Testimonials
“There’s nobody better in the business- the best partner we could have hoped for in building The Jewish Leadership Academy campus!”
— Joe Sharp, CFO/ COO at The Jewish Leadership Academy
I did not know a company like the Whalen Berez Group existed and I did not know I needed their services until now.
— Lee W. Salter, Director, The McConnell Foundation, Redding, CA
“We recently used The Whalen Berez Group for a new Executive Boardroom. They designed and built a table that is absolutely gorgeous and is a statement piece in the room. They also built a credenza with a quartz top and created a wood-feature wall in the space. My description and the photos do not do the room justice. Jim Whalen is professional, patient and has the ability to guide clients to ensure decisions are made in a timely manner and that the entire process goes smoothly. He has a great sense of design that comes in handy when even a seasoned designer has a hard time making decisions”
— Kim Lyons, Zoetis Global Operations
“A lot of faculty was walking by yesterday and today commenting on the care they took to make sure the wall behind this wood was flat and straight, and what a great job they were doing making sure that the final wood pieces were aligned and laid beautifully.”
“I was in the building today and just want to let you know it looks beautiful so far! Thank you so much!”
— Sari Breiner
“WOW! Just WOW! The lobby looks absolutely awesome!!! I was lucky enough to catch a few children as they saw the lobby for the first time – and I honestly wish there was a video crew to capture the excitement and awe of each student as they saw it for the first time! I know that you all worked really hard over the past 10 days – and I just wanted to say thank you! I know we aren’t finished yet – but truly thank you for your hard work in making this project so incredible! “
“We are so grateful for your hard work in helping us bring the Whittle School & Studios vision to life. Wishing you a happy holiday season and successful new year!”
— With appreciation, – Ray Bordwell and Peter Brown
“Thanks to you and your teams for your efforts to get us back within budget. I think you did a terrific job of aligning costs while maintaining the design intent and brand.”
— David Powell, The Whittle School
“Hi, Jim and Giana, I visited solomon schechter of westchester this morning. The lab is amazing! The layout and colors are beautiful. The teacher is so happy! Great working with you!”
—Judy Lebovits, Vice President, Director, Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education
“Thank you so much and I appreciate all of your good work and assistance.”
— Sisi Kamal, CFO/COO, Friends Seminary, NYC
“So lucky to have you and Giana guiding us!”
— Jennifer Campbell, CFO/COO, Greens Farms Academy
“The children came back to school today, and the screams and shouts when they saw the skylight and then turned the corner into the 7/8 wing sounded heavenly, and I never say that when kids are shouting! The parents and the teachers were just as enthusiastic as their kids.
Please accept my most sincere thanks for everything you all did to make today possible. Each one of you, and so many others on your teams, many whose names I never even learned, moved heaven and earth to make this project successful. You rose to every challenge with good spirit and grace, and your dedication was nothing short of remarkable.
I know that we are not quite finished, and that there will be those little things that will always bother you that only you will notice, but overall, the renovation is beautiful. This was a very bold and ambitious project, and I hope that your success in rising to the challenge (and the timeline!) brings you a great deal of personal pride and satisfaction, as it should.”
— Freda Gimpel, CPA, CFO, The Town School
“And, in case I haven’t mentioned it enough, the booths are absolutely amazing! The teens and adults adore them, and they are easily the most popular piece of furniture that we have added. Thank you for all your work to make sure we had them here in time for the opening event.”
— Chris Shoemaker, Director, Rye Free Reading Room
“The move out at Danville is a job your team should all be proud of. They work very hard for very long hours. These days have been hot and sweaty. I never hear complaints and their attitudes are positive and always helpful and utterly respectful. You can be very proud of them. We are proud to have them. Thank you for your help with this extraordinary job. God bless you and your team.”
— Sr. Teresa Ann Jacobs, Sisters of Christian Charity
“You answered my call when New Canaan Country Day School needed you most and I thank you for that.”
— Jennifer Campbell, CFO, New Canaan Country Day School
“The library project was the most successful project in Friends Academy history!”
— Chris Semlies, Facilities Manager, Friends Academy
“Thank you for all of your work in bringing this project to fruition. We could not have accomplished this without you!”
— Phoebe B. Warmack, Woodberry Forest
“I did not know a company like the Whalen Berez group existed and I did not know I needed their services until now.”
— Lee W. Salter, Director, The McConnell Foundation, Redding, CA
“Jim brought my ideas to life. Our new Jayne S. Carmody School is modern, inviting and beautiful. Thank you, Jim, for taking the time to listen to every detail and following through on a space that exceeded my expectations.”
— Natalie Diehl, Director of Student Services, The Jayne S. Carmody School at The Rumson Country Day School, Rumson, NJ
“We never encountered a moment of being taken for granted and there may be no finer recommendation than that.”
— Donald M. Vorp, James Lenox Librarian, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ
“This description of the Jay Berez and the WBG/iCrane can barley scratch the surface when talking about their professionalism, knowledge, customer service, and the quality of their work. I would recommend the WBG/iCrane to anyone.
They go beyond the point of being a supplier or service provider…, when they take a project they become a true partner who is dedicated to the success of any project they take on. ”
— John Stuckey, Director, Purchasing & Facilities, JDRF, New York, NY
“The Whalen Berez Group has a standard of work ethic that is no less than “above and beyond”. I will give anyone considering the WBG my utmost recommendation as a source for furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The network they have developed over the years for sourcing furniture and millwork is extensive – giving them a distinct advantage in providing a wide range of options for all of your project’s needs. ”
— Lauren Bedell, Chief Administrative and Operating Officer, Avenues The World School, New York, NY
“A building project of this size can feel like a wild roller coaster ride, but your “can-do” attitude and “calmness under fire” quite simply made our project work. Due to no small part of your efforts, our project, in its short existence has been awarded two national awards for design excellence and high performance. ”
— James E. Theimer, A.I.A, LEED AP Principal, Trilogy Architecture, Redding, CA
“As we live in the building and define additional needs, The Whalen Berez Group has continued to provide us with service that ensures that we can fulfill our responsibility as educators in an environment that fulfills the expectations of our students, faculty, and parents. ”
“When we called the WBG to quote on building a laptop storage unit, we realized that this was a very versatile company whose expertise in education was coupled with creative and innovative solutions for a myriad of facility projects. They ended up procuring all the furniture for a renovation of our Lower School, in addition to designing seating for our lobby, conference room and tech center. They even came to the rescue at the eleventh hour by coordinating and supervising a complicated furniture storage issue. ”
— Freda Gimpel, Director of Finance, The Town School, New York, NY
“We are writing to express what a pleasure it was to work with James Whalen from the WBG in the renovation of the early childhood department wing. His honesty, professionalism, and knowledge of what was needed to make our dreams a reality was truly remarkable. ”
— Joel Kirschner, Executive Director, Yavneh Academy, Paramus, NJ
“James, you and your team deserve some sort of prize — perhaps the noble peace prize — for your patience and incredible work on getting to this point. ”
— Jeremy Joszef, Director, Camp Morasha, Lakewood, PA
“The beauty of working with Jim and his colleagues is that they know their business inside and out. They excel at looking at the big picture and they understand how schools work. If you have a great idea, they will help you to make it a reality; if you need a great idea, they will come up with one. I recommend them without reservation.”
— Liz Gray, Library Director, Helen Temple Cook Library, Dana Hall School, Wellesley, MA
“The response to our new building has been overwhelming, and the feedback from all who visit has been extremely positive. Jim, the Whalen Berez Group and specifically Bob have become indispensable to TABC and we know that you share our pride in our beautiful new facility. ”
— Teri Normand, Torah Academy of Bergen County, Teaneck, NJ
“We did it! The paint has dried, the construction crews have all gone, and happy and smiling faces fill our beautiful Yeshivat Noam campus on a daily basis. This could never have been accomplished without you! We are sure that Yeshivat Noam and the Whalen – Berez Group will be friends for life! Thank you for making our dreams a reality.”
— Enid Anziska, Executive Director, Yeshivat Noam, Paramus, NJ
“Whalen Berez is a firm you can count on to exceed your expectations and I wholeheartedly recommend them to you.”
— Angela DeGraff, Interim Executive Director/Head of School, Montclair Cooperative School, Montclair, NJ
“I will continue to involve the WBG in our upcoming design and construction projects, and I would certainly recommend them to anyone planning future projects at their school. ”
— Michael J. Mannino, Director of Finance, Facilities, Operations, The Rumson Country Day School, Rumson, NJ
“Even though there was a time demand to have this project completed before the school year, we did not feel the pressure since we knew we were in such competent and capable hands. We are extremely happy that we chose to work with the WBG and we would highly recommend this company.”
— Shani Norman, Early Childhood Director, Yavneh Academy, Paramus, NJ
“When Jim says, “We can make that happen” or “No problem” or “We’ll take care of it”…,believe him. He has delivered for us time and time again. Jim has good judgment, a great eye for quality, an innovative way of working towards a solution, and the patience of a saint. He has a wonderful sense of humor and provided our project with industry hints and strategies that only and insider would know. The Whalen Berez Group could not have been more professional, more helpful, or more committed to our success.”
— Alan Kirk Gray, Assistant Director of Operations, Darien Library, Darien, CT
“From the moment we were introduced to Jim Whalen we were confident that he would be a vital member of our team. You understood the scope of work from the very beginning. You assisted us in budgeting, organizing, ordering, and troubleshooting whenever necessary. Our project was implemented and completed within our time frame and budget. You were truly invaluable. ”
— Robert Scharf, Building Committee, Yeshivat Noam, Paramus, NJ
“Jim, I just want to thank you again for all your help, time and support. You are a real gentleman.”
— Chani Lichtiger, Yavneh Academy, Paramus, NJ
