Visitors to the Vitra Schaudepot, the newest building on the Vitra Campus, can now see Charles Eames’ personal office, just as it was when he passed away in 1978.
The Chair in Charles Eames' Office
Flexsteel to Retire Aging Dubuque Manufacturing Facility
Flexsteel Industries, Inc. (FLXS) announced Wednesday that it intends to exit its manufacturing facility located on Jackson Street in Dubuque, IA. The facility dates back to 1897 and has become inefficient for manufacturing and costly to maintain.
Steelcase, Herman Miller Sales, Guidance Disappoint
Herman Miller Inc. and Steelcase Inc. issued mostly disappointing outlooks and weaker-than-expected quarterly sales, the latest sign of weakening demand for office furniture.
Steelcase Reports Second Quarter Results
Order patterns were mixed during the second quarter, growing by approximately 4 percent in the Other category and declining by 2 percent in the Americas and 4 percent in EMEA compared to the prior year. Orders patterns in the Americas improved during August and early September following weakness in July and continued to reflect a significant decline in the Energy vertical market.
Herman Miller Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2017 Results
Herman Miller Inc. dropped in the extended session Wednesday after the furniture maker's quarterly results and outlook fell below Wall Street estimates. Herman Miller shares dropped 8.2% to $29.50 after hours. The company reported fiscal first-quarter earnings of 60 cents a share on revenue of $598.6 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast earnings of 62 cents a share on revenue of $614.2 million. The company expects second-quarter earnings of 52 cents to 56 cents a share on revenue of $580 million to $600 million. Analysts expect 60 cents a share on revenue of $601.1 million.
Global Has Blow Out Party in Toronto to Celebrate 50th Anniversary
The Global Group, a manufacturer of workplace furniture solutions, Wednesday celebrated the company’s 50th anniversary with a giant party in Toronto, home to its corporate headquarters.
Knoll Report: The Rise of Co-working
Today, a broad range of businesses — ranging from technology and professional service firms to consumer product companies — form a growing ecosystem that recognizes the value of flexibility, community and shared resources. Businesses of all sizes and types — ranging from small start-ups to global enterprises — choose to locate employees or teams in shared work environments, either temporarily or on an ongoing basis.
The Little-Known Eames Intermediate Chair
This year the Vitra Design Museum opened a new building, the Schaudepot, on their campus. Inside is a recreation of Charles Eames' personal office, "just as it was when he passed away in 1978." (What is Ray, chopped liver? Sadly there's no mention of her office.)
Inside we can see that Charles worked on a George Nelson desk. The chair, however, was of he and Ray's design: The Eames Intermediate Chair from 1968.
A New Approach to New Products
At FirstBuild’s headquarters there’s a sign reminding all who do work at the appliance-development factory that “A prototype is worth a thousand meetings.”
It’s an operating tenet for FirstBuild and other companies trying to change the way new products are created by liberating the process from the confines of slow-moving, bureaucratic research-and-development departments.
Using a concept known as open innovation, companies are learning how to quickly harvest loads of ideas for new products from business partners, suppliers, consumers and their own employees outside of their R&D staffs. At the same time, they’re shrinking the time needed to create prototypes to months from years.
HNI Corporation Updates Earnings Guidance For Third Quarter And Fiscal Year 2016
HNI Corporation announced Monday that revenue and earnings for the third quarter and fiscal year 2016 are expected to be below the Corporation's previous outlook. Demand in the office furniture and hearth segments is expected to be lower than previously forecasted. Office furniture business sales will be lower than expected due to overall softer than anticipated demand, subdued small business confidence and lower than anticipated project activity.
Bretford Discontinues Traditional Furniture to Focus on Technology Support Tools
Customers and dealers received news today that Bretford is changing its focus, beginning immediately, by getting out of the traditional furniture business and focusing instead on technology support tools.
Kimball International Recognized as #6 of the 2016 Top Ten Public Companies in Indiana
Kimball International, Inc. was recognized on September 15, 2016, as #6 of the 2016 Top Ten Public Companies in Indiana at the INVESTIndiana Equity Conference in Indianapolis. This award was presented by the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst®) Society of Indianapolis and the local chapter of Financial Executives International. The selection of top performers was determined by composite rankings based on quantitative analysis of several performance factors over a two-year period of public companies headquartered in Indiana and traded on the NASDAQ and NYSE exchanges.
Neutral Posture Wins Texas Business Star Award
Neutral Posture Inc., a fast-growing manufacturer of office furniture, ergonomic seating products and accessories, was honored with the presentation of the first-ever Texas Business Star award by the Texas Economic Development Corporation, the organization that promotes economic development for the state.
B&B Italia expands into Luxury Kitchens with Purchase of Arclinea
Italian furniture brand B&B Italia has bought high-end kitchen maker Arclinea, marking "the first major milestone" in its growth since being acquired by investment firm Investindustrial.
Milan-based B&B Italia, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, will become the majority stakeholder in Arclinea.
"For B&B Italia this is the first major milestone in the growth and development process that formed the basis of the agreement which we signed with Investindustrial last year," said B&B Italia CEO Giorgio Busnelli.
"B&B Italia now expands its product portfolio into the exciting segment of design kitchens, a segment of primary importance for both residential and commercial business."
Humanscale Becomes First-Ever Company to Achieve Living Product Challenge Certification
Humanscale has just become the first manufacturer in any industry to achieve Living Product Challenge certification. The certification, which presents the most rigorous standard for sustainable manufacturing, was officially announced tonight at the International Living Future Institute’s Living Product Expo in Pittsburgh, where Humanscale’s Sustainability Officer Jane Abernethy, a featured speaker at the event, was on hand to accept the award. As a result, two Humanscale products — the Float table, a height-adjustable desk, and the Diffrient Smart task chair — are now to be classified as “Living Products.”
1994: the year the newborn Internet set office design on a different path
Because we are now so immersed in technology, we can sometimes forget just how young the Internet is. It was only in 1995 that the final barriers to its full commercial development were removed. In 1994, the number of people using it worldwide was estimated at around 20 million, there were under 15,000 company websites and the UK had one ‘cybercafe’. Even so, there was something in the air. A sense that everything was about to change – and change pretty spectacularly. The management writer Charles Handy was outlining a new world of work in which people developed portfolio careers, organisations were formed from ‘shamrocks’ of freelancers, core staff and part time employees, a world in which half the people would work twice as hard. There was excited talk about new forms of office design and ways of working such as telecommuting and hot desking. The world that emerged has broadly followed the trajectory of these forecasts, even if the details have proved very different.
THE PERSONALIZED TOUCH: WHY THE CO-CREATION TREND SPARKS A MORE EMOTIONAL PURCHASE
One of the earliest lessons we learn about spending money is that our purchases should be meaningful. Think back to when you were a child and there was a toy you really wanted. Rather than simply buying it for you, did your parents insist that you earn the money for it yourself? If so, their reason was probably at least partially because they knew that toy would mean more if you saved up for it yourself. Once you saved your money, you’d have the excitement of going to the store to finally make your purchase, and when you had the toy at home, you’d enjoy it so much more because of all the work you put into earning it. That kind of emotional connection is powerful.
Workplace Sustainability: Understanding Office Furniture “Green” Certifications
Low Carbon Footprint. Sustainability. PVC free. If you are in the office furniture world, these words are all too familiar to you. It seems like the majority of office spaces being designed or renovated today are working to achieve some type of green certification. Furniture (and even the fabrics used on your furniture) can play a large part in meeting these qualifications. For this reason, it’s important to be educated on the topic of sustainabillity so you can help consult your customer on making the right decision when designing a more eco-friendly work environment.
Virco Reports Flat Sales
Reflecting stabilization of funding in its core public school furniture market, Virco’s revenue in the seasonally important second quarter (May, June and July) was virtually flat compared to the same period last year.
Knoll Participates in IFMA Houston Chapter Monthly Meeting
On September 8, Kylie Roth, Knoll’s Senior Director of Workplace Research, spoke to the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Houston Chapter. Delivering a talk on workplace trends based on generational shifts and employee well-being, Roth discussed the evolution of the modern office, using statistical findings to illustrate demographic changes.