Two years ago, Matt and Janna Splitter were having a business meeting with executives from one of their suppliers, and that was the breaking point.
“There were 10 people working around our kitchen island — which is really designed for four — sitting in mismatched chairs,” Janna describes. “It was the only space we had to have the meeting, and as a business, we want more of those types of meetings. So, we knew it was time to get serious about building an office.”
In less than a year, and notably under the original budget, the building they had been drawing for a decade over and over again on paper napkins was finally ready for them to use.
Dreams to Reality
Splitter Farms is headquartered in Rice County, Kan., and Matt was named the Top Producer Next Gen award winner in 2021. Before the construction of the 1,600 sq. ft. office, the Splitters were working in makeshift areas of their house.
Janna tapped her interior design and architectural background to get the plans 95% done. A local general contractor and subtractors then brought the plans on paper into a 3D reality.
Specifically for the Splitters, they wanted to pay careful attention to the layout of the office space.
Matt and Janna’s office doors intentionally don’t face one another. They say this keeps them from yelling across the hallway at each other and instead getting up and walking into their offices to talk. It also prevents them from unintentionally peeking at what the other person is doing throughout the day.
“I don’t see her on her phone and unintentionally criticize how she’s spending her time, and she doesn’t stare at me taking a quick nap at 4 p.m.,” Matt says.
The natural flow from the front door means Janna’s office is the first visitors would walk to, not around the corner to Matt’s, which buffers him from intercepting every visitor.
Additionally, Matt’s office is sound proofed for confidential conversations. Janna says not soundproofing her office is one of the biggest regrets from the project.
Both offices have large 5’x5' windows for natural light. Matt’s overlooks the farm yard and driveway, and Janna’s overlooks the driveway and the house.
Creating a barrier between where the Splitters live their personal life and do their work for the farm was important. The full kitchen and pantry allows the team to keep everything farm related centralized at the farm office — especially the preparation of field meals. A benefit yielded from the space has been a deepening of the team’s communication and farm culture.
“It adds up — having our employees all be able to gather and want to be together to eat lunch,” Matt says. “The culture of our farm has completely changed.”
Built With Purpose
There are many intentional, albeit seemingly small, design considerations Matt and Janna take pride in. While the walls are white, the trim is dark. That means if employees or visitors lean on doorways, they are less likely to leave a mark. There’s enclosed storage with cabinets and credenzas to minimize clutter. The covered front porch — from its stepped approach, to size at 6’x8' — provides an easy meeting spot for Matt to talk with vendors he only needs to meet for a short time rather than inviting inside for a sit down. The flat screen displays in the executive offices and conference room allow the Splitter Farms team to wirelessly mirror their tablet or computer screen for meetings. The Splitters found their impressive conference table on Facebook Marketplace and shopped seasonal sales to get the best deals on appliances, light fixtures and more.
Matt says the farm footprint didn’t allow for the office to be built anywhere else, but they feel they maximized the space they had with the structure they built.
Related: Kansas Farmer Harvests Corn Yields 30%-Plus Above APH
Quick Stats
Matt and Janna’s executive offices:
• Each 12’x14'
Shared office for employees:
• 10’x10'
Conference room:
• Seats up to 12
Other features:
• Full kitchen
• Full bathroom with shower facility for employees
• Triple paned, sealed windows
