SIT LESS. - MMQB.com

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MMQB
THE BUSINESS OF FURNITURE
5.26.2014
SIT LESS.
stand more.
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MMQB
Contents
Playbook: 93% of Americans agree
THIS is the worst part of office life
The partnership came about after Staples
approached Steelcase last year looking for
a high performance seating collection. p14
Staples 1Q profit Sinks as it Closes
Stores
Staples Inc reported a 44 percent fall in
quarterly profit, hurt by a stronger U.S. dollar and store closures. p20
Kewaunee Scientific Announces
China Expansion Plans
China has been identified by Kewaunee as
one of its key growth markets. p25
Fast Cars and Beautiful Furniture
The red Herman Miller logo represents the
fight against blindness and vision loss, one
that is personal to Chief Executive Officer
Brian Walker. p26
NeoCon Previews
Birth of Bold One
Bold One is a classic story of the
delicate dance that happens
every year between designer
and manufacturer in this
industry. It is a story of creativity,
compromise, sweat, engineering,
marketing, madness, worry,
pride and production. p34
MMQB Online Poll
Which will be the biggest
product category at NeoCon this year?
Ht. Adj. Worksufaces
44.70%
Collaboration Seating
General Seating
Benching
24.00%
17.30%
14.00%
This week we take a peek at new products
from Nemschoff, AIS and Trendway. p28
Dealing with an Aging Industry Pt 3
If anyone knows first hand how difficult it
can be to be thrown into the office furniture industry’s dealer and manufacturer’s
rep side at an early age, it’s William (Bill)
Corbett III. His father died of cancer when
he was 25, leaving the family business in
Norristown, Penn. in his son’s hands. p44
MMQB Industry Index
YTD gain or loss: -0.46%
(2013 finished with a year-over-year gain of +30.54%)
5400
5350
5300
5250
5200
Apr 28, 2014
May 12, 2014
May 26, 2014
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The Monday Morning Quarterback - The Business of Furniture | Copyright © 2014 by MMQB Inc.
For Steelcase, Staples Distribution is
just too Hard to Resist
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A new book titled “Cubed” says that
cubicles are a symbol of a workplace that
doesn’t really care about you. p10
XSEDE™ your expectations.
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New Website & Products launching Spring 2014
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PLAYBOOK
Thoughts from the Real World
93% of Americans agree THIS is the worst part of
office life
Morgan Korn at Yahoo Finance writes that for 60% of Americans,
the average workday consists of sitting in a cramped cubicle lit
by overhead fluorescent
lights, wedged between two
coworkers whose phone
conversations and keyboard
strokes can be heard every
minute of the day. In fact, he
writes, you’re probably sitting
in one now, wondering about
the weather outside. But
walking to your office windows would mean traversing
across a sea of other drab cubicles, identical in shape and
size. It’s no wonder that 93%
of workers despise cubicles.
The cubicle “connotes
dread, hatred, the terrible
white collar life,” says Nikil
Saval, author of the new
Click to get book on Amazon
book “Cubed.”
Robert Propst, a designer at Herman Miller, invented the modern
day cubicle in the 1960s. Propst wanted to “liberate” workers by
providing them with a flexible, semi-enclosed workspace; he loathed
offices that organized workers in “row after orthogonal row of serried desks, where accountants or typists clacked away from 9 to 5,
often surrounded by a corridor of closed-door offices for managers
and executives,” writes Saval.
“It saps vitality, blocks talent, frustrates accomplishment. It is the
daily scene of unfulfilled intentions and failed effort,” Propst said.
Companies initially hailed Propst’s progressive vision of the “Action
Office” -- it offered employees “autonomy and independence” by
working in a “flexible, three-walled design that could be reshaped
to any given need.” Propst also designed storage space on floors
because he believed workers “needed to stand as often as they
sat.” Even though the idea was initially popular with management
and workers, it never really took off, leaving employees in one-sizefits-all cubes that are smaller than their home bathrooms.
“[Cubicles are] a symbol of a workplace that doesn’t really care
about you,” explains Saval. “Managers have used them to cram
more and more people into less and less space.”
Some companies are doing away with cubicle culture altogether
and moving employees into so-called open plan spaces. Silicon Valley firms were the first to champion this design but Saval points out
there are drawbacks too.
“Open plan spaces look better than gray, unadorned cubicles but
psychological studies show they’re a real failure,” he says. “People
find more stress in open office plans…the same problems [as cubicles] persist: noise, distraction, no privacy. It’s cheaper to put people
in open office plans just like it was cheap to put people in cubicles.”
Are employees doomed to spend their working hours in tight
quarters? And what happens if you don’t like your colleague whose
“desk” abuts your allotted 20 inches of space? What are the health
consequences – will germs and viruses spread more quickly once the
partitions are torn down?
Saval doesn’t have an answer to these questions but says the
future of the workplace can be changed for the betterment of
workers.
Companies “are often imposing these on workers rather than finding out what workers actually need to do their work,” he says. “We
need office workers to stand up and start telling their bosses they
don’t like the space they’re being put in.” Q
24x7 Commentary
“Irony is just honesty with the volume cranked up.”
- George Saunders
The Tax Man Taketh and Givith
For those keeping track, April 21st was what is now known as “Tax Freedom Day”, the day when we stop earning money for various government
entities, and start earning some for ourselves.
It turns out, despite Republican rants, not all tax money is wasted. And,
tax money as we have learned over the past few years has done lots to
help the office furniture industry through some really tough times.
Now comes a report that proves the IRS is actually a friend of the industry, a good friend in fact. As the IRS seeks a 7 percent budget increase,
news that the agency has spent $96.5 million on office furniture under
the Obama administration may not encourage Congress to loosen the
purse strings. But it certainly should be welcome news to Western Michigan Republicans.
Who loves you baby? The Washington Free Beacon reported last week
that its review of nearly 3,800 IRS contracts from fiscal years 2010 through
10 The Monday Morning Quarterback | SUBSCRIBE | May 26, 2014
2014 showed the agency had spent $96 million refurbishing its offices
around the country — more than what it spent on furniture during the
entire eight years under President George W. Bush.
The purchases ranged from several millions to hundreds of thousands of
dollars for each agency office. The Colorado office, for example, got $2.67
million for the “purchase of systems furniture” in 2011, and the Washington, D.C., office, received $2.6 million in “new system furniture/service.”
OMG, the government still loves cubicles and is loath to go collaborative. Probably a good thing for all of us as far as the IRS is concerned.
IRS employees in Haverhill, Mass., meanwhile, should be sitting more
comfortably after the agency spent $618,881 on Phase II of a chair project
that was completed in December 2012.
Michigan, which has six IRS offices, spent the most on furniture of all the
states, the Free Beacon reported, while the top three contractors were
Knoll, Herman Miller and Haworth.
It’s not clear yet what, if any, political impact the furniture spending
disclosures will have on Congress’ fiscal deliberations. Meanwhile a lot
of folks along the Eastern shores of Lake Michigan (i.e. West Michigan)
should understand which side their bread is buttered on. Q
UrbaN:
The TaLK
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Distinctive and durable. Stackable and stylish. See our new
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To keep you
from feeling blue,
we also offer these in
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Chairs that are
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Easily attachable
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Together, we can finally create the waiting area
people have been waiting for.
At PS Furniture, we want our commercial furniture to make every cafe, classroom, meeting room and waiting room,
feel less common. We do that by thinking deeply about the needs of the people who own, design, use, and even
clean a space. And then we provide furniture that meets those needs with a thousand thoughtful details. In other
words, we design furniture the way you design spaces. So what are you waiting for? Call 1-800-762-0415 or
visit www.psfurniture.com/uncommon, today, and let’s explore what we can create together.
Because no place should be commonplace.
NEWS
For Steelcase, Staples Distribution is
just too Hard to Resist
The partnership came about after Staples approached Steelcase last
year looking for a high performance
seating collection.
ff
After a failed attempt in the early
1990s to place Steelcase products in
Office Depot, why would the office
furniture giant try again with another big box office retailer, this time
with Staples? The answer is that the
reach of the giant retailer is simply
too hard for Steelcase to resist.
After massive amazon.com,
Staples is the No. 2 online retailer.
That is a sweet prize for any office
furniture maker, especially since the
industry has such a hard time connecting with end users and small
business owners (who sometimes
become big business owners).
Steelcase and Staples announced
the partnership last week that will
send six Steelcase seating products
and a simple four-leg Turnstone
table to the big box retailer. The
products will also be available
through Staples’ website. Steelcase
learned from its failed partnership
with Office Depot in 1993, said Allan Smith, vice president of global
marketing.
This time around, Steelcase is
carefully controlling its brand.
Steelcase will have its own branded
area inside the Staples store, its
products separated from the cheaper offerings usually found there.
Steelcase will also have its own
branded area of the Staples website
and it will lead with insights, not
products, Smith said.
“The Steelcase brand has a lot of
value,” he said. “It stands for quality and performance and insight-led
products. We have been very careful
as we put together the relationship.
We looked at the dealers first and
examined what this means to them.
It only
looks
simple.
OM5 Active combines precise
engineering and well-balanced
geometry with simple, intuitive
features – because the best seating
keeps you active and engaged.
Simple. Responsive. Smart. OM5.
www.officemaster.com
NeoCon 2014 | visit us at booth 3086, 7th floor
Make the move to
a healthier workplace.
• Height Adjustable
Workcenters
• Keyboard Platforms
• Monitor Arms
• LED Task Lighting
For more information contact us at
workriteergo.com or 800.959.9675
Scan or click here for more NeoCon Information and
sign our “Changing the Laws of Business” petition
for a chance to win an Ipad
Come see how at Neocon
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We think it is a positive.”
Smith noted the failed experiment
with Office Depot that was formed
by Jim Hackett, the recently retired
CEO, who put it together when
he was in charge of the Turnstone
brand. Hackett created the relationship to put Turnstone products in
Office Depot for the same reason
Steelcase products are going into
Staples: To increase the brand
awareness, especially with small
business owners.
From an e-commerce perspective, Staples is second only to Amazon in
its online reach. Staples
works with 10 million small
businesses in the U.S.
The market is much different today than it was in 1993, Smith said.
“We feel like the market is ready
and the partner is ready,” he said,
noting that Staples is prepared to
give the Steelcase partnership the
time and resources it needs to be
successful. The e-commerce environment is far different today as
well, he said, adding that Steelcase
is “more confident” in the relationship than it was with its Office Depot partnership in the early 1990s.
Since Steelcase is offering only a
small number of products, Smith
said it won’t be slighting dealers
who can offer the entire line. In
fact, the company hopes small business owners who might “meet” the
brand through a few office chairs
will become larger and long-time
customers for its dealer network
as the firms grow. And Smith is
quick to point out that the deal with
Staples does not mean Steelcase will
align with Staples Advantage and its
massive dealer, Staples Business So-
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lutions. In fact, the office furniture
dealer segment of Staples will not
have access to Steelcase products
and won’t be able to sell them.
“We’ve very excited about the
partnership,” he said. “This is going
to create new relationships with
future customers who down the
road will want more products from
Steelcase. Small companies become
big companies. Who knows who
is going to develop into the next
Google, the next Twitter.”
Starting in the second half of
2014, Staples will offer an array of
Steelcase seating and table solutions
online and in selected stores. While
Staples is not exactly known for
quality furniture, it is adding more
high-end products and creating
more partnership with quality manufacturers like Steelcase. Staples is
actively trying to move upmarket.
“Through our new partnership,
we’re giving small business customers access to the expertise, craftsmanship, design and innovation of
Steelcase,” said Mike Edwards, executive vice president of merchandising at Staples. “We are thrilled
to partner with Steelcase and help
bring our small business customers
solutions that can make more happen for both their employees and
their business.”
Staples customers will be able
to design their workspace with
Steelcase seating including Leap,
Think, cobi, QiVi, Amia and Buoy
chairs. There are no plans to add
more products at this time, but the
two sides have talked about adding
lower priced products developed
specifically for the big box retailer.
The partnership came about after
Staples approached Steelcase last
year looking for a high performance
seating collection. “Their customers
wanted higher quality and performance products,” Smith said. “They
said, ‘We’d like to put a program
together with you.’”
From an e-commerce perspective,
Staples is second only to Amazon in
its online reach. Staples works with
10 million small businesses in the
U.S.
“It is a tremendous opportunity
for us to connect with consumers
and small businesses,” Smith said.
“As those small businesses grow,
also they will also know about our
dealers and can be linked into the
dealer. Inside the store, it will feel
like a branded Steelcase experience.
You will be able to feel the difference between the Steelcase products (and the other furniture Staples
sells).”
GE T MOV ING
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Staples 1Q profit Sinks as it
Closes Stores
Staples Inc reported a 44 percent
fall in quarterly profit, hurt by a stronger U.S. dollar and store closures.
ff
Staples’ first-quarter earnings tumbled 43 percent as the office supply
chain closed down store locations in
a shift toward online sales.
Staples took a $46 million pre-tax
charge related to closing 16 stores
in the quarter and its plan to close
about 80 stores in the current quarter
Total company sales for the first
quarter of 2014 were $5.7 billion, a
decrease of three percent compared
to the first quarter of 2013. First
quarter 2014 total company sales
growth was negatively impacted by
approximately one percent due to
changes in foreign exchange rates
and store closures in North America
during the 12 months preceding the
first quarter of 2014.
“We’re making progress meeting
the changing needs of our customers as we reinvent Staples,” said Ron
Sargent, Staples’ chairman and chief
executive officer. “Despite a slow
start to the first quarter, our results
were in line with our expectations
and we expect to build momentum
throughout 2014.”
On a GAAP basis, first quarter
2014 total company operating
income rate decreased 209 basis
points to 2.81 percent compared to
operating income rate of 4.90 percent achieved during the first quarter of 2013. Excluding the impact of
the restructuring and other related
charges and the net gain primarily
related to the sale of Smilemakers during the first quarter of 2014,
Stop In
total company non-GAAP operating income rate declined 167 basis
points to 3.23 percent during the
first quarter of 2014.
On a GAAP basis, the company
reported first quarter 2014 net
income of $96 million, or $0.15 per
diluted share, compared to $170
million, or $0.26 per diluted share
achieved in the first quarter of 2013.
The company incurred $46 million
of pre-tax restructuring and other
related charges primarily associated
with the closure of 16 stores in the
first quarter, as well as the company’s plan to close approximately 80
stores in North America during the
second quarter of 2014. The company also incurred an $11 million tax
charge related to the repatriation
of foreign earnings, as well as a net
gain of $22 million primarily related
to the sale of the company’s Smile-
nxt door
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Showroom Hours:
Fri-Wed- 1:00-8:00pm Open to Public
Fri-Wed 9am-12am -By Appointment
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5/15/14 2:39 PM
Seeyond
®
ARCHITECTURAL
SOLUTIONS
makers business. Excluding these
items, the company reported nonGAAP net income of $115 million, or
$0.18 per diluted share.
During the first quarter of 2014,
the company generated operating cash flow of $360 million and
invested $48 million in capital
expenditures, resulting in free cash
flow of $312 million. The company
repurchased 5.7 million shares for
$70 million, and ended the quarter
with $1.8 billion in liquidity, including $793 million in cash and cash
equivalents.
For the second quarter of
2014, the company expects
sales to decrease versus the
second quarter of 2013.
Place Matters
June 9 – 11, 2014
The Merchandise Mart, Chicago
NeoCon.com
North America’s largest
design exposition and conference
for commercial interiors
SEE US
AT N E O C O N .
Seeyond
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ARCHITECTURAL
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PATENT PENDING.
Sales for the first quarter of 2014
were $2.6 billion, a decrease of
five percent compared to the first
quarter of 2013. Changes in foreign
exchange rates negatively impacted
first quarter 2014 sales growth by
approximately two percent. Sales
growth was also negatively impacted by approximately one percent
due to stores closed during the 12
months preceding the first quarter of 2014, net of estimated sales
transfers to remaining stores. Sales
declines in business machines and
technology accessories, core office
supplies, ink and toner, and computers, were partially offset by growth
in facilities and breakroom supplies
and copy and print. Comparable
store sales, which exclude sales in
Staples.com, decreased four percent, reflecting a four percent decline in traffic and flat average order
size versus the prior year. Staples.
com sales grew six percent in local
currency during the first quarter of
2014. This reflects increased conver-
PRODUCED BY
Photograph by Hufton+Crow
Image courtesy of HOK
visit us at stand 8-1072
RESELLERS
WANTED
9-11 June 2014
The Merchandise Mart Chicago
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were $2.1 billion, an increase of one
percent compared to the first quarter of 2013. This primarily reflects
growth in facilities and breakroom
supplies, furniture, as well as promotional products, partially offset
by declines in ink and toner, paper,
and core office supplies. Operating income rate decreased 74 basis
points to 6.60 percent compared to
the first quarter of 2013. This decline primarily reflects lower product margin and investments in sales
force to drive growth in categories
beyond office supplies, partially offset by reduced marketing expense.
were $1.0 billion, a decrease of
four percent compared to the first
quarter of 2013. The decline was
driven by weakness in the company’s European delivery businesses.
Comparable store sales in Europe
IN
FU
W
SE
IT I
H T
H D
sion on the company’s desktop and
mobile websites, as well as growth
from its expanded assortment in
categories beyond office supplies.
Operating income rate decreased
270 basis points to 3.52 percent
compared to the first quarter of
2013. This decline primarily reflects
lower product margin online and in
stores, increased marketing expense
to drive awareness of categories beyond office supplies, investments to
accelerate growth online, as well as
the negative impact of fixed expenses on lower sales. This was partially
offset by progress the company has
made streamlining its store labor
model and reducing expenses in
its retail stores over the past year.
During the first quarter of 2014, the
company closed 16 stores in North
America.
were flat, reflecting approximately
a two percent increase in average
order size offset by approximately
a one percent decrease in traffic
versus the prior year. Operating
income rate decreased 152 basis
points to an operating loss of 2.59
percent compared to the first quarter of 2013. This decrease primarily reflects the negative impact of
fixed costs on lower sales in Europe,
lower product margin in Australia,
and increased marketing expense
as a percentage of sales, partially
offset by improved product margin
in Europe.
For the second quarter of 2014,
the company expects sales to decrease versus the second quarter
of 2013. The company expects to
achieve fully diluted non-GAAP
earnings per share in the range of
$0.09 to $0.14 for the second quarDo your collaboration tools
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ter of 2014. This guidance excludes
any potential impact on earnings
per share related to 2014 global
restructuring and other related
activities.
The company expects to record
pre-tax charges in the range of $105
million to $155 million associated
with restructuring and other related
activities during the second quarter
of 2014. For the full year, the company expects total pre-tax global
restructuring and other related
charges in the range of $240 million
to $360 million. For the full year,
the company expects to generate
more than $600 million of free cash
flow. The company’s free cash flow
guidance reflects an expected use
of cash in the range of $60 million
to $100 million associated with its
2014 global restructuring and other
related activities.
Kewaunee Scientific
Announces China
Expansion Plans
China has been identified by
Kewaunee as one of its key growth
markets.
ff
Lab furniture maker Kewaunee Scientific Corporation, Thursday announced plans for expansion in the
large and growing China research
laboratory market.
When fully implemented, the
strategy is expected to significantly
enhance the company’s position in
the China marketplace. It includes
the establishment of a facility in
Suzhou, which will also serve as
the company’s headquarters for the
country. The company will operate in China under its subsidiary,
Kewaunee Scientific (Suzhou) Co.,
Ltd. The Suzhou facility is expected
to be staffed and operational in
August 2014.
China has been identified by
Kewaunee as one of its key growth
markets. This strategy will position
the company to build on its success
in recent years in China, which has
included a number of government
and private laboratory projects.
Most of China’s current nuclear
power plant test laboratories were
provided by Kewaunee, as well as
the Beijing Olympics drug testing
laboratory.
Kewaunee’s products are currently sold and distributed in Mainland
China through its independent
dealer, Beijing Synergy Scientific
Co., Ltd., with offices in Beijing,
Shanghai, and Chongqing, and in
Hong Kong through its independent
dealer, Komrowski Engineering &
Trading (HK) Limited.
Fast Cars and Beautiful
Furniture
The red Herman Miller logo represents the fight against blindness and
vision loss, one that is personal to
Chief Executive Officer Brian Walker.
ff
When the sky blue race car of
Buddy Lazier took to the track at
the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, it was
sporting the familiar red Herman
Miller badge. But the sponsorship
goes far beyond the support of a
race car driver trying to beat his
competition at a legendary track
even though the car suffered mechanical problems which ended the
run after 87 laps.
The red Herman Miller logo represents the fight against blindness
and vision loss, one that is personal
to Chief Executive Officer Brian
Walker. His son, Sam Walker, a student at Michigan State University,
Buddy Lazier (inset) with Indy 500 car sporting the Herman Miller Logo. Lazier started in the 33 position.
is fighting retinitis pigmentosa, a
degenerative eye disease that is robbing him of his vision. And anyone
who knows Brian Walker -- from
his many friends in the industry to
his competitors to those he races
bicycles with -- know that he does
not shy from a challenge.
The lead sponsorship for Lazier
is the University of Iowa Stephen
A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research. Walker serves on the Wynn
Institute Advisory Board. The Wynn
Institute is working toward promising treatments and, ultimately,
a cure for retinitis pigmentosa. In
addition to partnering with Lazier
Partners Racing to make the Indy
500 car possible, Walker also sponsors an annual golf event to raise
money for the institutes’s research,
Sam’s Scramble for Sight, which attracts many office furniture industry
executives who set aside their competitive nature for one day to hit the
links and help a colleague’s son.
Maximize productivity. Minimize floor space.
Introducing BenchWorx.
Come see us in showroom 10-154.
www.deskmakers.net
“Thank you to Lazier Partners
Racing and Wynn Institute Advisory
Board Member Brian Walker for
creating this incredible opportunity
to share with the millions of people
who follow the Indy 500 the important research our scientists are conducting to help patients with vision
loss,” said Dr. Edwin Stone, director
of the UI Stephen A. Wynn Institute
for Vision Research.
The car is being sponsored by
Walker, not Herman Miller, but
Walker decided to tag the car with
the company logo instead of his
name. Aside from the obvious benefit to the cause of vision research, it
will provide a high-profile stage for
Herman Miller.
Lazier is the 1996 Indy 500 winner and he will drive the No. 91 University of Iowa Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research Dallara/
Chevrolet/Firestone car in the 98th
running of the 500-mile race. The
Indianapolis 500 is one of the most
prestigious motorsport events in the
world, held annually on Memorial
Day weekend at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
The sponsorship and case is personal to Lazier as well, Jacqueline
Lazier, the 12-year-old daughter of
Buddy and Kara Lazier, was born
with a rare eye disorder called
aniridia, which is characterized by
a complete or partial absence of the
colored part of the eye. Aniridia can
cause reduction in visual acuity and
increased sensitivity to light. Aniridia, combined with glaucoma, has
caused Jacqueline to lose vision in
her right eye. The Wynn Institute is
conducting research on aniridia and
glaucoma as well as other inherited
eye diseases.
“Our support of the Wynn Institute is personal to our family and
right in line with the goals and purpose of our team,” said Lazier Partners Racing co-owner, and Buddy’s
father, Bob Lazier. “We want to win
on the track, and we want to help
people achieve their goals every day
off the track.”
In honor of Jacqueline Lazier and
Sam Walker, longtime UI supporters Gary and Cammy Seamans have
committed $100,000 to support
the institutes’s research fund. “We
hope to inspire others to give to the
incredibly important, life-changing
research that is taking place at the
institute,” said Gary Seamans. “The
Indy 500 is an opportunity to tell
Jacqueline and Sam’s stories, and to
bring hope to other patients around
the world.”
Others interested in supporting
the Wynn Institute can visit www.
buddysdrive.org. Q
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NeoCon 2014 / PREVIEW
Five Best of
NeoCon Awards
in the past
five years.
NeoCon 2014 Preview
Nemschoff
By ROB KIRKBRIDE
The Palisade Collection was designed
for Nemschoff by Jess Sorel of the
Sorel Studio.
See what’s next at
NeoCon 2014.
Floor 7,
Booth 3078B
www.surfaceworks.us
H
ospitals have always been for the care and rehabilitation of patients,
not designed for the comfort of guests. Indeed, guest have historically
been treated as unwelcome distractions. But a growing body of evidence suggests guests can help in the healing and communication process,
speeding recovery.
It is a major shift in thinking and one that requires an equal shift in patient room furniture to accommodate the guest comfortably. Nemschoff is
addressing this need with its new Palisade collection, furniture designed to
make the guest feel as welcome and comfortable as the patient. It is a wide
collection of products that were thoughtfully designed to provide space,
storage and accessories for guests.
“There is mounting evidence that guests increase healing,” said Nicole Allis, portfolio lead. “There is a reduction in falls; an increase in communication between the caregiver and the patient.”
Since Nemschoff was acquired by Herman Miller,
the brands have worked hard to study the relationship
between patients and guests. Nemschoff conducted a
study, “The Case for Including Friends and Family in the
Healing Process” that outlines the benefits of family and
friends in hospital rooms.
Family and friends were once subject (not long ago) to
strict visiting hours. Today, many healthcare organizations are taking a different approach, welcoming guests
to stay around the clock as a key part of the patient care
team, according to the study. “This about-face is being driven by mounting evidence that shows the support of guests can help healthcare organizations meet
their goals,” the study reports. “From improving patient
outcomes to reducing costs, the most valuable thing a
healthcare organization can add to a patient room may
be a ‘welcome mat’ for family and friends.”
Using a human-centered approach to incorporate comfortable and accommodating amenities, the new Nemschoff Palisade collection – being launched at NeoCon -is designed to anticipate and support the needs of guests
within the limited space of patient rooms.
“It is well known that the support of family and friends
has a positive effect on the patient experience,” said Kent
Gawart, chief operating officer. “The Palisade Collection
was designed to offer a sense of welcome and comfort to
guests, supporting their need to work, eat, sleep and stay
close to their loved one.”
The Palisade collection creates a dedicated space for
guests within the patient room. It includes seating, technology support, lighting, storage, sleeping and work
space, all things needed to support those who are spending days and nights away from home to comfort and support the patient.
The Palisade Collection was designed for Nemschoff
by Jess Sorel of the Sorel Studio. Palisade includes a sofa
that converts to a sleep surface, open storage, a patient
stool that supports eye-level guest-patient interactions
and can be tucked into the high table when not in use,
and a mobile table with legs that slide under the sofa to
save space.
“Palisade is ideal for facilities where space is at a premium, but comfort and satisfaction can’t be compromised,” said Gawart. “Through comfortable, flexible solutions, facilities will be ready to support patients and
their guests, while still maximizing hospitals’ use of
space and return on investment.”
Nemschoff points to three key concepts that the Palisade Collection embodies: accommodation, connectivity
and space efficiency.
Palisade accommodates through features that make it
easier for guests to talk eye-to-eye with patients, share
meals, entertain themselves, check in with the office and
sleep without leaving the patient’s side. Meeting all of
these needs make guests feel welcome and keeps them
connected to their loved one so they can support the
healing process.
The collection creates connectivity through built-in
chargers for phones and laptops that let guests stay connected to the outside world while staying near the patient. Dedicated outlets ensure that guests can always
find a place to plug in.
It is also efficient since it does a lot in such a small footprint. Individual components are designed to nest, move
or provide extra functions, such as lighting and coat
storage, by leveraging vertical space.
“Some guests spend hours and hours or even days with
patients they are supporting. Palisade gives them a place
to sleep, an integral table that adjusts up and down and
also has power and lighting to accommodate the desk. It
gives them a space all their own, that is out of the way of
the nurses,” Allis said.
Hospital rooms are not getting larger. That means Palisade has to use the room efficiently. The sofa that is part
of the collection, for example, uses the same space when
in sitting mode as it does in sleeping mode. The table is
built in and out of the way. The arm cap on the sofa is a
little wider to create a work surface or spot to plop down.
There is a cost benefit of creating spaces for friends
and families, according to the Nemschoff study. Adding space to accommodate families adds an estimated
$1 million to construction costs, but those same family/
social spaces contribute to a savings of more than $1.5
million in reduced patient falls.
Accommodating friends and family also makes patients
happier. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act,
Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement is now linked
to patient satisfaction scores and raising these HCAHPS
(Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores can help boost an organization’s
bottom line.
Since Herman Miller acquired Nemschoff in 2009, Allis said the brands have worked hand-in-hand leveraging
each other’s strengths. “We have been known for seating
in healthcare,” she said about the Nemschoff brand. “We
have been able to pull in Herman Miller’s knowledge of
ergonomics into our products. We have also leveraged
our brands to work together on providing a complete solution -- from Herman Miller products in the administration area to Herman Miller Healthcare and Nemschoff
in patient rooms. It is a one-stop-shop for healthcare.” Q
NeoCon 2014 Preview
AIS
By ROB KIRKBRIDE
After showing the basic version last
year, AIS is bringing the tricked out
Oxygen this time around.
HOW MANY TIMES have you worked so hard at NeoCon that
the show left you completely winded? AIS thinks you might
need a bit of Oxygen. The company’s NeoCon theme and a major product introduction revolves around oxygen. So get ready
to suck it up.
The company’s Oxygen benching product, which made a
preliminary appearance last year, will take center stage in AIS’
10th floor showroom. Consider AIS Oxygen last year as a base
model. This year’s Oxygen is the luxury model with all the
bells and whistles.
And the company is showing it in a novel way: As a truly
working space. Calling the space AIS Work Lab, AIS employees will be working on Oxygen benching systems while the
show is going on. It is a way to bring the showroom to life as a
working office instead of a static, staid space. The workers will
be available to answer questions about the products as they go
about their work.
For example, if a designers visits the AIS showroom and
asks where the worker stows their sneakers, they will be able
to show them. Where does the iPhone get plugged? The worker can explain how power is delivered. It allows show goers
to discover the unique features of the workspace and witness
real-life teams in action.
AIS makes no claim to the title of industry design leader.
But Oxygen is an excellent benching product that is often less
expensive than the competition with comparable quality and
backed by excellent customer service. After showing the basic
version last year, AIS is bringing the tricked out Oxygen this
time around, said Bill Stewich, vice president of product development and engineering.
“For the last few years, we’ve done a lot of research on core
benching concepts that could be cost effective and also expandable,” he said. “Often when a first generation product
comes into the market, it can be designed into a corner. It is
high concept, but then the market develops. For the last four
or five years, I’ve seen benching mainstream into the market
at NeoCon. We wanted to develop a core product (Oxygen last
year) that was very simple. We were pleasantly surprised. We
rolled out the product last November and had really good success. It is selling robustly and it has gotten us into a market and
into opportunities that we never anticipated.”
Now that it has been on the market for six months or so,
the company is ready to roll out phase two of Oxygen. Stewich said he follows the “80/20 rule” -- get a simple version of
the product out to market and if it is accepted, roll out serious enhancement. Oxygen is adding elements such as 120 degree space planning, power options, new storage options and
height adjustability to the line. “Oxygen won a (major NeoCon
award) last year,” said Rob Lazarus, executive vice president.
“I think Oxygen winning that award catapulted us. It was a
springboard to the next level.”
Since its launch six months ago, AIS has sold about 3,000
stations into the marketplace. Customers appreciate AIS and
its common sense solutions. Many very good benching solutions are in the marketplace, Lazarus said. So AIS has to compete by improving what’s out there, offering it at a lower price
and offering quicker lead times.
“It is easy to design complicated products with lots of parts
and pieces,” he said. “Oxygen is a simple, workable design. It
offers more flexibility and adaptability with a simple kit of
parts. It is a common sense, usable product. We did the same
thing with frame and tile (panels) years ago. We really stay
true to our process.”
It is a process the architecture and design community greatly appreciates. AIS is known for providing Grade A products at
a lower cost, with shorter lead times and high levels of service.
The average lead time at AIS is about three week -- about half
as long as many of its competitors.
Though AIS is moving into new product categories like
benching and height adjustability, it still sells a lot of panel
systems. Stewich said there is still innovation that can happen with panels. He is working on improving the company’s
core products like Matrix and Divi. “We need to make sure
those products are relevant,” he said. “Those products can still
maintain all the success that they’ve had in the past. We don’t
want to lose focus on our core business.”
The company also wants to add sizzle to its laminate
casegoods products Complete and Complete Plus. “Our Complete line is hitting the right price point,” Lazarus said. “We
want to make that even better. Each year we try to raise the bar
with our products. With Oxygen and Complete, I think we are
the mid-market leader.”
The AIS showroom is reflecting oxygen beyond the Oxygen product as well. The company is completely revamping
its showroom, moving away from the street-smart, young style
and more toward a sophisticated, professional look. It is impossible, it seems, for AIS to avoid fun. The company is including an oxygen bar in its space, giving those looking for a break
a chance to chill out, select their oxygen “flavor” and unwind.
The idea is that after five minutes, show-goers will feel destressed and ready to return to the show.
After threats of eviction if it didn’t tone down its legendary
Monday afternoon bash AIS is cooling off the party -- at least
in its Merchandise Mart space. Though the stick-in-the-muds
have forced AIS to nix its party, the bash is simply moving offsite. In what is sure to be one of the hottest social tickets of
NeoCon, the company is moving the party to one of the top
floors of Willis Tower. Q
1
3
2
1. Trendway training tables. 2. Zego Chair. 3. Quello Bar Stool and
Collaborative Table
NeoCon 2014 Preview
Trendway
By ROB KIRKBRIDE
Trendway has four new products to
introduce in June at NearbyCon.
TRENDWAY IS KIND OF LIKE THAT HOMELY GIRL or
guy in high school who comes to the 10 year class reunion
looking like a supermodel, leaving everyone scratching
their heads asking: “Is that the same person (or in Trendway’s case, company)?”
Bill Bundy wants you to know that yes, Trendway is the
ugly duckling turned industry surprise. And the chief executive officer of the Holland company also wants you to
know that the “makeover” isn’t done yet.
Trendway is launching a collection of cool new nesting
seats, a slick bar stool, collaborative tables and training
tables at NearbyCon (they are across the street from the
Merchandise Mart, so not “officially” part of the show) that
Bundy hopes will continue to surprise the industry, designers and dealers.
“There are times we can surprise people that we are in
play,” he said of the company that is mid-sized -- not truly
a major, but certainly no start-up-sized newbie either. “We
can roll under the radar. Every now and then we can win a
project and people don’t even realize we are playing. It is a
great place to be.”
The company’s size also helps it know its place in the industry. It is not going to chase the mega projects because
Bundy said with the huge contracts: “Sometimes when
you win, you are a loser” because of the small margins left.
There’s no meat left on the bones on the super-large projects for a company like Trendway.
Instead, Trendway has made a name for itself for its legendary commitment to service. Its products go out on time
and complete -- always. And it delivers what it promises,
Bundy said. Now, it is adding a renewed commitment to design as well. If its new products succeed, Trendway probably won’t fly under the radar for much longer.
Trendway has four new product to introduce in June at
NearbyCon. None of them are innovative juggernauts, but
they are solid new introductions that will help round out its
already solid, though somewhat dated portfolio. Refreshing
a product portfolio is a process, after all. It does not happen
overnight. In Trendway’s case, work on making its products
more relevant to the market really began last year with cool
new introductions like Feek -- its nearly indestructible coated foam furniture that can be shaped into just about anything a designer can think up.
Trendway plans to continue to push Feek forward, this
year with some “surprising” uses for it. Trendway is bringing in a big-name designer to show some extreme designs
for Feek. Bundy said it is all about “raising the bar with our
design content.”
“Feek continues to open doors for us and Feek is selling,”
he said. “Our Feek team is really, really busy. We are continually raising the design aspects of our products. That is
getting us more attention from designers and dealers. All of
it is supported with our really great service. That is core to
who we are.”
Bundy said the company recently won a project in the
Southeast. After the furniture was installed, the customer
told Bundy that Trendway “did exactly what it promised it
would do.” That is a good example of what Trendway is all
about.
Now customers will have new furniture choices as well.
Zego is a new Trendway flip/nest chair that the company
claims offers best-in-class features at an attractive price. It
uses a mesh back and “flexing action” for comfort during
long meetings or training sessions. A key feature is its light
weight and mobility. It can easily be pushed into place when
needed and nested out of the way when not.
The chair comes standard with nylon casters, full armrests and a fully upholstered seat. It is offered in a number
of upholstery options and two frame colors. “We are very
excited about the launch of our new highly versatile Zego
nesting chair,” said Gary Thompson, senior product manager for seating. “It embodies superior style, comfort and
features that set it apart from other models. Zego offers the
best price-value available in a multi-use chair designed for a
wide array of applications.”
The company is also showing its new Quello Bar Stool. It
is a simple stool with curved seat, rated to 250 pounds with
an aluminum foot rest. It has a simple, graceful style and is
offered in red or white laminate top or natural beech with
a clear lacquer finish. “The very elegant Quello stool is sure
to garner great attention from the market. We’re excited to
offer our customers and dealers such beautiful solutions as
Trendway continues to evolve,” said Marketing Director
Tracy Reed.
Trendway is also introducing what it is calling a “new
generation” of collaborative tables to market. The tables
come with a classic trumpet-form pedestal base and tops in
laminate, glass and coated MDF. The tables come in three
heights and a knife-edge top in round or square shape. The
company also is launching a new line of training tables
for learning environments. Neither product line has been
named.
Bundy said the new products are more current and relevant to clients at price points that don’t cause sticker shock.
And the products add new life to its overall offering, which
Bundy admits is aging, but still relevant. Its Choices product
is more than 30 years old. Contrada is 15 years old. “We can
only ride those products for so long,” he said.
The new products are prompting designers to knock on
Trendway’s door again -- some of whom have not called in
many years. Dealers are calling to do more with Trendway
as well. “What we found with dealers is that they said to
us, ‘I love you guys, but you are ugly. You are not ugly anymore,’” Bundy said. “I don’t think we ever were, but if they
are paying attention to us, that’s what counts.”
While Trendway is not an official part of NeoCon, the
company is an important part of the building across the
street from the Merchandise Mart, that provides the company a strong year-round presence in Chicago. The company’s name is on the building throughout the year, not buried
in the halls of the Merchandise Mart that few see, he said.
“I think our showroom is going to be a lot of fun,” Bundy
said, noting that the company’s position along the river allows it to do an annual boat ride for its customers, dealers,
designers and friends. Q
Birth of Bold One
Bold One is a classic story of the delicate dance that happens
every year between designer and manufacturer in this industry.
By ROB KIRKBRIDE
B
efore the cubicle, the steel “tanker”
desk was ubiquitous in the office.
It was made by the millions in
drab grays and greens by companies
like Steelcase, General Fireproofing,
McDowell & Craig, Shaw Walker and Art
Metal. Although the retro-loving hipsters
have given these double-pedestal desks
some refurbished love in recent years, few
hold them up as icons of office design.
Yet like the Ford Model T automobile, the tankers
worked. Sturdy with plenty of storage in the pedestals,
which usually included a pencil drawer in the center and
a few box and file drawers on each side, the tanker was
a workhorse and sold because they could take a beating
even the most active office could dish out and still functioned perfectly for the task.
Desks changed along with the needs of the modern
office. They became “technology holders” — places for
large computer monitors and other office gadgets. As
this technology becomes small and mobile, the need for
desks has come full circle. So why not revive the tanker
with a modern twist? That is the spark that inspired designer Joey Ruiter to create the One desk for Bold Furniture Co.
The One desk shares DNA with its tanker grandfather,
but it is a completely modern invention, a dual-pedestal
desk that is height adjustable and keeps the storage at
the same height as the user, whether sitting or standing.
It is sleek and modern, yet is is classic and comfortable
at the same time.
And it is the desk that Bold Furniture never set out to
build (but is thrilled to be able to), according to Todd
Folkert, president of the company based in Muskegon,
Mich., about a half hour’s drive north of Holland and 45
minutes from Grand Rapids.
Bold One is a classic story of the delicate dance that
happens every year between designer and manufacturer
in this industry. It is a story of creativity, compromise,
sweat, engineering, marketing, madness, worry, pride
and production. At this time of the year, it is happening
at hundreds of companies as each tries to wow its customers with the latest office innovations (and retreads).
This story could be written about any of one of those
Ruiter and Folkert examine final product
As this technology
becomes small and
mobile, the need for
desks has come full
circle. So why not
revive the tanker
with a modern
twist?
Tesano
Prototype in Ruiter’s workshop
companies who year after year fill the showrooms of the
Merchandise Mart for the tens of thousands who come
to Chicago for NeoCon.
But this story follows (and will continue to follow) one
product from the brain of the designer to its unveiling at
NeoCon and its production in a plant on Michigan’s lake
shore. It is a story that many in the industry intimately
know, but few think about in the thick of giving birth to
a product. Not every product development story is the
same. The timeline for some new products stretches
years from idea to production. Others, like the Bold One
desk, happen in a matter of months.
Some products succeed. Some fail. Despite the best intentions, some are never produced at all.
This is the story of Bold Furniture Co.’s One desk, from
first sketch to final assembly.
Start at One
Like many designers, Joey Ruiter’s inspirations come
from a variety of places. He is fascinated by stripping
things to their simplest forms. He lives in a beautiful midcentury modern home that sits on a hill and overlooks
the Grand River valley. When not designing furniture for
many of the top brands in the industry, he designs things
like a dune buggy that looks like it is off the set of Mad
Max, a minimalist motorcycle that was featured in the
Grand Rapids ArtPrize competition and a pontoon boat
that looks more like an oversized inflatable raft.
His taste runs from the modern to the classic. He once
drove a classic 1960s Porsche before it rolled down his
driveway and overturned in a murky pond behind his
home, just a day after he displayed it in an auto show. He
has restored Honda Dream motorcycles from the same
era and drives a massive white 1962 Lincoln Continental.
So it is not surprising the One desk, part modern, part
classic came out of his home studio. He built the prototype from parts he collected — storage components
from Metal Works in Ludington, Mich., a table top from
a West Michigan supplier, height adjustable legs and a
perforated metal modesty panel he had shaped at a metal shop. The “power management” came in the form of
a power strip purchased at Home Depot and attached
underneath. Everything on the prototype is gloss white.
Launching Bold One is a big deal for
the company. It is not the kind of office
furniture maker that introduces half a
dozen new products at each NeoCon.
A working prototype in the living room of his home,
Ruiter began the tedious work of showing his creation to
office furniture companies over the winter. Ruiter’s body
of work — he has designed dozens of furniture products
for the industry for companies like Nucraft, izzy+, Herman Miller and OFS, to name a few — opens doors for
him, but getting manufacturers to take on products is
still work, especially since Ruiter’s products tend to push
the design envelope and forces his clients to stretch, often beyond their comfort zones.
By the time the Christmas Holiday rolled around, Ruiter had three manufacturers interested in his height adjustable tanker desk concept. Bold Furniture Co. was not
one of them. Folkert knew of Ruiter’s work and called
him to ask if he would help the company redesign its existing Juxtapose furniture line.
Bold Furniture helps build a lot more furniture for its
OEM customers than it does selling its own products. It
counts many of the largest office furniture makers as its
customers, yet the company aspires to add products of its
own (that won’t compete with its customers, of course).
Juxtapose was its first furniture line and it needed a refresh. Instead of showing Folkert his ideas for updated
Juxtapose, Ruiter showed him his tanker concept.
“I was familiar with who he was, but I didn’t know
him,” said Folkert, who found out Ruiter grew up in the
same neighborhood and took the same bus to school. “I
called him to see if he could refresh Juxapose and he
says, ‘I’m modernizing the taker.’ I said to him, ‘Isn’t that
the big old steel desk?’
“At the time, we had a lot going on. We had just bought
an additional building and we were trying to get moved
in there. I went into the meeting not wanting to like the
product. I had the idea that I would go in, look at it and
tell him, ‘Jeez, I have a lot on my plate right now’ and
leave.”
Instead, Ruiter took Folkert through a series of Google
images of the double-pedestal desks and a bunch of images of bland height adjustable tables on the market.
Then he showed him the working concept and Folkert
was intrigued. Could the tanker be reinvented? And
more importantly, would that be the right direction for
Bold to relaunch itself into the office furniture market?
Ruiter had a few tanker desks he had found at a salvage yard, but the concept had to go beyond the original.
The storage elements had to move with the desk. Height
adjustably was a must. Easy access to power was important.
Ruiter said: “I started putting pencil to paper and I
thought, ‘Oh crap, am I designing a double pedestal
desk?’ Yet I was not going back in history. I was letting
history point at what I wanted to do today. That first
(concept) was pretty spot on — take a classic double ped
desk and move it to the future.”
Folkert was hooked. He loved the way the concept
looked and moved. It is like nothing on the market
and the antithesis of the height adjustable desks found
throughout the industry — a standard top attached to a
set of height adjustable legs with little thought of design
or function. Bold’s small size came in handy when negotiating to build the desk. Folkert conferred with two
other Bold employees and asked their advice. They told
him to move on the product. He sent Ruiter an e-mail.
“Todd’s e-mail letting me know he wanted it came before the other companies had time to respond,” Ruiter
said.
By the beginning of the year, work to take the desk
from prototype to product began in earnest.
Seeking Suppliers; ironing out wrinkles
When the individual components that make up Bold
One are taken into consideration, there is nothing particularly innovative. Like the concept itself, Bold One is
made of a table top, metal storage, modesty panel, wire
and power management and height adjustable legs.
Yet poets do not invent the words they use to make poems. The art is in how the words are assembled. That’s
how Ruiter likes to think of the Bold One desk as well —
its individual parts might not be spectacular, but when
they are assembled in the proper order to create the
desk, they create a product that is quite different; quite
remarkable.
A team of seven people at Bold have worked on the
project. Ruiter brought in an outside engineer to help as
well. Ruiter has worked with companies small and large
with varying degrees of success on the product development side. He has enjoyed working with Bold because of
its small size.
“I like working with people who are responsible for
the decisions they make. When you work with a smaller
company, it is real money moving around. Their asses
are sort of one the line here,” he said.
Bold is has enough experience to take on a project like
this, but Folkert said it still maintains an entrepreneurial
spirit that pushes for innovation. The company didn’t go
out and do market research about the desk for months.
The three Bold employees who saw the desk recognized
its potential and moved on it immediately.
“I got some feedback from a few of our reps and then I
went back to Joey and said, ‘I’m on board with it. Let’s do
it.’ Then I asked him if we could do it by NeoCon. From
the point I first saw the product to the handshake deal
on producing it was a few weeks,” he said.
spect they have earned and expects the same in return.
The designer and company set a number of requirements: The product had to be non-handed and easy to
install. It had to work with existing panel systems and
work well with the installed base of office furniture. It
also had to work independently. Instead of selling a system, the Bold One desk works on its own. So if a customer wants one or two for an office, or a building full, it
will function perfectly in either case.
The first phase of the project was to identify the core
vendors. They met with a number of different suppliers
of height adjustable table legs, metal fabrication companies and others in the supply chain. They picked suppliers in a 30 or 40 mile radius of the plant, which includes
the huge supplier bases in the Holland and Grand Rapids
areas. “They are local, more responsive and can handle
custom requests,” Ruiter said.
With such an aggressive timeline, Bold needed that
responsiveness. They were making changes to the product on the fly through February and evaluating supplier
partners through early March. Since then, they have focused on the fine detailing of the engineering prints.
“Everything looks great on paper and we all knew what
Ruiter, who likes naming with
we wanted and we get this model,” Ruiter said, shaking
numbers, suggested 1946, the year
his head, explaining how some of the details were off.
the original tanker desk came out,
“Since we are so close to the suppliers, resolving the
according to his research.
problems was pretty simple.”
One corner of Bold’s plant has turned into a One desk
Ruiter is far enough into a successful career that he parts graveyard, of sorts. Frankendesks have taken shape
has choices on who he works with and who he doesn’t. from parts and pieces of various suppliers over the past
He said he expects there to be trust between himself and few months. In recent weeks though, true prototypes
his clients. He will not fight, for example, about what he are coming together. The company is ironing out logiscalls the “detail stuff.” Instead, he gives clients the re- tics and production issues. And in a room off the fac42 The Monday Morning Quarterback | SUBSCRIBE | May 26, 2014
tory floor, a production model is being tested. It is the
L-shaped version of the desk — a larger version.
The details of suppliers and engineering in place, Bold
turned to marketing.
Marketing Push
Launching Bold One is a big deal for the company. It
is not the kind of office furniture maker that introduces
half a dozen new products at each NeoCon. In fact, this
will be the first time Bold has had space at the Merchandise Mart for the show in a number of years.
While Bold has a successful OEM business, the goal is
to diversify though products of its own; balance out its
growth by being more independent. Last year, the company hired a new national sales manager to help do just
that.
The launch of Bold One is an important step and it
must fit into the right segment of the market. Instead of
designing a desk that would fall into the exclusive category of furniture, Ruiter and Folkert decided Bold One
should be set at the lowest price point possible. It is the
kind of product that could be knocked off. So to prevent
that, they decided to set it at a price point where the desk
would be impossible to knock off and make any margin.
Bold is good at building furniture. A knock-off company
simply can’t match the design and build quality and still
compete with the original.
At the same time Bold One is being launched, the company is redoing its entire brand. It is working on a new
logo, new website and a new marketing plan.
Having the working model in house has made recent
weeks easier. A photo shoot of the Bold One desk was
recently completed and a video shoot is scheduled. “We
launched the company in 2000 and haven’t changed a
lot of the marketing material since,” Folkert said. “We
haven’t shown at NeoCon since 2005. This NeoCon will
be the debut of the new Bold Furniture. I think we all
felt this product line would be a great way to reintroduce
who we are.”
It’s all in the name
Then there is the issue of the name, quite possibly the
most vexing issue of any product launch. “We went back
and forth,” Ruiter said. “I remember my wife and I sitting in our living room one Saturday and just throwing
names out there. I would send them to Todd and he was
send them back to us by text.”
They talked about the name for several months.
Ruiter, who likes naming with numbers, suggested
1946, the year the original tanker desk came out, according to his research. They also talked about variations of
“A Desk,” but ultimately decided against it.
Instead, they went back to simplicity. One. The Bold
One Collection. To all involved, it is a name that seems
to fit perfectly. The company has now set its sights on
preparing for NeoCon, much of the hard work behind
them. Yet this is the point where the product is unveiled
to judges who will decide if it is worthy of awards and
more importantly, potential customers who will visit the
company’s booth on the seventh floor of the Merchandise Mart. What will the market think? Q
Editor’s Note: The Monday Morning Quarterback will continue to
follow the launch of the Bold One Collection. Look for an update of the
company’s preparations for NeoCon in the June 9 issue. Additional articles after NeoCon will follow its production and sales.
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Dealing with an
Aging Industry
part 3
By ROB KIRKBRIDE
DEALERS AND REPS
If anyone knows first hand how difficult it can be to be
thrown into the office furniture industry’s dealer and
manufacturer’s rep side at an early age, it’s William (Bill)
Corbett III. His father died of cancer when he was 25,
leaving the family business in Norristown, Penn. in his
son’s hands.
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It was the late 1970s and young Bill
Corbett was forced to sink or swim
as a manufacturer’s rep in the office
furniture industry. Corbett found
his way in the industry, building his
firm into one of the largest and most
respected on the East Coast. And he
has never forgotten the importance
of attracting and retaining young
people into the industry he loves.
Yes, he made some mistakes as a
25-year-old executive in the industry, but he also learned some important lessons that he passes down to
the young people that can be found
everywhere in his showroom near
Philadelphia. “I learned at the age of
25 that age doesn’t matter,” he said.
“The youth of today sometimes put
themselves in a box. They say to
themselves, ‘How can I make a facility manager who has been doing this
for 30 years (pick my products)?’ The
edge is making sure you are well-informed, regardless of age.”
Sage advice, to be sure, but being
young in the office furniture industry
on the dealer and manufacturer’s rep
side of the business can be a daunting task, especially when a 20-something is thrown into the sales-side of
the industry, a place where relationships are everything and can mean
the difference between a successful
career and professional starvation.
The office furniture industry has
worked hard to attract young, talented people into its ranks, but it
has been, perhaps, most challenging for dealers and rep groups. For
an outsider — especially a young,
inexperienced worker in his or her
20s — the entire dealer/rep system is
misunderstood and a bit baffling. It
is an important yet unusual layer in
the system and one that is somewhat
unique to office furniture. Navigating the office furniture industry from
a dealership or rep group is complicated as well.
Dealers and reps handle massive,
complex projects, some of which last
years, run into millions of dollars in
products and include thousands of
pieces of intricately fitting furniture
that must be installed with precision and great timing. To a young
person looking at the industry, selling a car must seem infinitely easier
than a building full of office furniture. Long-time pros like Corbett say
dealers and reps can recruit young
talent by focusing on the many positives found in the industry.
For one, young people at dealerships and rep groups can make a
lot of money if they work hard and
hustle. Corbett was in Pittsburgh recently with a 20-something he hired
to work in Western Pennsylvania. “I
told him he is the next generation
and he is taking over,” Corbett said.
“I realized early on and I tell all our
young hires that it is not about age,
it is about content. True professionals, no matter what their age, bring
value. When you are young, though,
you have to be even more prepared
and more impressive.”
Dealers have to be more impressive to attract young talent as well,
said Sandi Jacobs, president of SideMark, a Teknion dealer in Santa
Clara, Calif. Her job is even more difficult since she is competing for talent in the Silicon Valley where young
people flock for jobs — but not jobs
in office furniture.
“We joke about the fact that nobody says they are going to school to
work in the office furniture industry
unless their parents are in the industry,” she said. “Unless you are raised
in it, it is not something you are exposed to. In perspective, it is a really
small industry, so it is challenging to
get someone young to take a look at
it.”
Jacobs understands how hard it
can be to attract young talent as president of her dealership. But she is
also working on the topic as a board
member of the Independent Office
Products & Furniture Dealers Association (IOPFDA). It is a huge issue
and one that is critically important
to dealers like hers.
About 80 percent of her overhead
at SideMark is people — paying the
talent to bring in the jobs. The tightly spaced up and down cycles of the
economy in recent years has made it
even more difficult.
“It is a challenge we talk about at
IOPFDA a lot,” she said. “Bringing
in a young worker really takes training — it takes so long for someone to
be expert in our industry. With the
volatility of the business in recent
years, dealers are facing a tough cycle. They are bringing young people
in, training them, then if they have
to downsize, those people aren’t as
senior. What happens is they are the
first ones to go when dealers have to
downsize, so in every recovery period, we say to ourselves: Here we are
again and we are even older.”
Having young people around certainly has its advantages. Corbett
believes in giving his staff the latest tools. The staff is equipped with
iPads, they use videos to help sell
and they harness the power of social
media. Keeping the staff young helps
everyone understand the power of
technology and keeping abreast of
the latest sales tools and techniques.
For Jacobs, having young people
on staff is critical for another reason:
They are good at communicating
with the young executives who fill
the ranks of the Silicon Valley tech
companies. The young sales reps
can talk to young executives in a language both understand.
Jacobs recently went to a portfolio
review for interior design students.
“Their entire portfolio is digital,” she
said. “When I graduated, my portfolio was all hand drawing and boards.
Technology allows them to get up to
speed more quickly and in some cases, this allows young people to pass
the talent we already have in house.”
Both Jacobs and Corbett believe in
pairing young people in their organizations with those who have more
experience. The human component
to the industry remains most important and that comes through making
connections and through experience. Jacobs has a sales leader who
is an expert at spotting and developing young talent. He is a coach and
mentor to the young sales people
on staff. “He is able to spot the right
characteristics in a young sales person and coach and mentor them. He
gets them really excited about the
job,” Jacobs said.
Someone who is excited about
going into sales is excited about interacting with people and they are
solutions-focused, Jacobs said. The
office furniture industry gives young
salespeople a great opportunity to
work with brokers and design firms.
And they have the satisfaction of
knowing they can help a business
grow. Corbett takes it a step further.
He tells young people in his organization that the KI furniture they sell
helps businesses succeed, improves
health with the right healthcare furniture and aids in education with its
educational furniture offerings.
“This generation wants to make
a difference,” Corbett said. “They
don’t want to focus on products. No
one wants to be out there huckstering products. When (a young prospect) interviews with us, we tell
them about all the cool businesses
they can work with. How they can
help them. Suddenly, these young
people are pleasantly surprised.
They say, ‘I never knew there was
this much involved.’”
The space of the dealerships and
reps is critically important as well.
Young people want to work in offices that inspire them. Corbett certainly has that box ticked. His offices
are in a former woolen mill built in
the early 1800s, full of character, yet
filled with the latest technology and
furniture.
Still, it can be a tough sell. The office furniture industry doesn’t have
the marketing tag lines that the military does: “Be All You Can Be” or
even the pork industry with its “The
Other White Meat” campaign. What
does the office furniture industry
represent? And even if that can be
defined, how can it be communicated to young recruits?
Jacobs said the office furniture industry is perfect for budding entrepreneurs since there is the opportunity of owning a “business within a
business.” But even that isn’t enough
sometimes. Succession planning is a
major issue for office furniture dealers and rep groups. Even young family members are walking away from
businesses because they don’t want
to work in the industry. And because
of the way the industry is structured,
For those willing
to jump through
the hoops, the
office furniture
industry can be a
rewarding place
for young people
joining dealers or
rep groups.
buying a dealership as an outsider is
almost impossible.
“It is a business that is cash intensive,” Jacobs said. “With margins
shrinking as part of the total revenue, it’s difficult. When you think
about it, 80-85 percent is going to
vendors. 80-85 percent is going to
payroll. You’ve got to cash flow that.
As a young entrepreneur, you can’t
buy enough money to purchase a
dealership and cash flow a dealership. That’s a challenge and why
the family succession model usually
works.”
Still, for those willing to jump
through the hoops, the office furniture industry can be a rewarding
place for young people joining dealers or rep groups. “Young people can
make good money in this industry,”
she said. “If you are young and really
smart, it doesn’t always require a degree either. That’s unusual in business these days. You can control your
destiny in this industry and see the
reward of your efforts financially.”
Like any industry, the young talent
in office furniture dealers and rep
groups find their edge by making
sure they are well informed, Corbett
said. They need a high level of discipline and follow through. They need
to learn that they can’t waste their
client’s time. Instead, they need to
learn to be a resource. If they do
that, there are great opportunities.
Corbett was recently at the Temple
University School of Business with
one of his young workers. They were
trying to nail down a $90 million
wall project.
Opportunities like that are rare in
other industries. “This is an industry that does not stand still,” Jacobs
said. “It is moving faster than it ever
has in the past. It is not the same
job every day. It is exciting and fun
— a perfect place for young talent to
develop and grow. We want to help
make that happen.” Q
INDUSTRY BRIEFING
Events
CHICAGO / JUN 9-11, 2014
NeoCon is North America’s
largest design exposition and
conference for commercial interiors. Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL
http://www.neocon.com
COLOGNE / OCT 21-25, 2014
ORGATEC is the only trade fair
to present the whole world of
work! In 2014 ORGATEC particularly focuses on solutions
for the growing demand for
flexible forms of work and the
optimal working environment.
Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany.
http://www.orgatec.com
TAMPA / OCT 29-31, 2014
EdSpaces is the ONLY international tradeshow and conference bringing together all the
professionals who plan, design,
build, equip and manage all
types of learning environments
and educational campuses,
with the manufacturers, service
providers and dealers who offer the essential products and
solutions for these areas.
http://www.ed-spaces.com/
TORONTO / DEC 3-4, 2014
Canada’s National Design
and Architecture Exposition
and Conference, at the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre,
North Building.
http://www.iidexcanada.com
BRIEFING
NeoCon Trends
In order to set the stage for this
year’s NeoCon, show management tapped its advisory committee of commercial design firms to
share their insight on what’s hot
right now and what lies ahead
across key vertical sectors.
Leaders at Gensler, FXFowle,
HOK and Mancini Duffy weighed
in on trends and corresponding
product picks.
According to Byron Morton, Vice
President of Leasing for NeoCon,
“We are so grateful to our advisory committee for their guidance and help to make NeoCon
the must-attend event that it is.
As NeoCon provides the benchmark new product introduction
platform for the contract industry,
their thoughts on these industrywide trends are invaluable.”
“Finally, Baby Boomers and Millennials have found a passionate
meeting of the minds on a topic
that is also very personal: health
and wellness,” says Workplace
Strategist, Priyanka Agrawala
of New York-based design firm
Mancini Duffy. “Convergence on
this topic is also perhaps why organizations trying to attract new
talent, retain experienced staff,
encourage knowledge transfer,
and increase productivity and engagement, think that investing in
this area is a no-brainer. The A&D
industry is gearing up to help
support this new business initiative, which also aligns with more
established sustainable design
Visit us at NeoCon, June 9-11, 7th floor Space# 7-4014
practices. Green design and LEED
principles have always passively
contributed to wellness by creating good indoor air quality. Now
we’re seeing circadian lighting; sitstand desks; ergonomic lounge
seating that also accommodates
mobile technology; biophillic design elements like “live walls” and
plants and gardens that bring the
outdoors inside added to the mix,
in addition to more active design
concepts. Active design principles
that promote wellness include diverse work settings that not only
support different work styles, but
also encourage people to get up
from their seats and move. As mobility within the office increases,
so does the demand for “plug
and play” solutions that include
collaborative spaces as well as
individual desks and seating with
built-in charging stations, stashable storage for technology, foldable tablet arms and side tables,
and mobile marker/technology
boards.”
Sarah Gerber, Senior Designer,
Associate, FXFOWLE, elaborates
on the changing corporate design
landscape, noting, “Technology
is having an enormous impact
on furniture design, especially
through ergonomics. The trend
is not necessarily about incorporating technology, but responding to how we position ourselves
when we use these technologies.
In addition, the ‘performative’
workplace is becoming a balanced workplace as organizations
seek to find the right proportion
of interactive and focused work.
The future of the workplace is
not a “one size fits all” approach;
rather, it’s an innovative response
to the growing amount of data
at our disposal.” Examples of
NeoCon exhibitor products in the
Office/Corporate Design category
include: Herman Miller’s “Locale”,
Humanscale’s “Sit/Stand Desk,”
Knoll’s “ReGeneration” chair, Metroflor’s “Mason Oak (Sea)” flooring by ASPECTA, OFS brands’ “Re:”,
Steelcase’s “Media:scape”, Stylex’s
“Share” chair, and Teknion Studio’s
“Fractals” series.
Like many industries, the hospitality market is being influenced
by the powerful Millennial generation. Julia Monk, Senior Vice
President and Director of Hospitality design at HOK, remarks,
“Most hotels have been catering
to the baby boomer generation
over the years. However, they now
understand that the priorities and
lifestyles of the Millennials are
different. Their info is streaming
live; their world is faster. Millennials have such an impact on the
market that chains are now creating branded hotels especially
geared toward this generation.
These spaces call for interactive,
open floor plans with multiple
areas to congregate, as well as
special niche spaces like libraries
and small cafés. When it comes to
products for these environments,
designers are selecting pieces
that are well-made, flexible and
sustainable. These attributes suit
the tastes of this younger group,
which is accustomed to highquality, personalization and ecoconsciousness.”
“Authenticity is fast becoming
another overarching trend for all
demographics,” adds Monk. “Consistency in appearance and experience used to be the most important quality for hotel chains to
convey. The idea was that wherever you went, a name brand looked
and felt the same so guests could
take comfort in the familiar. These
days, with technology and the Internet giving us access to an array
of information, imagery and virtual experiences, travelers want
to authentically experience the
culture of the locale in which they
are staying. Firms have responded to this desire by focusing on
brand and property distinction
while creating more unique experiences and products that tap
into local flavors.” Examples of
NeoCon exhibitor products in
the Hospitality category include:
3M Architectural Markets’ “3M™
DINOC ™ Architectural Finishes,”
Andreu World’s “Raglan,” seating,
”Arper’s “Zinta” seating, Calligaris’
“Claire” chair, CF Group’s “MOSS 3”
by Thonet, Ergo’s “Aircharge Wireless Charging Receiver”, Lumicor’s
“Café Tables”, and Norix Furniture’s
“Hondo Nuevo Arm Chair.”
Tama Duffy Day, Health & Wellness Director of Gensler, remarks,
“As eight million new Affordable
Care Act (ACA) enrollees have ac-
Noted:
The Center for Architecture Foundation (CFAF) hosted the Third
“Guess-A-Sketch” Tournament this past Tuesday, May 20 at Scholastic
Headquarters in Manhattan. Part cocktail party and part cut-throat Pictionary tournament, this annual event raises funds to support CFAF’s
programs, which bring design educators into under-served New York
City classrooms.
FXFOWLE Managing Partner Guy Geier served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening’s competition. Teams competed against one another to guess the identities of architecturally significant buildings
depicted in impromptu charcoal drawings created by four design luminaries. This year’s guest sketchers included: Brian Berry, Principal at
Gensler, Paula Scher, Principal at Pentagram, Dean Maltz, Partner at
Shigeru Ban Architects and Tomas Rossant, Partner at Ennead Architects.
The sponsor teams, included Arenson, Studios Architecture, Sciame,
Turner Construction, Robert Silman Associates, and Cerami Associates.
Teams competed in a bracket system, with the last 2 remaining teams
advancing to a final round. Arenson vanquished the competition by
correctly guessing the identities of architectural structures.
Studios Architecture and Arenson advanced to the final sudden-death
round. Adrian Parra, Arenson Team Captain led Arenson to victory
against Studios by correctly guessing the drawings of Petra. A video of
the winning moment can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSdGt4IJGjs
LOUNGE
TABLES
www.in2-design.com
Office Funnies by Jamie Cosley:
cess to healthcare, the industry
is responding by providing expanded and new ways of receiving care. Health systems are increasing their coverage and new
players are moving the industry
toward retail health. Designers
are shaping these clinical experiences in every way—from brand
recognition and consumer-driven
first-impression appeal, to efficient clinical floor plans in support
of increasing the patient and provider interactions. Given this significant and fast-moving change
in the industry, products need to
keep up with the demand—for
example, mobile small-scale technology carts, exam tables that
can also be a chair, technology
integrated into white boards, and
spaces that can be used for telemedicine.”
With the Affordable Care Act
placing more emphasis on the
effectiveness of patient care
and experience, the traditional
model of hospital design is being rethought and reimagined
by healthcare designers across
the board—from architects and
interior designers to product
and equipment designers, and
service and UX designers. This
renewed focus on human-centric
outcomes for end users—the patients and their individual needs
as well as the healthcare professionals that work in these environments every day—is bringing
about a shift in scale from largeumbrella hospital campuses that
house every type of care, to individual clinics and ambulatory
care facilities. Meanwhile, patient
surveys indicate the desire for
medical environments that are
less sterile and “clinical” and more
like a home.
IIDA Partners with The
3D Printer Experience,
Unbranded Designs and
Chicago Designers At
NeoCon 2014
The International Interior Design
Association (IIDA) announced
partnerships with The 3D Printer
Experience (3DPX); Unbranded
Designs; Tom Marquardt, Associate IIDA, SBID; and James Wild,
IIDA, AIA, LEED AP, for its 20thAnniversary NeoCon 2014 booth.
The booth, while making reference to the past 20 years of Design and the history of IIDA, will
largely focus on the future of Design and the role new technologies, like 3D-printing, will play in
it.
“As IIDA celebrates 20 years
of elevating Design, we’re taking the opportunity to look to
the future of the profession and
to developments in technology
that are completely brilliant in
their ability to alter Design in the
years to come,” IIDA Executive
Vice President and CEO Cheryl S.
Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP, said.
“We are pleased to partner with
Tom, James, The 3D Printer Experience and Unbranded Designs at
NeoCon to demonstrate how 3D
printing has changed the industry and continues to influence Design in new ways, and to celebrate
with them the spirit of design in-
novation.”
These partnerships and the IIDA
booth at NeoCon will serve to
educate Designers and the general public about Interior Design
and new technology to advance
it, as well as provide a real-world
example of the benefit of IIDA
Membership through the connection of Members with industry partners. Designer Tom Marquardt, assisted by Inch + Mile,
and architect James Wild, assisted
by Elise Renwick, will each present custom furniture pieces that
utilize 3D-printing and standard
manufacturing techniques fabricated by 3DPX and Unbranded
Designs.
To maximize the informative experience for NeoCon attendees,
IIDA has invited personnel from
both 3DPX and Unbranded Designs to be on hand at the IIDA
booth to enlighten visitors about
the process and use of this stillbudding technology, as well as to
discuss its role in Design’s future.
TRENDS: AndreessenIncubated Teleport Aims To
Make Location Irrelevant
For Mobile Workers
Is finding housing getting you —
and apparently, the rest of San
Francisco — down?
Then leave. Go somewhere else!
Stop coming here!
(Just kidding.)
But not really.
Because that’s kind of the idea
behind Teleport, a new Andreessen Horowitz-incubated startup
from early Skype executive Sten
Tamkivi and general partner Balaji
Srinivasan.
This company, which was in
stealth, put up a small teaser today. The idea is to help the globe’s
knowledge workers find the jobs
and places that maximize their
take-home pay, or the difference
between their paychecks and
what they spend on housing,
food and transport.
The big, broad idea is to make
location irrelevant. While there
are clusters of talent in cities like
New York, London and Singapore,
in theory, people should be able
to work from anywhere, right?
“Jobs do not equal places any
more,” Tamkivi wrote in a blog
post today. “Millions of more people every year can live anywhere
and work remotely. This started
first in tech-heavy professional
circles but the wave continues:
already one fifth of all working
people around the world telecommute.”
He added, “While your income
sources have gone mobile your
costs remain strongly tied to your
physical location. Housing, transportation, child care, education,
health care — the cost or even
just availability of these services
depends on where you are. More
costs emerge from being too far
from the people and places you
want to spend time with. And
don’t even get us started on taxes.”
I’ve reached out to Tamkivi, and
will update when I hear back.
They haven’t released any products or services yet, but they’re
looking for workers that are interested in relocating.
The gist is to build a sort of “life
search” engine that helps mobile
workers find the best quality of
life based on their pay and interests. If you stretch this thinking
out, it could have all sorts of interesting ramifications for global
economic development.
Imagine dispersing the tech industry’s talent to many more cities around the U.S. or the world,
and what that would mean for the
kinds of companies people would
start if they were exposed to different living situations or cultures.
The issue is that one of the great
paradoxes of modern living is that
physical proximity has become
more valuable even though technology and transportation have
made connections across long
distances cheaper. It’s called the
Jevons paradox, where efficiency improvements lead to more,
not less, consumption of certain
goods or services. Improvements
in information technology have
paradoxically led to more demand for complementary face-toface contact. And it’s turned out
that densely developed cities are
far more favorable to knowledgecentric economies.
NeoCon BITS
AIS Work Lab!
AIS is showcasing their workstations, seating and casegoods in
action at NeoCon at the “AIS Work
Lab” in suite 1086! Workers are
outfitted throughout the space
bringing the showroom to life.
Ask them where they stow their
sneakers; how they plug in their
devices or ask about their favorite
features at their station. Discover
the uniqueness of each workspace, witnessing real-life working teams in action.
Work hours are June 9-10, 9am
to 5pm.
Modularity comes to Wall
Design
Hale announces Hale³, pronounced Hale Cubed, which introduces limitless walls storage
possibilities. Designers and Facilities Managers will be unfettered
by conventional storage constraints and will be able to adapt
their storage to today’s technol-
ogy and flexibility needs.
Hale³, a custom cube modular
wall series which encourages
companies to “Build Your World.”
Hale³ takes a new leap in the future by allowing buyers to mix,
match, and move their modular
wall cubes. Customers will be
able to specify various options
such as feet, finishes, electrical
components, depths, decorative
glass doors, edge detail, drawer
options, and different backs.
“The new series is the product of
marketing research, and strategic
planning with our Reps and customers” Brooke Benson, Vice President of Hale said. “It is answering
the needs of what modern offices
really want.”
The company will be launching
Hale³ at NeoCon.
Nightingale upgrades its
showroom to 3,000 sq. ft.
on the 10th floor of the
Merchandise Mart
Nightingale announced that they
have secured a 3,000 sq. ft. permanent showroom suite #1078
on the 10th floor of the Chicago
Merchandise Mart.
Nightingale will be more than
tripling its permanent showroom
size moving from its current
suite on the 10th floor down the
hall to its new showroom #1078
which overlooks the Chicago
river and skyline. The expanded
size and premium location will allow Nightingale to showcase its
four new product introductions
for 2014 in a showroom design
that will foster discussion and the
sharing of ideas in a welcoming
and inviting environment.
ODDS & ENDS
JOINED: Maria Kunkulis has
joined Furniture Solutions &
Resources,
a
manufacturers’
representative
group in the Philadelphia area as
Partner.
Maria
will employ her
Kunkulis
15 years industry
experience to work with the A+D
community in Philadelphia, New
Jersey and Delaware while working in tandem with Partners, Caleb Tollen and Scott Pitel.
JOINED: Jenny Lynn Georgiades, Territory Manager – New York
for AIS. Georgiades is joining
the New York
team and will be
responsible for
dealer development, building
Georgiades
key relationships
with A&D and promoting the AIS
brand. She brings over 17 years
of sales experience, previously
working for a Steelcase dealership. Georgiades is LEED AP certified and holds an MBA from Adelphi University.
HONORED: ESI Ergonomic Solutions, Mesa, AZ, has been honored with two National Women
Business Owners Corporation
(NWBOC) Eclipse Awards. NWBOC
is a national WBE certifying organization. The Eclipse Award program was created by NWBOC to
recognize, reward and celebrate
the exceptional achievements of
certified women business owners. Carol Keogh, President and
CEO of ESI Ergonomic Solutions
received two awards for Innovation and Culture. The Eclipse
Award for Excellence in Innovation honors businesses for inventing or creating an innovative or
unique product, technology, or
concept, and then taking their
innovation forward successfully
to the marketplace. The Eclipse
Award for Outstanding Company
Culture recognizes women business owners who have created
an ideal work environment and
participate in their community. Q
smart
upholster
www.cgexsystems.com
The
way to
Watch our
web gluing process
on
MARKETPLACE
To place a Marketplace Ad simply go
to: http://www.mmqb.com and click
on “Place a Job Ad” or “Place a Classified Ad.” Questions? Call us at 888259-0213. Ads close Friday 6:00 pm
for Monday’s edition.
EXCITING CAREER
OPPORTUNITY!
Join our winning Sales Team!
Allwest Commercial Furnishings has an
exciting job opportunity in Edmonton for a
Sales Consultant.
Reporting to the VP Sales, this position
is responsible for driving sales by focusing
on new business opportunities as well as
projects.
The Sales Consultant serves as the
primary contact for customer buyers during
the sales process and works together as
needed with Management, other Sales
Consultants, Sales Assistants, Designers,
Project Managers, Installers/Operations
personnel and other company resources to
manage the account needs.
If you are interested in this unique
opportunity, you can apply through the
Careers section of our website at www.
allwestfurnishing.com or by email to:
careers@allwestfurnishing.com
Please submit a resume and cover letter.
Thank you for your interest in Allwest!
PROJECT MANAGER - NEW
YORK CITY
Happy clients. Amazing products.
Passionate employees.
We are one of the nation’s leading Herman
Miller dealers and a leading resource in the
contract furniture industry.
We are seeking a Project Manager for
our New York City location with a strong
work ethic and the ability to work in a fast
paced environment. This position will be
responsible for ensuring that projects meet
client expectations and will coordinate
all activity involving pre-order prep, labor
quoting, scheduling, installation, warehouse and subcontractors to make certain
that the project is completed on time and
on budget. Act as a liaison for the project’s
entirety with sales, client, internal operational departments and external vendors.
Required to follow up on all punch list issues and ensure that all orders are invoiced
out upon completion of the project.
To apply, visit our website at
www.creativeofficepavilion.com
SEEKING PROJECT MANAGERS
Opportunities in Chicagoland
OEC Business Interiors, Inc. is seeking
experienced Project Manager to join our
team in our Elmhurst and Chicago Loop
offices.
Candidates should have 5 years successful contract furniture dealership project
management experience, skills to coordinate projects from inception to punch list
completion, experience and knowledge of
floor plans a necessity.
Must have strong planning, organizational, and customer relation’s skills to handle
multiple projects. Knowledge of Steelcase,
AutoCAD, CAP Studio a plus. Some travel
is required.
Medical, Dental, Life, LTD, FSA & EAP
Benefits with 401(k) available.
Fax resume to (630) 589-5685 or EMAIL
to: rniehaus@oecbusinessinteriors.com
FURNITURE SALES
OPPORTUNITY:
Be a part of our excitment, opening
a new commercial furniture
showroom in Tampa Florida.
Trendway Furniture Dealership based in
Tampa Florida has need for two experienced people; a GSA Specialist and a New
Business Development Sales Person.
Join our established sales, design, and
marketing professionals in our new showroom, opening Q2, 2014.
Job Responsibilities;
• Market and promote products and
services.
• Maintain a high level of customer
satisfaction.
• Develop new business.
• Achieve sales goals.
Requirements;
• Experience selling commercial furniture. A sound understanding of office
furniture or related architectural products.
• Degreed, study in design is a plus.
• Creative thinker, self- motivated,
strong work ethic.
• Computer savvy in Power Point, Adobe
Professional and M/S.
• Positive thinking, values integrity and
works well in a fast paced environment.
Must be persistent, responsive and
proactive.
Established, respected company offers
growth potential, financial reward, and
assistance with major medical, vacation
and holiday pay.
Send salary history and resume to
devry@contractfurniturefl.com
SO. CAL TERRITORY SALES
MANAGER
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE,
FURNITURE - HOUSTON, TX
At SitOnIt, we are all Chairmen!
Staples is the world’s largest office
products company and a trusted
source for office solutions.
SitOnIt is currently seeking a So. Cal. Territory Sales Manager who will be responsible
for integrating the company’s brands into
new and existing markets for their sales
region. The position is critical in collecting
and providing informational support to
Dealers, A&D, End Users, Sales, Marketing,
Customer Support, Product Development
and Operations.
The ideal candidate will have at least 5
years of selling experience preferably in industry sales, has managed a team of sales
people before and is comfortable leading a
team. Should also have experience driving
end user business and have extensive
experience and familiarity with the LA / OC
market. This person must be self-motivated
and performance / numbers driven. Prefer
candidate to be LA based.
If interested please send resumes to
Lindsay Aimar at laimar@exemplis.com or
call 714-763-1896.
Position Summary:
The Account Executive, Furniture is
responsible for initiating and closing profitable furniture sales.
Primary Responsibilities:
• Prospect in the local marketplace for
new furniture opportunities
• Develop local business relationships
with various influencers (A/D community,
commercial real estate brokers, moving
companies, etc.) in order to identify
potential opportunities early
Basic:
• High School Diploma or GED
• Minimum four years of direct selling
experience
https://staples.taleo.net/careersection/1/
jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=889687&src=
MTP-200023
SALES MANAGER OPPORTUNITY
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES OUTSIDE
SALES PROFESSIONALS
Clear Design USA Sales Manager
Are you a winner? If so, consider this
opportunity to join a winning team in a
winning company!
Immediate opening for a full time Sales
Management Position.
Clear Design is a dynamic, fast growing
provider of cutting edge bench desking,
training room & seating solutions.
Sales manager will capitalize on current
growth and be responsible for overall sales
growth including setting up and liaising
with current/new independent rep groups
across the US.
National Business Furniture will send
you a box of Omaha Steaks for your
resume.
Join a Winning Team!
About The Position:
• Hit or exceed your assigned sales
goals
• Develop account growth year-to-year
in primary territory
• Find new & manage independent
representatives
• Maintain and grow key accounts and
contacts
• Present with consultative selling skills
and demonstrate an ability to close sales
• Develop strategic partnerships with
large corporate end-users.
Our Benefits Package Includes; Salary and
commission package + Medical
Contact Us at
inspire@mycleardesign.com or
1(866)304-7197
www.mycleardesign.com
…if we can’t show you how you can
make 25% more income under our compensation plan!
We want to talk to you if you are an
experienced and successful Office Furniture
Sales Account Executive in these locations:
• New York City
• San Francisco
• Seattle
We are so confident in our compensation
plan, that if we can’t show you a 25%
increase in your compensation for your
business under our plan, we will send you
a box of steaks! (Limited to a maximum of
10 awards per territory).
We offer:
• An Outstanding Pay Plan
• Full Employee Benefits, 401k
• A Monthly guarantee
• No commission caps
• Great internal support to keep you
selling
• Product offerings that delight your
customers
• The opportunity to reach your income
goals
Call Tom Milczarski, HR Director at 414
615-3625 for the details or send your resume to HR@NBF.com to get the challenge
started. DO IT TODAY!
May 26, 2014 | ADVERTISE | The Monday Morning Quarterback 51
SENIOR DESIGNER WANTED IN
SOUTH FLORIDA
Love the sun and beach? Come join
us in sunny South Florida!
Sunny South Florida Haworth Dealer seeking Sr. Designer Specifier for Case goods, &
Systems Furniture that can handle multiple
projects that will interact with clients and
sales people with the ability to create
creative solutions with Project Matrix and
Canvas Software. JC White offers top pay
with benefits, health insurance, 401K, paid
time off, plus much more. Willing to pay
relocation expenses.
NO Calls Please - email resume to
hr3@jcwhite.com
GROWING HMI DEALER ADDING
NEW POSITIONS!
Work with the best in the industry!
Current Dealership Openings:
• Raleigh, NC Account Manger, GSA
Market
• Raleigh, NC Designer
• Raleigh, NC Customer Administrator
• Raleigh, NC Project Manager
• Raleigh, NC Healthcare Designer
• Charlotte, NC Design Dept. Manager
• Charlotte, NC Healthcare Designer
• Charlotte, NC Warehouse Manager
• Charlotte, NC Warehouse Admin.
• Charlotte, NC Lead Installer
• Nashville, TN Project Manager
• Nashville, TN Customer Administrator
• Charleston, SC Account Manager
• Columbia, SC Lead Installer/Service
Tech.
• Greenville, SC Customer Administrator
Dealership / Systems Furniture Experience
Required
Visit www.alfredwilliams.com for job
descriptions and to submit an application.
E-mail resumes to:
agifford@alfredwilliams.com with the open
position in your subject line.
We are proud to be an EEO/AAP employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free
workplace.
SALES REP - PHOENIX AZ
TERITORY
Excellent Opportunity with proven
potential
Hertz Furniture, a leader in the Educational
K-12 furniture market seeks a professional sales rep to cover the state of AZ
with a home base in Phoenix. Should
have minimum 3 years sales experience
and a proven track record of building and
maintaining customer relationships.
Submit resume and salary history to:
humanresources@hertzfurniture.com
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE,
FURNITURE - TUCSON/PHOENIX,
AZ
DESIGN SERVICES LEAD
Business Interiors by Staples provides
comprehensive furniture solutions
for customers of all sizes.
Russ Bassett is looking for a Design Services Lead! In this role you’ll work closely
with the Sales team to create console
furniture layout designs, drawing packages
and renderings. You’ll also help create and
maintain CAD block libraries and template
files.
Business Interiors by Staples provides
comprehensive furniture solutions for
customers of all sizes. Our furniture professionals work with customers to understand
their business objectives and then create
furniture solutions that support those
objectives.
It takes a team of talented associates to
develop projects from concept to completion. Our sales professionals, interior
designers, project managers, and furniture
sales support associates are the best in the
business - because we know that when it’s
all said and done, talented teams win!
Thanks for your interest in Business
Interiors by Staples.
To Apply, Visit: careers.staples.com
TERRITORY SALES MANAGERMATURE/STEADY/GROWING CO.
Come and Join Our Growing
Team in: Chicago, Columbus, OH,
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Baltimore,
Washington DC and Southern
California
Our company is seeking a talented Territory
Sales Manager for our mature and growing
company. During the past two years, our
company has grown its sales by over 20%.
Our Territory Sales Manager position offers
a competitive salary, added income potential, attractive benefits (to include 401(k)),
a company vehicle, and travel expenses all
for the right candidate.
Current Opportunities open in:
• Chicago
• Columbus, OH,
• Minneapolis, St Paul,
• Baltimore, Washington DC
• Southern California
If interested please send resume to
hunter@ergogenesis.com.
MANY NEW CAREER
OPPORTUNITIES!
Our Profession is finally Growing
Again!
Opportunities include Sales, Design and
Project Management:
• Senior Interior Designer (licensed):
Tampa
• Operations Director: Tampa
• Senior Dealer PMs: NYC Area
• A&D Firm NBD Sales: Philly
• Senior Dealer Sales: Eastern PA
Please email resume, in confidence, to
ralph@melickgroup.com
52 The Monday Morning Quarterback | ADVERTISE | May 26, 2014
Great Team Lead opportunity in the
Los Angeles area!
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
• Creative space planning and design
services, adhering to ADA requirements
• Assemble and deliver accurate and
complete drawing packages
• Create technical drawings / cut sheets
• Manage the priorities and deadlines
of the team
• Assist with the preparation of bid and
proposal packages
• Develop templates and process
improvement to increase the efficiency,
quality, consistency and accuracy of the
team
SKILLS:
• AutoCAD 2010 or newer
• 3D-Max render experience a plus
• Excellent organizational skills
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Creative problem solving to resolve
complex issues
• Ability to professionally prepare
reports and/or business correspondence.
Competitive salary, DOE; Medical, Dental,
401K
E-mail resume with employment and
salary history to:
tsimon@russbassett.com
SEEKING SALES COORDINATORS
Opportunities in Chicagoland
OEC Business Interiors, Inc. is seeking
experienced Sales Coordinators to join our
team in our Elmhurst and Chicago Loop
offices.
Candidates should have contract furniture
dealership experience, be customer service
professionals skilled in processing/tracking
orders in a fast paced environment from
quote through installation with order entry
software.
Abilities must include strong attention to
detail, organizational, planning, and customer relation’s skills. Steelcase, Hedberg
knowledge is a real plus.
Salary is commensurate with experience
and Medical, Dental, Life, Disability Insurance, FSA, & EAP Benefits with 401(k) are
available.
Fax resume to (630) 589-5685
or email your resume to:
rniehaus@oecbusinessinteriors.com
SALES REP WANTED IN OC/LA
MARKET!
At SitOnIt, we are all Chairmen!
Exemplis, manufacturer of SitOnIt and
IDEON seating, is seeking experienced, enthusiastic and highly motivated salespeople
for our Southern California Sales Team. We
currently have one opening in the Orange
County/Los Angeles Area with primary
responsibility in LA County.
This position will be responsible for developing commercial, healthcare, government
and higher education business through
building successful partnerships with our
dealer network and marketing to end users
and the A&D community. These functions
will include but are not limited to local
travel in Southern California and require a
vehicle that can support the transport of
product samples.
A minimum of 3-5 years successful industry sales experience is preferred.
Please click on the below link for more
information and to apply!
https://careers-exemplis.icims.com/
jobs/1076/sales-representative/job
NATIONAL MANAGER - PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
Exciting career opportunity with
company that rewards performance
Lead and manage a team of designers and
project coordinators. Effectively manage
project teams around the country. Assist
team members in planning, presenting and
closing sales.5 years project management
experience.
Develop budget standards. Experience
with AutoCAD.
Travel 40+weeks per year. Submit resume
and salary history to:
ProjectMjob@gmail.com
EXPANDING LA FURNITURE
DEALER NEEDS YOUR TALENT!
Multiple positions available -confidential interviews available for
qualified candidates.
We are a full-service, rapidly-growing commercial furniture dealer serving Southern
California looking for talented individuals
to fill 3 open positions:
• SENIOR DESIGNER (must know CAD
and CAP)
• PROJECT COORDINATOR (must know
TeamDesign)
• PROJECT MANAGER
To learn more about these positions and
schedule a confidential interview, please
email us at:
careers@teamtcs.com
or visit our job page at:
http://careers.totalcorporatesolutions.
com/contract-furniture/
MARKETING SPECIALIST (OFFICE
FURNITURE INDUSTRY)
KI MANAGEMENT AND SALES
OPPORTUNITIES
A & D REPRESENTATIVE
Catch a great Marketing opportunity
at an excellent company!
Enjoy the Blu Sky of summer at KI!
RT London, manufacturer of furnishings for
the upper education market, hospitality,
GSA and health care, is seeking an A&D
Representative for the Chicago area.
We design, build, market and sell smart
furniture solutions.
LINAK U.S. Inc. is a global leader in the
design and production of electric linear
actuator systems.
This position is located in Louisville,
Kentucky.
• In cooperation with the respective
SBU, develop and implement strategic
marketing plans, inclusive of (but not limited to): lead prospecting and nurturing
program, exhibitions, promotions, media,
and creating brand awareness
• Develops/analyzes sales presentations
and provides reports based on information collected such as marketing trends,
competition, new products and pricing
within specific SBUs
• Customer Relationship Management
support
• Execute, monitor and report on cloud
to customer campaigns as needed
• Assists in theme and content development for a variety of projects within
respective SBUs
• Assists with writing, editing and
proofreading of promotional literature,
newsletters, direct marketing, and Internet marketing projects
• Assists with online content, trends,
SEO and reporting of web analytics
• Marketing research within respective
SBUs
Interested candidates are welcome to
send their resume to Michelle Heindselman
at mheindselman@linak-us.com.
GROW YOUR SALES CAREER
WITH US!
Can you help us grow...and build a
great future for yourself?
Thriving Manufacturers Rep firm in the
hottest market in the country (Houston,
TX), is looking for a high energy person
to become our Business Development
Manager. The primary responsibility in
this position is to develop and maintain
relationships with the A&D community. We
represent some of the finest manufacturers
in our industry. We also have a wonderful
showroom displaying great products.
A college degree is required. Sales experience in calling on the A&D community
would be a huge plus. Chairs and other
samples are delivered to design firms and
clients on a regular basis so you should be
able to do that.
Salary will be competitive for the right
candidate. There will a bonus program
that can supplement your income as you
succeed. We pay for health insurance, car
allowance, and expenses.
Send resume and cover letter so we can
start our conversation. Reply in confidence
to: JobN14@mmqb.com
KI has great opportunities for entrepreneurial professionals who are looking
for a rewarding career in management
or sales. With KI, you will find a proven
sales training program, quality products,
and an emphasis on providing customized
solutions. Let your competitive spirit be
driven at KI.
Management opportunity is available in:
• Charlotte, NC
Sales opportunities are available in:
• Dallas, TX
• St. Louis, MO
• Minneapolis, MN
• New York, NY
• Los Angeles, CA (Wall)
Candidates with previous management
or sales experience in the furniture or a
related industry are preferred. Existing
relationships with architects, designers, and
end users will be helpful.
Apply today at www.ki.com.
KI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
WOOD CASEGOODS PRODUCT
MANAGER
Come work for an industry leader!
If you are looking for a career w/excellent
earnings potential & sales opportunity,
then look no further than Global, one
of the largest manufacturers of office
furniture in North America. We have an
immediate career opportunity for a highly
qualified & motivated Wood Casegoods
Product Manager that can lead our
dynamic sales team. Candidate of choice
must have a strong background in Wood
Veneer Casegoods.
Resp include but not limited to:
-Work with manufacturing team
-Assist in new product development
-Work w/outside sales team
-Work w/Marketing Department to
develop product collateral
-Train Outside Sales, Customer Care &
Operational Teams
-Extensive travel
This individual will be responsible for the
success of this product category.
Full benefits package including salary +
commission, 401K which may include a
company match, health, dental, life, vision,
STD/LTD & auto allowance. For consideration, please email your resume & salary
history to hr@globalindustries.com
Visit us at www.globaltotaloffice.com
Global Industries is a drug-free workplace
and equal opportunity employer.
Chicago Area rep needed
Qualified candidates will have:
• 5 + years sales experience and knowledge of the Contract Industry.
• Established relationships within the
Chicago A&D community, as well as end
users.
• Positive attitude, strong people and
communication skills, creative thinking
and self-motivated.
• IIDA/ASID/NEWH affiliations a plus!
• Must be computer proficient.
• Must live in the Chicago metro area.
Job Responsibilities include:
• Introduction of RT London to multiple
markets.
• Developing strong relationships within
the A&D community and end users.
• Contacts and daily calls will include
Commercial A/D firms, Developers, Property Managers, and End Users. Special
emphasis on university and college
projects.
• Meeting sales targets and expense
budgets.
Qualified applicants, please forward
your resume via email to Jennifer Vaccaro,
National Sales Manager
jvaccaro@rtlondon.com
DEALER REPRESENTATIVE
PARTNERS WANTED
Get paid what you’re worth!
KI, a world-class supplier of awardwinning furniture solutions for education,
healthcare, government and business
markets is looking for existing, non-aligned
dealerships or entrepreneurial individuals
that are interested in selling KI products.
Dealer Representatives are not employees
of KI, rather independent contractors who
partner with our sales force to establish
new clients and further educate current
and prospective clients on the broad array
of KI’s unique products. Minimum 2-3
years sales experience in contract furniture
or related industry required. All Dealer
Representatives may enroll in a company
paid training program. There is no cap on
earnings!
To learn more about this great opportunity please email your resume to DR
Program Manager at DR@ki.com
N. EAST REGIONAL MANAGER
WANTED
Seeking Motivated and Aggressive
N. East Regional Manager
Leading national importer of office
furniture and seating seeks a North East
Regional Sales Manager.
Candidate must be highly motiv7ated,
aggressive and have extensive experience
with office/contract dealers and wholesalers throughout the Mid Atlantic and North
East US plus an established relationship
with core office/contract dealers and
wholesalers in the market.
Ideal candidate must have a proven
track record selling like product in order to
open new business and maintain current
account base.
Responsibilities include developing sales
and distribution and working closely with
territory rep groups to meet sales quotas.
Reply in confidence to
JobV14@mmqb.com
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN,
BALTIMORE MD
A “Best in Class”, top performing,
Haworth Dealership
We’re looking for a dynamic, creative
leader to manage our design team. Candidates will be excellent an communicator
and problem solver with impeccable attention to detail. Possess a strong work ethic
and able to work well in deadline driven
environments.
• Successful candidate is a design
professional with an innovative
• approach to workplace solutions, client presentations /deliverables
• and team building. Able to manage
daily workload, oversee quality,
• accuracy / creativity of work product,
utilize strengths / mentor
• continuous growth of staff and assist
with innovating / streamlining standards.
Knowledge of Systems / commercial
furnishings, competitive products, bid
analysis, needs assessment, presentations / renderings, space planning, codes,
specifications, installation documents
required.
Experience (preferred but not
required):
• 10 years design experience (several in
a management /leadership)
• Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design or
related field
• Proficient in; AutoCAD, CET Designer,
Project Matrix, MS Office. InDesign, 3D
Studio Max (a plus)
Forward resume to:
Linda.Vigilante@pricemodern.com
May 26, 2014 | ADVERTISE | The Monday Morning Quarterback 53
LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR GROWTH
Rare Opportunity
Check out our opportunities!
A rare opportunity to join one of the
leading companies in the contract furniture
industry, High Point Furniture Industries is
seeking a talented veteran for the position
of Sales Manager.
The successful candidate will have a
solid understanding of the contract office
furniture industry, excellent communication
skills, demonstrated ability of developing
and sustaining high performance sales
team, ability to build and develop strong
business relationships, proven ability to
achieve sales plans as well as ability to
travel regularly.
HPFI offers a competitive salary package
including participation in bonus plan
and a comprehensive benefits plan. For
consideration please forward resume to
stevew@hpfi.com
EEO/AA employer.
Furniture Marketing Group, one of
Haworth’s largest dealerships, has immediate openings for Sales, Project Managers,
and Designers in the Austin, Dallas, and
Houston, TX and as our newest location in
Seattle, WA.
The Company provides a complete benefit package, generous paid time-off plan,
and outstanding work environments. Be
a part of the best in the contract furniture
industry.
For immediate consideration, please email your resume to janm@fmgi.com or fax
to 214-556-4811.
NOTHING TO LOSE, EVERYTHING
TO GAIN
Join our team as we expand throughout
North America. Our new central distribution center is up and running in Cincinnati
and we still have some strategic metro
areas we want to place energetic design
and marketing teams in.
If you can move at a fast pace, here’s a
fantastic opportunity for the right people to
get in on the ground floor as our distribution rolls out across the country. We have
over 60 years of international experience
with high design and high quality contract
furniture manufacturing.
See us at www.vdsintl.com. Send
resumes to Barry Carlson at:
barry@vdsintl.com
Sales Reps from Knoll, Steelcase,
Herman-Miller & Haworth Wanted
If you are currently employed as a sales
rep for Knoll, Steelcase, Herman-Miller, or
Haworth or employed as a sales rep for
one of their dealers - anywhere in North
America - our clients want to meet you.
And if you’re a successful candidate, they
could offer you up to a 20% increase in
your current base salary, and a sign-on
bonus.
We are an HR consulting firm retained
by your competitors - other manufacturers
and dealers.
If interested, please send along your
updated resume and salary history. We will
also offer you a FREE CARRER CONSULTATION on how to get ahead in your current
job or even on how to ask for a raise. If we
believe your current job is good and pays
competitively, we tell you honestly, so you
have nothing to lose.
Reply in confidence to:
JobP14@mmqb.com
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SALES
REPRESENTATION
Excellent Opportunity for the right
candidates!
Knú, LLC, manufacturer of La-Z-Boy
Contract and Knú Contract, is seeking sales
representation in Northern California and
Northern Nevada for our extensive line of
healthcare, corporate, long term care, and
higher education furniture. Must have
solid relationships and experience with
A&D, Dealers, End-Users, and GSA.
Visit our Chicago showroom space #10135 during NeoCon to see first-hand all
the new and exciting products we have to
offer! Interested candidates, please contact
Richard Franey at rfraney@lzbcontract.com
or 812-367-0329.
SAVVY CONTRACT REPS
WANTED!
Join VDS International in its
expansion! Searching for
representatives in multiple areas.
REP GROUPS NEEDED
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR
HEALTHCARE FOCUSED REPS
Expand your line package with
healtHcentric!
healtHcentric (www.healthcentric.
com) is seeking independent reps with
strong healthcare dealer and end user
relationships for several key territories.
We manufacture healthcare seating and
offer an innovate, proprietary healthcare
upholstery that is highly durable, seamless
and able to be disinfected with medical
grade cleansers. We have a durability and
infection control story that is unparalleled.
Experienced reps with a strong healthcare
focus are encouraged to apply.
Contact careers@ergocentric.com to set up
a phone or NeoCon meeting.
INDEPENDENT REPS WANTED
Modern Classics Furniture seeks
representation in multiple territories.
We are a manufacturer of upper-end MidCentury modern, Bauhaus Modern and
Scandinavian Modern furniture looking for
54 The Monday Morning Quarterback | ADVERTISE | May 26, 2014
experienced sales reps or rep organizations
in several key regions. We offer both an instock and made-to-order program of high
quality products perfect for the Contract
Dealer, Hospitality and A&D markets.
Interested candidates may reply to Curt
Roth, President at
curt@modernclassics.com
or visit our Chicago showroom during
NeoCon.
SYMMETRY OFFICE
Searching for OUTSTANDING Reps in
select markets
Would you like to represent a company
that has grown 300% a year for the last
4 years? Are you a hard working, very
well connected, dealer focused Rep/Rep
Group? Do you like earning 10-12% on a
product mix that every dealer you walk into
is looking for?
Then please email
info@symmetryoffice.com
and lets talk ASAP.
Setting appointments for NeoCon now!
www.symmetryoffice.com
INDEPENDENT REPS WANTED
Help Launch New Product
Introduction
Hale Manufacturing, Inc. has been
renowned for their storage solutions
since 1907. Visit our website at http://
halesince1907.com. To help us launch the
next generation of modular wall unit offerings we are seeking Independent Reps for
the following 3 territories:
• Delaware, Eastern PA/NJ;
• Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky;
• Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa;
Must spend significant time with A&D
specifiers as well as dealers and end users.
If you would like to introduce yourself,
please visit us at NeoCon Booth 7-7072, or
send your information to
michelle.keib@mpactagency.com.
INDEPENDENT REPS WANTED IN
NEW ENGLAND AND GEORGIA
We Build the Chairs You Need
Sitmatic, a Fullerton, CA based manufacturer, is seeking independent sales
representation in the following territories:
• New England
• Georgia
Qualified candidates will have a successful history selling/marketing to the
dealer, end user and the A&D communities.
Interested parties may reply in confidence
to Toby Ball at toby@sitmatic.com or 805610-5673.
Since 1985, Sitmatic has been
manufacturing quality seating products
in the United States, from factory floor to
boardroom, from sophisticated ergonomics
to custom auditorium spaces.
MMQB
SALES MANAGER-HIGH POINT,
NC

SIT LESS. - MMQB.com

Transcription

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