Yes, it's always nice to work in bright, cheerful (warm, dry, quiet
etc.) surroundings. But, as I've already said, people of quality tend to rise above all that, and "produce the goods" anyhow.
Meanwhile, can someone please define "sleaze"? To me it means "corruption" (and I doubt that any amount of fresh paint and posters on the wall will overcome that).
To return to JS's original post, I would suggest more of an emphasis on addressing adequate tools, test equipment, service consumables and an efficient process for obtaining spare parts!
