In 1980, the rock band Journey released the song “Anyway You Want It,” the same year Canadian office furniture maker OFGO was founded. Though the songwriters Steve Perry and Neal Schon did not consult the fledgling office furniture maker about the lyrics, the sentiment behind the song fits perfectly with OFGO's drive toward giving its customers the ability to customize their products — anyway they want it.
And that, perhaps more than anything, sets OFGO apart from the competition, though that's not all. The Toronto-area furniture maker embraces research and design, believes in building its own furniture in its own high-tech plant and wants to continue its evolution into a brand known throughout North America and beyond.
OFGO started from more humble roots, a casegoods office furniture maker that crafted wood products mainly for regional customers. But as the third generation of owners takes over the reins, it is breathing new life into the company determined to evolve and grow as work changes and designers demand more from the office furniture makers.
The company's focus has expanded well beyond casegoods. It supplies a wide range of workplace products, including desking systems, divider panel systems, seating, filing and storage and boardroom furniture from its 250,000-square-foot plant in Concord, Ontario. Manufacturing cool office products means nothing without a focus on the customer, and OFGO feels its customer focus is the key building block of its strategy.
“We create high performance workplace environments that can fulfill the changing needs of the marketplace,” says Nicole Shamir, marketing director. “The company started as a casegood's manufacturer, and we have expanded to be so much more. OFGO has grown and evolved.”