergencies, maternity needs, or personal circumstances, others can step in without disrupting client timelines.

 

One Global Standard, One Team

 

Even with teams in different time zones and different countries, Marc makes a deliberate effort to treat all employees the same. Culture should not be divided by borders. Recognition, quality expectations, and the sense of belonging must be consistent across locations.

 

That philosophy mirrors Tahche’s mission. For Bryan, the goal of offshoring is not only to help U.S. businesses scale but to create opportunities for Filipino professionals to build meaningful careers without leaving their families or abandoning their field of expertise. 

 

When global standards meet local opportunity, both sides win.

 

Rebuilding Strategy for a New Era of Work

 

With shifting office dynamics in the U.S., OFH chose to shift its strategy as well. Rather than chasing rapid growth, Marc focused on delivering exceptional service to a more targeted market. Quality over quantity. Precision over expansion.

 

Offshore teams became a core component of this model. They provide the consistency, expertise, and collaboration needed to maintain high service standards even with a leaner local team.

 

A Partnership Built on Excellence

 

The success of OFH’s Philippine teams is a direct result of strong vision, strong management, and a commitment to doing things the right way. Both Bryan and Marc agree that when companies refuse to accept mediocrity and instead build systems that support excellence, offshoring becomes a powerful engine for growth.

 

OFH proves that world-class design does not rely on geography. It relies on people, leadership, and the willingness to evolve.

 

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For more insights into building a strong offshore team, subscribe to The Philippine Business Playbook on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts