Clarus Glassboards

Transcription

Clarus Glassboards

MMQB
THE BUSINESS OF FURNITURE
4.15.2013
Clarus Glassboards
Those not in the know might wonder if glassboards -- the next evolutionary
step from chalkboards and whiteboards -- are even necessary.
MMQB
April 15 - 21, 2013
The Monday Morning Quarterback
Contents
MMQB Online Poll
The Wall Street Journal says Cubicles could be going
away forever. Are you seeing a sustained trend away
from cubicles and towards collaborative spaces?
Yes
53.60%
46.40%
No
MMQB Industry Index YTD gain or loss: +12.18%
(2012 finished with a year-over-year gain of 29.99%)
3
4800
SaloneUfficio
Salone is considered by interior designers of all
disciplines as the leading exposition for all manner
of new products by furniture manufacturers and
designers. p10
Design Icon - The Whole Story
p4
Future of Work: Gensler Design Forecast p6
Chromcraft Revington - Going Dark
p9
COVER: GLASSBOARDS
p12
Above The Clouds: The Cell Phone
p22
Radarp23
Notes from the Web
p24
Briefingp26
Marketplacep28
4675
4550
4425
4300
Mar 18, 2013
Apr 1, 2013
Apr 15, 2013
Consumers Show Fresh Caution
Americans in recent weeks have cut spending on everything from
dining out to electronics to cars, suggesting a renewed skepticism in
the economy. Is the consumer pullback a stutter or something more
serious?
Cash-register sales in March fell by 0.4%, with weakness evident
in many discretionary categories, the government said Friday in its
monthly retail report.
The Monday Morning Quarterback - The Business of Furniture
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ISSN 1064-3575 All rights reserved. Founded 1990
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April 15 - 21, 2013
Top News
Design Icon - The Whole Story
Like many dinosaurs that do not
change, GF died a slow and painful
corporate death, and with it, the 40/4
in North America.
ff
The 40/4 Chair is perhaps the
most utilitarian of all our industry’s
iconic seating products. Since its
introduction in 1964, this simple
stacking chair has been produced by
the millions, in most places around
the world by Howe, the Denmarkbased furniture company that has
had rights to sell the 40/4 in most of
the world -- except North America.
The chair’s history in the North
American market is a little muddier. Back in the early 1960s when
the chair’s designer, David Row4
Rowland
land, was looking for a home for
his chair, he was understandably
frustrated. Rowland, who attended
the Cranbrook Academy of Art --
the same school that produced Niels
Diffrient, Charles and Ray Eames,
Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia and
Eero Saarinen -- had shown the
40/4 to both Herman Miller and
Knoll and neither were interested.
So he showed it to (at the time)
the industry’s largest office furniture maker, General Fireproofing,
which gladly snapped it up. While
Howe was selling it in Europe and
other parts of the world, GF was
selling it in North American. And
for decades, everyone was happy.
To date, more than 8 million 40/4
chairs have been sold.
Like many dinosaurs that do not
change, GF died a slow and pain-
April 15 - 21, 2013
ful corporate death, and with it, the
40/4 in North America. After GF
went into bankruptcy, Des Plaines,
Ill-based OSI Furniture purchased
some of GF’s assets, including the
rights to produce the 40/4 chair.
The bankruptcy judge insisted the
product go with the assets of the
company, though the Rowland family hoped it could negotiate a new
deal for the 40/4 instead.
In 2005, Falcon Companies was
going through its own changes. It
had been acquired by Commercial
Furniture Group USA. CF Group’s
brands include Howe, Shelby Williams, Thonet and Falcon. During
the same period, Howe in Europe
and Howe in the U.S. had developed
into two independent brands, following different concepts and goto-market strategies. Most notably,
Howe in the U.S. did not have rights
to sell the 40/4 chair.
Seamus Bateson joined CF Group
in 2006 as president and chief
executive officer and he immediately expressed interest to OSI that
he wanted the 40/4 chair rights
for North America. Though it took
seven years, CF Group reached a
deal with OSI on the transfer of the
rights and production and sale of
the 40/4.
The transfer includes the rights
for the territories of the US, Canada,
Puerto Rico and the US Virgin
Islands. According to the companies, the transaction is a transfer
of important intellectual property
rights and some related physical
assets, not a business acquisition.
OSI will retain ownership of the
commercial rights and obligations
related to the 40/4 chair business
which OSI transacts prior to the
effective transfer date of June 10,
2013, which also happens to be the
start of NeoCon.
There will be a period, from the
date of the agreement until the effective transfer date, during which
OSI will continue to conduct business with regard to the 40/4 chair.
After that date, CF Group will market and sell the 40/4 chair through
its Howe subsidiary, which already
holds the license for the 40/4 chair
in Europe as well as many other
major international markets. Howe
will assume responsibility for all
40/4 chair business transacted on
and after June 10, 2013.
“We expressed the interest (in
acquiring the rights to the 40/4)
since I joined the company in 2006,”
Bateson said. “It didn’t really go
anywhere serious until last year.
Now it is back with the family. It
is an important part of the Howe
brand -- an iconic, classic product. It is in permanent collections
throughout the world. It has always
been an important part of our product line and we couldn’t actively sell
it in the States.”
The chair is a classic for a reason.
Simply put, it is functional, flexible and comfortable. Its wire base
and curved seat pan adds to the
functionality of the space without
overpowering it. And it has obvious space-saving advantages. The
world’s first stacking chair, the 40/4
literally created a new market. Before the 40/4, there were no stacking chairs. The chair was named for
its ability to have 40 chairs stacked
in four feet of space. It is used in
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April 15 - 21, 2013
6
corporate offices, conference centers, training rooms, universities,
churches, cathedrals, schools and
educational facilities.
The chair has been used in many
diverse places, from the floor of St.
Paul’s Cathedral in London during
the wedding of Prince Charles and
Lady Diana and on submarines in
the U.S. Navy. Everyone who has
sat in a classroom, office meeting or
other gathering space has probably
sat in a 40/4.
Rowland (who died in 2010)
explained why he came up with the
design: “I was a pilot in the United
States Air Force during the Second
World War. At that time, there were
beastly uncomfortable seats in the
cockpits of the planes we flew. And
during the many campaigns I was
on, some lasting up to 12 hours, I
promised myself that if I survived
I would dedicate my life to the creation of comfortable and ergonomically correct seating. Once the war
was over, I started my own peaceful
mission. After years of research,
sketches and prototypes, I finally
had the light, strong and super-ergonomic chair, which is now known
around the world as the stacking
chair 40/4.”
Though CF Group cannot talk
about how it will market 40/4 until
the deal is complete, needless to
say, the company has big plans for
it through its Howe brand. Bateson
said the 40/4 will “plug an absence”
in the company’s North American
strategy.
“The first step is to make sure the
supply chain is correct,” he said,
noting that more than 90 percent
of what the CF Group sells in the
U.S. is made in the U.S. “We want to
make sure to get it right.”
Because of its care in transferring
the intellectual property, manufacturing process and other equipment, don’t expect a big CF Group
40/4 push at this coming NeoCon.
Bateson said CF Group has many
new products to launch through its
other brands, but it will not promote
40/4. That being said, 2014 marks
the 50th anniversary of the launch
of the 40/4. Expect a huge push in
2014.
“Like a lot of design classics in
our industry, Rowland really just
got it right with the 40/4,” Bateson
said. “From a functionality perspective and as a product, it really
works. The tolerances are refined,
it stacks cleanly and uniquely, the
ergonomics are cleaver and it is just
enormously comfortable. Through
luck, good judgment and stubborn
determination, Rowland just really
got it right.”
Future of Work: Gensler
Design Forecast
Pogue said one of the key things
she has seen change in the workplace
is the interconnectivity of employees.
ff
Technology
and the future
of work is a
sticky subject, even in
2013. Gensler
found out
first hand
when it last
week hosted
“Exploring
click to download
the Future of
Work: Gensler Design Forecast,” a
webinar about how work is changing and what the design community
is doing to help adapt.
The GoToWebinar hosted, halfhour scheduled meeting started
more than 15 minutes late because
of technical difficulties, which
included trying to patch Jim Williamson, global workplace leader at
Gensler into the call from iSalone in
Milan. It was an interesting delay,
April 15 - 21, 2013
to say the least, especially since one
of the slides presented was titled
“Ubiquitous connectivity.”
Alas, maybe we shouldn’t give
Millennials so much control over
our meetings after all. It was a
shame the call was delayed since the
content was so good once it got rolling. Though Williamson was not on
the call (at least during the portion
I was able to listen), his colleague
Janet Pogue and Roman Richey,
managing director of global real
estate for CEB, did an excellent job
outlining the reasons why we really
should listen to what Millennials
want in the workspace.
The pair spent much of the time
reviewing how they worked together on CEB’s headquarters project
to make the space more meaningful
to the 68 percent of the company’s
employees who are Millennials.
Pogue said one of the key things
she has seen change in the workplace is the interconnectivity of
employees. Workers are tied to the
job 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. Yet they are also tied to each
other through social networks.
They share things about themselves
publicly that previous generations
never would. “What if this type of
connectivity is all you ever knew?”
she asked participants.
Those entering the workforce
today were 13 years old when
Facebook was launched. Most take
wireless Internet service for granted
since it has been around since they
could remember. Those expectations change the way workplaces
are designed, she said.
“Millennials are changing what
we expect (in the office),” she said.
“And technology is enabling us
to work anywhere. We can seamlessly work anywhere -- an office,
hotel room, the Starbucks down the
street. Millennials have grown up
being wireless and they expect the
ability to connect anywhere. Having
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April 15 - 21, 2013
Click to listen to webinar
8
a range of choices that best support
the tasks at hand make not only
them more effective, but (all of ) us
more effective.”
That includes a concept almost
unimaginable for designers and office furniture makers even a decade
ago: The idea of “hackable space.”
Richey worked with high tech companies like Cisco and Oracle and has
watched Facebook develop as well.
Facebook and
some other
tech companies allow
their workers to “hack”
their space
-- basically
redesign it as
they see fit
to create the
most creative,
comfortable
space they
desire.
Richey said that at Cisco, employees were allowed to modify and
hack their space as they wanted.
Some built “castles” around their
desks. Others covered them with a
tent. That means the space is always
changing to adapt to the style of the
workers who inhabit it. “They are
creating tribal individualism,” he
said.
Pogue likened it to what college
students do to their dorm room -take the shell of the space and customize it with lofts, bean bag chairs
and posters in an effort to give a
soulless space a little more soul.
All of this is happening, of course,
because of the rise of technology.
For the first time, office workers are
arriving with their own technology.
Smartphones and tablets came from
the home to the office, not the other
way around.
That is leading to a trend Pogue
calls “internal mobility”. The most
effective offices give workers a
place to go for individual, quiet
work and nearby areas for collaborative meetings. Richey said his
Millennial-heavy workforce didn’t
want to be tied to a workstation, so
his company created a space that allows for “messy, free-form, back and
forth” dialog that is not captured
in conventional conference rooms.
April 15 - 21, 2013
“The goal was to create a workspace
that not only allowed for this, but
encouraged it,” he said.
Gensler studied how CEB worked
and found that different employees
had different work flows depending on the department in which
they were employed. For example,
salespeople worked in a pattern that
fluctuated monthly as they worked
to hit their goals; researchers had
longer projects and tended to work
on an annual basis; and administrative staff was on a quarterly schedule.
“There were times when everything went really well and had a
real rhythm in the office,” Richey
said. “And there were other times
when there was mayhem. We came
up with other ideas and designs to
manage that and it translates into
our space. We spent a lot of time
trying to understand what (each
of our employees) was trying to
achieve, how they were changing
and how we could do better by managing the chaos.”
CEB developed two neighborhoods -- a room-within-a-room
concept where employees could
work away from their desks, but not
have to travel to another part of the
building to do it. The work team
areas include a pantry for multipurpose use, benching along the windows and comfortable seating near
televisions. They wanted to create
great places where workers could
“change venue” to keep productivity
high.
“Internal mobility is leading to
new insights into work processes,”
Pogue said. “In the workplace of
yesterday, work went from top
down. Now there is this nonlinear
workflow. The “scrum model” has
come out of the high tech world.”
The scrum model begins with
individual and group brainstorming
and the work moves to individuals and small groups and back to
groups. This model has been adapted in a lot of places and moved to
other industries. Without a doubt,
Richey said, firms like CEB and others are embracing it.
Chromcraft Revington Going Dark and Voluntary
Delisting from NYSE
The company’s board of directors
determined, after careful consideration, that voluntarily delisting and
deregistering is in the overall best interests of the company.
ff
Chromcraft Revington, Inc. announced last Monday that, on April
5, 2013, its board of directors concluded that voluntarily delisting the
company’s common stock from the
NYSE MKT and voluntarily deregistering from the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, are in the
best interests of the company. The
company is eligible to deregister its
stock because it has fewer than 300
stockholders of record.
“These actions are
designed to reduce our
operating costs.”
Accordingly, the company intends
to file on April 18, 2013 a Form 25
with the NYSE MKT and the Securities and Exchange Commission to
voluntarily delist its common stock
from the NYSE MKT and to deregister the company’s common stock
from Section 12(b) of the Exchange
Act. The company also intends to
file on April 29, 2013 a Form 15 with
the SEC to suspend the company’s
reporting obligations under Section
15(d) of the Exchange Act. Immediately upon the filing of Form 15, the
company will no longer be obligated
to file certain Exchange Act reports
with the SEC. Following delisting and deregistering, the company presently intends to provide
quarterly and annual information
regarding its performance through
postings to its website and press
releases.
It is expected that delisting will
take effect on April 29, 2013, and at
that time the company’s shares will
no longer be traded on the NYSE
MKT.
Although the company has not
been notified by NYSE MKT, the
company believes that it may no
longer be in compliance with certain NYSE MKT minimum continued listing standards.
The company’s board of directors
determined, after careful consideration, that voluntarily delisting
and deregistering is in the overall
best interests of the company. The
following factors were considered,
in addition to others, by the board
of directors in taking this action:
the cost savings that may be realized by the company as a result of
the elimination of its obligation to
file reports with the SEC; avoidance of costs which are required in
order to comply with the SarbanesOxley Act of 2002 and the rules and
regulations promulgated by the SEC
thereunder; and the benefit of reallocating personnel to devote greater
attention to the company’s business
strategies.
Ronald H. Butler, the company’s
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “These actions are
designed to reduce our operating
costs. The consequences of remaining an SEC-reporting company,
which includes significant costs and
management time associated with
regulatory compliance, outweighed
the current benefits of being a NYSE
MKT listed company.” Q
9
April 15 - 21, 2013
EVENTS
SaloneUfficio
Key trends at the show from an office perspective
followed on from Orgatec in many ways and were
highlighted in Jean Nouvel’s centrepiece.
Anna King
10
S
alone, which just wrapped up in Milan, is considered by interior
designers of all disciplines as the leading exposition for all manner of new products by furniture manufacturers and designers,
as well as lighting concepts and designs. The show regularly attracts
over 320,000 visitors across all sectors to enjoy what Milan does best
– design.
The extensive exhibition halls, located on the edge of the city, provide a hub for the global design community. Combined with the enormous variety of satellite events that happen right across the city, the
Milan Furniture Fair helps to seal the city’s reputation as the design
capital of the world.
Taking place alongside the main furniture fair is the biennial workspace exhibition SaloneUfficio. An area dedicated to working environments, showcasing solutions for both the commercial work environment as well as the home office. SaloneUfficio occupies over 200,000
square feet providing a temporary base for more than 120 participating companies, comprising manufacturers of furniture and accessories, attracting visitors from over 152 countries that include architects,
designers, dealers, interior decorators and lighting designers.
The majority of exhibitors are
from Europe with one or two
exceptions:
Humanscale exhibited at SaloneUfficio for the
second time. Tim Hutchings,
president of Humanscale International explains the importance
of having a presence at the show:
“Humanscale is continually looking at opportunities for international development and Milan
is the prefect positioning for us
both geographically and to showcase our strong research and design credentials.”
A fact confirmed by acclaimed
French architect, Jean Nouvel, who selected a range of
Humanscale products for his feature “Project: office for living.”
Within the feature, Jean Nouvel
explored a variety of contemporary building options as potential
working environments in a dedicated area inside the SaloneUfficio pavilion, as well as experimenting with new materials and
technology to create comfortable,
effective, user-friendly and ecologically-aware environments.
“In 30 or 40 years’ time we will
be stunned to see just how unliveable most of today’s offices really
were,” he said. “Grotesque clones,
standardization, totalitarianism,
never the merest hint of being
pleasurable to inhabit.”
April 15 - 21, 2013
11
The UK contingent can be found in SaloneUfficio
in the form of Boss and the global storage leader,
Bisley. This is the third consecutive year at Milan
for Bisley in recent times, which indicates the growing importance of Milan to businesses that wish to
operate with an international presence.
Ralph Hearnshaw, Bisley’s international sales
director explained the company’s commitment to
Milan: “The Milan Fair always attracts an international senior contingent, comprising existing and
new dealers, architect and designers from Central
and South America, the Middle East, as well as the
French architecture and design community. I don’t
believe that any other show can boast such an eclectic mix of visitors. That is why it has become such
an integral element of our strategic plan for international growth.”
Key trends at the show from an office perspective
followed on from Orgatec in many ways and were
highlighted in Jean Nouvel’s centrepiece (see page
23). There is no doubt that workplace products
are continuing to possess a strong domestic feel as
the distinction between home and work continues
to blur, whether we are talking about furnishing a
home office or bringing a more home-like quality to
the workplace. Q
PRODUCTS
Clarus Glassboards
Clarus Glassboards is not that old, but its lowtech and increasingly high-tech glass products are finding their way into a who’s who
of first-rate corporate, university, healthcare,
government, entertainment and hospitality
clients.- ROB KIRKBRIDE
O
ne of the most ancient manufactured building products -- glass
-- is gaining popularity once again in the office furniture industry as a cutting edge material, this time at the hands of an innovative Texas-based company that believes glass is the next step in dry
(and wet) erase technology.
Clarus Glassboards is not that old, but its low-tech and increasingly
high-tech glass products are finding their way into a who’s who of firstrate corporate, university, healthcare, government, entertainment and
hospitality clients.
14
Those not in the know might wonder if glassboards
-- the next evolutionary step from chalkboards and
whiteboards -- are even necessary. Company founders Jeremy Rincon and Robby Whites are quick to
point out the benefits of Clarus Glassboards’ products.
The pair begin explaining the benefits of Clarus
Glassboards by asking about how satisfied you are
as a user of your whiteboard. Most answer that they
do not give whiteboards much thought to whether
they are happy with them or not. For most customers, whiteboards are simply a means to an end -they are not happy or unhappy with them -- which
Rincon argues is why designers don’t specify the
products.
“Whiteboards are an afterthought; visual displays
that are a means to an end,” he said. “Our product
really brings the marker board to the forefront because it is made from an engaging material and an
engaging company. It never stains, never ghosts. You
can use dry erase, wet markers, permanent markers;
heck, you can use spray paint if you want and it will
come off. It turns the marker board from a product
everyone ignores to a product that is actively specified.”
Unlike plastic or even porcelain dry erase boards,
Whites said glassboard is specified because it is
“beautiful and inspirational.” It can come in a variety of shapes and colors. Logos can be added and
there are a number of mounting solutions. In short,
glassboards are beautiful products that enhance the
workspace, yet are functional and perform on the
highest level, Whites said. Clarus Glassboards will
last the life of the wall, are eco-friendly and made
from recycled materials.
It is no surprise that during a recent conversation,
Clarus Glassboards was readying a large project for
Google at it Mountain View, Calif. headquarters.
Since the company was founded, it has worked with
customers from high-tech companies in Silicon Valley to trading firms in Manhattan.
Despite its current success, the company was
founded from some highly unusual roots. Prior to
the pair’s entry into the commercial furnishings
world, Rincon and Whites worked in the financial
services industry. The two worked in nearby trading
desks and both enjoyed working with manufacturing firms -- companies with tangible products that
actually pleased the customers who bought them. It
was a far cry from the financial products they two
April 15 - 21, 2013
15
April 15 - 21, 2013
18
were selling during the turn of the millennium -nebulous products that underperformed and displeased customers.
“(When working in financial services) we knew
that just about everything we were selling to our
customers dissatisfied them,” Rincon said. “A fund
would underperform and we had to convince the
customer to be happy with what they paid for.”
The two budding entrepreneurs had seen architectural glass and glass design in other countries
-- mostly in Europe. They noticed that glass was
a superior surface for writing on since its surface
was not porous and it was much more architecturally beautiful than other writing surfaces. Clarus
Glassboards was founded in Ft. Worth, Texas and
the pair had a product that they were proud to sell
to a growing set of customers. The company began
to grow organically.
Customers like Apple began using Clarus Glassboards and other firms like American Express, Cisco, Oracle, Texas Instruments, Walt Disney World,
Google, Whole Foods and Facebook took note and
started ordering glassboard products as well. The
firm moved into education and wooed customers
like UCLA, Duke, Purdue, Stanford and Texas, to
name a few. Opportunities arrived in the healthcare
market and companies like Novartis, Blue Cross
Blue Shield and Johns Hopkins began specifying
products. Government customers also came calling
like SallieMae, NASA and the U.S. Army. Hospitality
uses were identified and W Hotels, Marriott, Hilton
and Starwood began installing Clarus.
“We found that because of our products, our customers were thrilled to engage with our company,”
Rincon said. “In addition to glass visual display and
architectural uses, we found applications for furniture and architecture.”
Clarus Glassboards sells most of its products
through a series of manufacturer’s reps and an increasing number of dealers, but it also sells to many
of the top office furniture makers who integrate
Clarus Glassboards into their products. The glassboard can be used to create markable space dividers
and panels, table tops and other architectural items.
The company is proud of its products and the materials they are made from. The glassboards (for
writing) are made from quarter-inch tempered
safety glass that is four to five times stronger than
April 15 - 21, 2013
19
April 15 - 21, 2013
normal glass and lasts the lifespan of the wall. Contrast that with traditional whiteboards, which need
to be replaced every few years. The Clarus Glassboard Float is mounted flush against the wall using concealed metal mounting hardware, creating
a strong, polished finish that adheres to just about
any surface.
20
Erasable boards are simply the beginning. Most
of the Clarus Glassboards are custom made. For example, some of the company’s healthcare customers
have custom sizes and use “healing graphics” that
are integrated into the product.
The 5-year-old company is proud of its Texas
roots. Rincon said all of its products are manufactured here in the US. “We literally bring in raw glass
and cut, polish, temper, coat and print it here in our
facility in Fort Worth, Texas,” he said. “We are 100
percent vertically integrated.”
Though writing boards are decidedly low-tech,
the company has spent the past several years focusing on research and development and creating new
market segments. They plan to launch a number of
new products this year to hone in on the needs of its
customers, including a number of additional offerings for the office furniture industry. Clarus Glassboards is also working on several products for the
architectural glass segment and it is working closely
with demountable wall makers on their needs.
Anyone who has ever used an iPad or smartphone
also understands the long-term, high-tech uses
of glass. The integration of technology is a goal of
Clarus Glassboards as well. “Technology is an important part of our future,” Whites said. “Multiple
technology companies have approached us and are
working with us. We have some new products up
our sleeves.” Q
April 15 - 21, 2013
21
April 15 - 21, 2013
ABOVE THE CLOUDS
The Cell Phone
Mobile communications and entertainment are
driving the stock market while unfortunately
emptying offices along the way.
Dick Sinclair
I
22
t’s no secret that over the past decade the “techies” gained market control. The rungs
on the corporate ladder now include a laptop, smart phone and iPad. In Arthur Miller’s
classic “Death of a Salesman”, Willy Loman was an unfortunate soul who was a victim of
his own profession. Today’s Willy (or Lilly) is likely a sales and electronics pro who could
sub at Apple’s “Genius bar” or BestBuy’s “Geek Squad”.
Mobile communications and entertainment are driving the stock market while unfortunately emptying offices along the way. Cell phones with 8 megapixel cameras were unheard of just a year or so ago. Dick Tracy’s cartoon wrist phone was the best known mobile
communication device when the hugely successful ‘84 Los Angeles Olympic Games were
launched. I took a half year leave from my business to accept a challenging position with
the Olympic Organizing Committee putting together a new division called “Technology”
and given a “go-anywhere” pass with no playbook to fall back on. For the first time in its
history, we set out to put modern technology to work to improve the Games! We hired
thousands of skilled volunteers and took in sponsors like AT&T, IBM, Xerox and the like,
to help pull it off.
The L.A. Olympics became a playground for a host of new high tech toys and innovations. Swiss Timing introduced electronic starting blocks, which fired the Starter’s pistol
if a runner jumped the gun (sometimes to the surprise of the Starter). IBM introduced
the first fax machines, sending results up from the Coliseum floor to a double-wide trailer
filled with new high speed Xerox digital copiers. This resulted in cutting the distribution
time of printed results sheets to 5,000 international press corps in the stands to less than
five minutes! New venue access controls, crime and terrorist prevention, drug testing, results tabulations and venue communications systems were developed. We tested stuff like
the first drone TV sky camera, which with more perfection later found its way into sports
broadcasting.
One of many challenges was preparing for President Reagan’s visit to the opening ceremonies. The world was in turmoil (Russia wasn’t coming…but China was, etc.), security
was sky high and bomb sweeps were frequent, thanks to terrorist threats. I found myself
with the Secret Service doing a preparation “walk thru” for the President’s visit. They
chalked where each land line telephone had to be wired in (every 6 steps!) …including the
entrance/exit tunnels. They also required the President’s press box be equipped with extra
cameras, surveillance, special bullet proof glass windows and a 1.5” thick solid steel armor
plate floor.
But the ’84 Games’ most effective technology piece had not yet appeared. ABC television
was having communications problems with both the opening ceremonies and events like
the memorable Women’s marathon. The traditional procedure of using spotters, runners
and land line phones was not doing well so I cornered one of AT&T’s top guns who had
been working closely with us and we discussed perhaps trying a wireless phone. Motorola’s
original DynaTAC2 model had just gone into production the year before but was about
the size and weight of a brick and pricey ($3995). AT&T located and flew in a supply of
new smaller cell phones from Novatel just in time for the men’s marathon, closing ceremonies and several other major events. These babies were 13” long (w/antennae extended),
weighed almost 2 lbs. and had a short rechargeable battery life. They were strictly send/
receive phones with a tiny liquid display screen…however they did the trick!
Suddenly we were using these cell phones for everything, including a call for help I got
on the final Sunday afternoon of the games from the Men’s High Jump venue. Crossing
the Coliseum field I thought of my own college high jump adventures, missing the ’56 USA
Olympics team (Melbourne) and assuring mom I would eventually be in the Games. As
I arrived, an athlete was refusing the next
jump until he was permitted to change into
his “lucky shorts”, which he apparently was
accustomed to doing in Europe (European
women runners were pulling their tops
off after events and had to be ushered into
the tunnels). The bar was at 7’1” and three
jumpers remained. ABC had the cameras on
us while I took out the phone and called the
rules committee, who couldn’t find this in
the book (?). I calmed a very nervous but determined German jumper and (through an
interpreter) asked him what he had on under his shorts and he responded only a jock
strap. We couldn’t let him leave the field because of drug testing rules, so we had blankets brought out and held up around him
while he quickly made his change before
100,000 viewers in the stadium and tens of
millions on TV. He proceeded to clear the
height and went on to win the gold medal!
Afterwards he came over to give me a hug both our moms would be proud!
So what’s the moral of this story? Well,
first off, the Los Angeles Olympics became
and still is the most successful Games in the
modern Olympics era. It showed the world
what could be done through innovation
and proper organization. It made heroes
out of many of our great business partners
and was the first modern Olympics to turn
a profit. And while it would be nice to think
Dick Tracy’s wrist watch got the current
mobile device boom started, you now know
it was actually Sam, the ‘84 Olympic Eagle
Mascot and his flock of wild and innovative
American buddies looking for anything and
everything that would go farther, higher
and faster. Q
Dick Sinclair is the founder of EOC (now a
Chromcraft company), a former BIFMA
Board member and past chairman of several
industry association trade events. He
is a consultant, speaker and writer and can be
reached at [email protected].
April 15 - 21, 2013
Radar
This weeks picks from the web
23
April 15 - 21, 2013
NOTES FROM THE WEB http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/11/sqwiggle-makes-working-remotely-less-lonely-more-awesome/
Sqwiggle Makes Working Remotely
Less Lonely, More Awesome
Sqwiggle is browser-based group video chat built
with work-from-homers in mind.
Greg Kumparak via TechCrunch.com
S
qwiggle is browser-based group video chat built with workfrom-homers in mind. It’s got the office-like immediacy that
Skype lacks, but without the noise of a Google Hangout. I’m kind
of in love with it.
24
As someone who puts words on the Internet for a living, I’ve been
lucky enough to spend most of the last 5 years working from my home.
Awesome, right? Yeah, to a point. The first year is all about celebrating
the fact that you’re still wearing pajamas at noon. By the second year,
you’re talking to your dog on a regular basis. By the third year, you
start getting mad that your dog isn’t talking back.
There are things that help, of course. You can use chat room services
like Campfire or Hipchat with your team to maintain some degree of
social sanity — but for actually, you know, seeing your team, and looking at their lovely faces, and talking like humans should, nothing really
fits the bill.
You could Skype each other when needed, but the whole calling process feels archaic and slow. You could sit in a constant Google Hangout, but then you’ve got to deal with the endless roar of everyone’s
background noise being mashed
up into a symphony of barking
dogs, lawn mowers, and coffee
shop chatter.
Sqwiggle finds the comfy sweet
spot somewhere between the
two. It’s “always-on”, in a sense,
but without the background noise
or distractions.
For our friends at work who
can’t be caught watchin’ YouTube videos right now (Hey! You
should work from home!), here’s
how it works:
Each company gets their own
“Workroom”, with each member
getting a spot in a Brady Bunchesque grid of heads. When you’re
not actively in a conversation with
someone, you appear to them as a
black-and-white still photo that
gets updated a few times per minute.
To speak with any other person
in the room, you just click their
face — bam, you’re connected. No
ringing, no answering, just an immediate conversation. It’s sort of
like turning to speak with someone in the office, except you still
get to wear your pajamas.
Want to talk with two or three
people? Just click each of their
photos, and you’ll be in a group
chat. Others can tell who is already talking to who based on
matching colored icons that ap-
April 15 - 21, 2013
Here, just check out the demo video:
25
pear next to your name. If you click on someone
who’s already in a conversation, you’ll join that conversation — again, it’s like walking up and joining a
conversation in the office.
While Sqwiggle hopes that people will primarily
use the video side of their product for conversations, some things just don’t work over video. How
do you share images, or links? What if you want to
send a quick text broadcast to everyone in the room?
For these, Sqwiggle has a slide-out “Stream”
drawer, which functions as an auxiliary chat room
of sorts. Images, videos, and links are displayed inline, and it can be used for sending quick blurps of
text when a video chat isn’t necessary or practical.
The Stream drawer shrinks and grows with the
scroll of your mouse wheel, with the grid of talking
heads scaling alongside appropriately.
There’s no hard-cap on the number of people that
can be in each room, though the team says things
work best with 2-12 people in the current build.
Of course, there are all sorts of privacy matters
to be considered with a set up like this; fortunately,
this is something Sqwiggle is focusing on. They’re
building a privacy mode that turns your timelapsed
still shot into an anonymized outline, suggesting
to your team that now is probably not a good time.
They’re also considering implementing some sort
of face detection, which would automatically enable privacy mode when you’re not right in front of
your computer. Remembering not to bring your laptop into the bathroom, however, is on you.
While Sqwiggle is built to be run in the browser
(it’s webRTC based, so it’ll only work with Chrome
and recent nightly builds of Firefox for now),
they’ve also got a super solid stand-alone client for
OS X. Windows and Linux clients are in their plans,
but those folks will need to use the browser offering
for now.
Sqwiggle is free for the first month of use, but costs
$9 per month per user thereafter. If you sign up for
their Beta, however, they’ll knock the price down to
$5 per month per user indefinitely. They’ve just begun to let teams into the Beta last night, with plans
to get everyone in within the next week or two. Q
For more on collaboration innovation join:
http://www.meetup.com/Better-Collaboration/
April 15 - 21, 2013
Events
DUBAI / MAY 20-23, 2013
The Office Exhibition as part
of IIDEX International Design
Exhibition, Dubai World Trade
Centre
www.theofficeexibition.com
NEW YORK / MAY 18-21, 2013
ICFF - International Contemporary Furniture Fair - New York’s
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
www.icff.com
CHICAGO / JUNE 10-12, 2013
NeoCon 2012 - The Merchandise Mart.
www.neocon.com
TORONTO / SEPT 26-27, 2013
IIDEX/NeoCon Canada, Direct
Energy Centre, Toronto
www.iidexneocon.com
BALTIMORE / OCT 16-17, 2013
NeoCon East, Baltimore Convention Center
www.neoconeast.com
26
BRIEFING
OfficeMax And Office
Depot Provide Merger
Update
OfficeMax Incorporated and Office Depot, Inc. Tuesday provided several key updates to their
planned merger, including the
announcement of the committee
members tasked with overseeing
the process to select a CEO for the
combined company and selection of the executives who will
help to manage the integration
planning process.
Office Depot Board Member Nigel Travis, CEO of Dunkin Donuts,
and OfficeMax Board Member
Jim Marino, former President and
CEO of Alberto Culver Company,
will co-chair the selection committee. The other members are
Office Depot directors Tom Colligan and Marty Evans; Rakesh
Gangwal, Non-executive Chairman of the Board of OfficeMax;
and OfficeMax director Francesca
Ruiz de Luzuriaga.
The committee will oversee a
comprehensive search process
that will consider both incumbent CEOs - Neil Austrian, Chairman and CEO of Office Depot and
Ravi Saligram, President and CEO
of OfficeMax - as well as external
candidates. The committee will
proceed with the objective of selecting the CEO for the combined
company at or prior to the closing
of the transaction.
In addition, Office Depot and
OfficeMax also announced the
selection of key executives from
both companies who will oversee
the integration planning process
for the combined company.
Messrs. Saligram and Austrian
will provide overall sponsorship
and stewardship of the integration planning process. Together,
they have appointed OfficeMax
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer Bruce Besanko and
Office Depot Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Mike Newman to co-chair the integration planning process, with
the shared objective of mutually
developing an integration plan
designed to ensure a smooth and
productive transition and capture
the projected $400-600 million in
annual cost synergies by the third
year following the transaction’s
close.
“Today’s announcements mark
a key milestone in our vision to
help shareholders and customers of both companies realize the
tremendous value inherent in our
proposed combination,” said Austrian. “By bringing together several of our top executives and Board
members to focus on the process
of integrating our two great companies, we will build on our culture of collaboration as we move
closer to successfully closing the
transaction and better competing
in this large and rapidly changing
industry.”
“The formation of the CEO selection committee and launch of our
integration planning process represent important steps forward in
achieving our vision of an $18 billion global office solutions company,” said Saligram. “We are very
pleased to have launched a comprehensive integration planning
process and remain confident in
the combined company’s ability
to deliver the targeted cost syner-
Noted:
Allsteel Inc. has earned a second 2012 GOOD DESIGN™ Award from
the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Center for Architecture Art
Design and Urban Studies. Allsteel was awarded honors in the furniture category for introduction of the Beyond architectural walls. Beyond features movable frameless glass styles with a built-in scissor lift
leveling mechanism that levels the glass within the floor channel, functioning much like a pneumatic jack. This unique mechanism allows an
installation that is far faster and easier than other products currently
on the market.
gies and to more rapidly scale key
market innovations. Both companies also remain committed to
working toward completion of
the proposed combination by the
end of calendar 2013.”
tral Business District. Haworth
partnered with GMB Architects +
Engineers to design the space.
The Denver showroom is the
ninth of Haworth’s 11 U.S. showrooms to be LEED certified.
Haworth Earns Mile-High
Leed Silver
INDEAL Turns 3
Haworth, Inc. announced that
the United States Green Building
Council has awarded LEED Silver certification for the achievement of green design, construction, and operation of its Denver
showroom. The 3,900-square-foot
showroom is located in the 16th
Street Mall, next to Skyline Park
and in the heart of Denver’s Cen-
INDEAL Inc., the buying and marketing organization designed
specifically for
Contract
Office
Furniture
Dealers aligned
with Steelcase,
Herman Miller,
Knoll, Haworth,
or Teknion and 2012 OFDA Chair
Service Award Recipient, is now
April 15 - 21, 2013
entering its 3rd full year.
In his recent 2012 recap letter
to dealer members, Dave Bloch,
one of the organization’s founders and principals, wrote that INDEAL had an exceptional finish to
2012, with 97% of the suppliers in
the program increasing sales and
some seeing increases well over
100%.
INDEAL has just released two of
its four 2013 INDEAL Idea Books
to its dealer members in North
America. These marketing pieces
maintain a more contract look
and feel; with a focus toward contract office furniture purchasing
departments and the A & D Community at large.
INDEAL currently produces
four Idea Books a year (Business,
Healthcare, GSA, and Education)
available to INDEAL members and
their customers.
The first Idea Book released was
the 2013 INDEAL Idea Book for
Business, sent to member-dealers
in the USA and Canada. The second book about to be released to
U.S. dealers is the new 2013 INDEAL for Government Idea Book.
Included in this Idea Book, by supplier, is their GSA schedule, which
is accessed by clicking the link on
each page. In keeping with the
government’s “Green” initiatives,
this Idea Book is currently only
available in Fliplink format (electronic).
Herman Miller Announces
Everywhere in Your Day
Interactive Video and
Contest
Herman Miller, Inc. has launched
a new interactive video and contest that demonstrates all the
ways that Herman Miller fits “Everywhere in Your Day”. Using stop
motion animation to reimagine
the course of a day in just one
minute, the video proves that
no matter where you work, hang
your hat, or rest your head, Herman Miller fits—everywhere in
your day.
Entrants can begin playing at
http://store.hermanmiller.com/
Category/Popular-Categories/
Everywhere-In-Your-Day
All month long, Herman Miller
will release biweekly clues that
lead participants through the
interactive Everywhere in Your
Day video and the Herman Miller
Store, where the clickable answers will be embedded. Clicking
on the correct answer will enter
participants to win a series of select Herman Miller prizes; playing
all eight clues enters you to win
the grand prize, an Eames Lounge
and Ottoman. All prize winners
will be announced after the conclusion of the contest in May.
ASSOCIATIONS
IIDA Announces Opening of
new Milan Chapter
The International Interior Design
Association (IIDA) announced the
opening of the IIDA Milan Chapter in Milan, Italy. The announcement was made as part of the
celebrations at Saloni del Mobile
2013, with IIDA President Jim
Williamson, FIIDA, LEED AP; President-Elect Felice Silverman, IIDA;
Past International President Lewis
Goetz, FIIDA, FAIA; Executive Vice
President and CEO Cheryl Durst,
Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP; and Senior
Vice President Dennis Krause,
Hon. IIDA, in attendance. The IIDA
Milan Chapter marks the 32nd
IIDA Chapter opening worldwide,
representing a significant addition to the IIDA family and to the
international Design community.
The IIDA Milan Chapter represents a significant step in the mission of IIDA to engage the design
conversation on a global level.
ODDS & ENDS
JOINED: Dan Lee has joined as
the National Design Manager at
Business Interiors by Staples.
Dan
brings
more than 30
years of diverse
healthcare design experience
Lee
including serving as principal of healthcare
interior design for the Baylor
Healthcare System as well as providing furniture procurement for
the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic
and Loyola University. He was the
principal of Lee Design Group and
previously served as the vice president of healthcare interiors for
HDR, Dallas. Dan Lee is a founding member and past-president
of the American Association of
Healthcare Interior Designers (AAHID) and was among the nation’s
first 100 certified in Evidencebased Design (EDAC). He serves
on the boards of the International
Interior Design Association (IIDA)
and the Texas Association of Interior Design and maintains an active membership in the American
Institute of Architects, Texas Society of Architects and American
Society of Interior Designers. He is
currently adjunct professor of architecture at Southern Methodist
University.
RETURNED: Lara Hackett as the
new Vice President, Sales for Edelman Leather. Lara was previously
with Edelman as the Sales Representative, based in Chicago, working with all major Hospitality,
Contract and Aviation clients for
over 9 years. In addition she initiated and served as the National
Key Account Manager for the
Graded in Programs. Serving as
President at Tiger Imports for the
past 18 months, Lara’s experience
vastly expanded into all aspects
of running a business, including
branding, new business development, product development and
driving the creative and marketing direction.
JOINED: Henri Munyengango to
Edelman Leather. Henri began
his role as the new Atlanta Showroom Manager on April 1st, 2013.
Henri comes in with eight years in
hospitality design experience. He
gained his experience in design
and project management. He
worked on several major hotels
both in the US and International
levels such as Buena Vista Palace,
Orlando, Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, Hilton McLean, Tyson’s Corner Virginia, Hyatt Midtown, Atlanta and Rose Hall County Club,
Jamaica. He earned his degree
from The Art Institute of Atlanta.
WEBBING: in2design, the contract grade laminate manufacturer based in Vaughan, Ontario
announces the release of it’s new
web site. www.in2-design.com.
The state-of-the-art site features
the company’s new lounge furniture collection, as well as case
studies highlighting the depth of
its product offering.
DEALERING: Artcobell welcomed Innovative Office Solutions as their exclusive dealer
partner in Minnesota. Innovative
Office Solutions was established
in 2001 out of Burnsville, Minnesota and represents a wide range
of quality furniture manufacturers.
VIDEO: Safco Products has released four new videos discussing
the key concepts of their AlphaBetter® Desk. The videos include
topics on health, obesity, focus
and ADHD. These four areas have
become a focal point for schools,
administrators and parents as
school budgets continue to becut, and children are spending
more time being sedentary. Safco
videos are available on the Safco
Products YouTube® channel and
at their website, www.safcoproducts.com.
HOSTING: The West Michigan
Creative Congress is being
hosted by Dart Frog Creative
in conjunction with the SEMAFX
(Southeast Michigan Animation
and Visual FX) Network and Ferris State University. The event
will be held on Wednesday April
17th from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at
Dart Frog Creative, located in the
Custer building at 217 Grandville
Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI. The
West Michigan Creative Congress
is an opportunity for creative professionals in the fields of animation, marketing, graphic design,
industrial design, architectural
visualization, film, visual effects,
interaction design, game design,
and many more to come together
as a community and network with
one another. Founded in 2006,
Dart Frog Creative was created in
collaboration with Steelcase’s 3D
Rendering Department.
VENDORS OF THE YEAR: S.P.
Richards Company, a wholesale
distributor of business and office supplies, announced TOPS,
Balt, GOJO, Verbatim, and UPS
were each recognized as Vendor
of the Year award recipients at
the 2013 S.P. Richards Vendor
Summit in St. Augustine, Florida.
The winners were determined by
a number of key measurements
such as sales, service levels, and
outstanding support for both
dealer and S.P. Richards sales and
marketing initiatives. Q
27
April 15 - 21, 2013
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 847681-1199 x1. Ads close Friday 6:00
pm for Monday’s edition.
Corporate Sales Specialist
- Dallas
JANUS et Cie®, the reputable,
design-focused furniture industry
leader is seeking a corporate sales
specialist in Dallas.
28
JANUS et Cie, the reputable, designfocused furniture industry leader is seeking
a corporate sales specialist in Dallas.
The candidate will need to be a motivated, self-starter with a hunter mentality,
while maintaining a polished image that
is in line with the company’s mission and
values. They must be able to generate leads
and sales from clients with a major focus
on A+ dealers and corporate end users.
They must also have a thorough knowledge of the corporate furniture industry,
including competitors, projects in process,
and relationships with key influencers and
decision makers.
Total Compensation Includes:
-Base salary
-Commission
-Medical, dental, & life insurance
-401k Plan
-Paid vacation
-Expense account
Qualified candidates may email resume,
cover letter, references and earnings history
to Marlo Smith, VP of Human Resources
to [email protected] or fax to 562262-2844, or contact Harry Ward, VP of
Corporate Sales at [email protected]
for questions.
Project Manager Furniture ( Memphis/
Nashville)
Come work for an Industry Leader!
Business Interiors by Staples is seeking
to fill a Project Manager - Furniture for a
Nashville/Memphis territory requiring 3040% travel. Apply by visiting
careers.staples.com (job #847616)
Sr. Designer Specifier
Sunny South Florida Haworth Dealer
seeking Sr. Designer Specifier
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
[email protected]
Furniture Sales Executive
(Southfield, MI) #847844
Healthcare Sales Nebraska-Iowa
WIELAND - Healthcare Sales
opportunity with great potential.
WIELAND is seeking a sales professional to
represent our healthcare seating products
in the Nebraska and the central and
western Iowa market. Our company is a
leading provider of seating products for
healthcare facilities across the country.
Our continued growth in the healthcare
market provides a tremendous opportunity
for the right individual or rep organization
located near Omaha Nebraska.
This position will be responsible for
developing all segments of our healthcare
market including end users, dealers and
A&D. A successful sales background in
healthcare or experience working in the
healthcare environment is preferred.
Please send inquires along with complete
background information to Stan Schneider
at [email protected].
Wieland website:
www.wielandhealthcare.com
Business Interiors by Staples is seeking to
fill a VERY lucrative furniture sales opportunity in Southfield, MI. Apply by visiting
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES/OUTSIDE
SALES PROFESSIONALS
Concerned about employment
stability due to financial or merger
issues at your current organization,
you need to send your resume to
National Business Furniture!
We are interested in adding experienced
Account Executives/Outside Sales Professionals to our team to launch outside sales
activities for us in the following markets:
• San Diego
• Salt Lake City
• New Orleans
• Fargo
• Sioux Falls
• Los Angeles
• Oklahoma City
• Little Rock
• Las Vegas
• Virginia
• North Carolina
• Nashville
• or suggest a territory where you have
a strong customer base and when combined with our market penetration make
it attractive to launch a new Account
Executive!
We offer:
• an outstanding pay plan
• a monthly guarantee
• no cap on commissions
• full company benefits
• fuel allowance
• great internal support
• and product offerings that will delight
your customers and help you reach your
income goals!
Send your resume to [email protected] or
call Tom Milczarski, our HR Director at
(414) 615-3625 and let him know you are
interested. DO IT TODAY!
Furniture Sales Exec
(Healthcare)- Denver
#847604
Join an Industry Leader!
fill a VERY lucrative furniture sales opportunity in Minneapolis. Apply by visiting
Furniture Sales Consultant
(Southfield, MI) #847810
Business Interiors by Staples is seeking
to fill an inside Furniture Sales position in
Southfield, MI. Apply by visiting
Contract Sales Specialist NJ/PA
leader is seeking a corporate
sales specialist in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania
The candidate will need to be a motivated,
self-starter with a hunter mentality, while
maintaining a polished image that is in line
with the company’s mission and values.
They must be able to generate leads and
sales from clients with a major focus on
A+ dealers and corporate end users. They
must also have a thorough knowledge of
the corporate furniture industry, including
competitors, projects in process, and
relationships with key influencers and
decision makers.
-Base salary
-Commission
-401k Plan
-Paid vacation
-Expense account
for questions.
Furniture Sales Executive
(Minneapolis/St. Paul):
#847345
Join an Industry Leader
fill a VERY lucrative furniture sales opportunity in Minneapolis. Apply by visiting
Contract Sales Specialist San Francisco
specialist in San Francisco.
JANUS et Cie, the reputable, design-focused furniture industry leader is seeking a
corporate sales specialist in San Francisco.
decision makers.
-Base salary
-Commission
-401k Plan
-Paid vacation
-Expense account
for questions.
Sales Opportunities Haworth
HAWORTH - where global
perspective and a unique design
point of view come together
beautifully to create Organic
Workspace® solutions.
Take your first steps towards an exciting career! Join an innovative global
organization where you can use your
talents to the fullest! HAWORTH - a
family owned company that values
diversity and inclusion. A global leader in
the sustainable design and manufacture
of organic workspaces. We are leaders in
office furniture and architectural interiors.
Join a company that values innovation,
sustainability, and you!
• Global Account Manager - New York
• Strategic Account Manager - New
York, Atlanta, & Houston
• Seating Business Development Specialist - LA & New York
To learn more about these and other
possibilities at Haworth, please visit our
website at www.Haworth.com/Careers.
April 15 - 21, 2013
Large Midwest Territory
Opening!
Furniture Inventory
Specialist - Baltimore, MD
Large Midwest Territory Opening!
Road Warrior Apply!
Work for one of Haworth’s top
Dealers - Ranked “Best In Class
2012”
ErgoGenesis, LLC is the manufacturer of
premium BodyBilt® ergonomic seating
products, and ErgoFusion® workplace
accessories.
During the past two years, our company
has grown its sales by over 20%.
Current opportunities exist for Midwest
Territory Sales Manager that covers:
• Kansas
• Nebraska
• Oklahoma
About The Position
This is a full-time outside sales position,
with the following key responsibilities:
• Hunter Skills
• Hit or exceed your sales goal
• Develop a minimum of 25% new account base year to year
• Maintain and grow key accounts and
contacts
• Ensure delivery of exceptional customer service
• Prepare quotations and manage appointments
• Electronically report sales activities on
a regular basis using company software
and hardware
• Manage and account for your demo
product
Join our team and our company, which
has cultivated a brand that evokes quality
and design! Excellent commissions awaits
the right candidate.
Apply by sending your resume to
[email protected]
Furniture Sales Executive,
Houston, TX
Business Interiors by Staples is
looking for new talent in Houston,
TX
Position Summary:
The FSE is responsible for initiating and
closing profitable furniture sales with
new accounts, SNA accounts, and named
SBA accounts that purchase greater than
$100,000 of furniture annually from a
vendor other than Staples. The FSE serves
as the primary contact for the client during
the sales process and works with the other
furniture support functions (design, project
management, furniture sales support, etc.)
to ensure that client needs are met and client satisfaction is achieved. The FSE reports
to the Sales Director, Furniture.
Candidate should be competitive and
self-motivated as well as possessing the
ability to balance his/her needs with the
needs of the company
Apply by visiting careers.staples.com (job
#848195)or the following link:
https://staples.taleo.net/careersection/2/
jobdetail.ftl?job=209693&src=JB-10064
Furniture Inventory Specialist - Baltimore, MD
Create and manage new / existing furniture inventory databases. Develop methods to modify databases to fit customer
specific needs. Work as part of a project
team to coordinate database development,
determine project scope, schedules, costs
and limitations. Create periodic client
reports reflecting inventory & cost analysis.
Professional Skills:
• Listening, Problem Solving, Verbal
& Written Communication, Customer
Service, Organization, Critical & Creative
Thinking, Time Management and Follow
Up skills.
Education & Experience:
• Minimum of 2-5 years of database and
inventory management experience.
• High School Diploma required; Associate / Technical Degree in Information
Technologies or related field preferred
• Proficient knowledge of Databases
(SQL, Access) and Microsoft Office.
Knowledge of Snap Tracker software
preferred
• Inventory & warehousing experience
required
• Experience with the commercial
furniture industry preferred
Submit Resume to:
[email protected]
Design Consultant-New
York Sales #11996
You can make a salary making
furniture. Or you can make a
difference. Join us and make your
mark
Leads and conducts activities to address
product application issues on direct sales
opportunities with clients and A&D firms
within the NY region.
To apply, please visit our website at
www.hermanmiller.com/careers
Furniture Sales Analyst
(Broomfield, CO): #847492
Come to work for an Industry
Leader!
fill a Sales Analyst opportunity in Broomfield, CO. Apply by visiting
Join the largest Herman
Miller dealer in CA!
Opportunities in all locations
Key Deliverables:
• Demonstrate initiative by prospecting
and closing sales leads within variety of
commercial markets.
• Consistently exceed customer expectations by adding real value at each phase
of the sale, by being accountable to
customers, and by making and keeping
commitments.
• Provide a consultative approach to
selling by working to understand the
customer’s critical business needs and by
delivering appropriate solutions with a
sense of purpose and urgency.
Ideal Profile:
Personality: Self motivated, resourceful,
quick study, relationship driven, multitasker, strong work ethic, high energy,
positive, assertive, detail oriented, strategic,
team player, persistent, resilient.
Knowledge: Prospecting, probing,
influencing, closing. Comfortable with
technology, at ease with C-level executives,
consultative selling, creating and delivering
presentations, familiar with contracts and
proposals. Knowledge of contract furniture
industry and related products, applications,
and design concepts preferred.
Motivations: Long term career, growth,
recognition, money, affiliation, achievement, freedom, security.
Send us your resume:
[email protected] EOE
Corporate Sales Specialist Houston
specialist in Houston.
The candidate will need to be a motivated,
self-starter with a hunter mentality, while
maintaining a polished image that is in line
with the company’s mission and values.
They must be able to generate leads and
sales from clients with a major focus on
A+ dealers and corporate end users. They
must also have a thorough knowledge of
the corporate furniture industry, including
competitors, projects in process, and
relationships with key influencers and
decision makers.
-Base salary
-Commission
-401k Plan
-Paid vacation
-Expense account
for questions.
Director of Sales - San
Francisco, CA
Seeking a sales professional with a
proven track record
Inscape is seeking a Director of Sales for
the San Francisco area. Reporting to the
Vice President of Sales - Western Region,
the Director of Sales will build sales
through partner management.
Job Responsibilities
- Work with the Partner Development
team to recruit, develop, retain and
manage independent representatives and
dealers
- Educate sales partners on positioning
and selling Inscape
- Coordinate regional resources to
achieve sales objectives
- Actively participate in sales process with
sales partners
Qualifications
- Strong selling skills and experience
developing sales strategies
- Strong relationships with the design
community
- Minimum 7 years’ experience in the
contract furniture industry
- Self-motivated, self-directed and
resourceful
- Excellent communication skills required,
both verbal and written
- Advanced presentation and facilitation
skills
- University degree in business or other
industry-related discipline
If you are interested in joining a company with a strong history and continued
growth, please send your resume to
[email protected]
SALES REPRESENTATIVE
TO COVER NORTH TEXAS &
OKLAHOMA
At SitOnIt, we are all Chairmen!
Exemplis, manufacturer of SitOnIt Seating
and IDEON, is seeking enthusiastic and
highly motivated salespeople to cover the
North Texas and Oklahoma territories.
These positions will be responsible for
developing commercial, healthcare, higher
education and federal business through
market coverage of our dealers, end users,
and the A&D community.
Sales experience in the industry is
required. We offer a full benefits package
including salary plus bonus, medical,
dental, and 401(K).
Please submit your resume to:
[email protected]
848308 Interior Designer (SE
PA OR MD)
Join an Industry Leader
fill an Interior Designer position in Aurora,
CO. Apply by visiting
www.careers.staples.com (job #847844)
29
April 15 - 21, 2013
Project Focused Sales
Representative
Contract Sales Specialist Washington, DC
Excellent sales opportunity within
Herman Miller Inc, NY Sales.
leader is seeking a contract sales
specialist in Washington, D.C.
JANUS et Cie, the reputable, designfocused furniture industry leader is seeking
a corporate sales specialist in Washington,
DC.
decision makers.
General Purpose:
• Develop revenue for the MSA/Region
by identifying/securing project ‘wins’
within the assigned geography from
existing or new accounts.
30
Essential Functions:
• Pursues any/all projects with existing
and new accounts within the MSA/
Region--manages projects from start
to finish including formulation of sales
strategy for the account and coordination
of necessary resources.
• Serve as initial key contact with
customer to develop and establish productive/collaborative relationships with
customer decision-makers, influencing
decision makers by using consultative
selling skills to discover, diagnose, and
solidify their needs and propose/deliver
world class solutions.
• Works strategically with business
partners within HMNA and utilizes the
current MSA Operating Agreements.
• Conducts all sales activities and
processes within the parameters of the
HM sales process.
• Manages within assigned expense
budget.
Contact info:
[email protected]
Project Managers sought
by Herman Miller Dealer
Hot Herman Miller Dealer in the #1
Hottest Market is seeking seasoned
project managers for immediate
positions.
J.Tyler, a Houston Herman Miller dealer,
is seeking experienced project managers
for immediate positions. Call and send
resumes to:
Jason Longbotham
[email protected]
713.468.2166
Furniture Sales Executive Albany, NY
Industry leader is seeking new talent
in Albany, NY
Position Summary:
The Furniture Sales Consultant (FSC) is an
integral part of the furniture sales model
designed to collaboratively sell with the Office Products sales organization. The FSC is
the sales resource for projects that require
furniture sales expertise but do not require
a face to face sales call.
Apply by visiting careers.staples.com (job
#848695)or the following link: https://
staples.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.
ftl?job=220253&src=JB-10064
• Base salary
• Commission
• Medical, dental, & life insurance
• 401k Plan
• Paid vacation
• Expense account
for questions.
Design Position with a
Houston Herman Miller
Dealer
Join a super Herman Miller dealer in
the #1 hottest market in the country,
Houston, Texas.
J.Tyler is seeking to immediately add a seasoned furniture systems specifier. Founded
in 1982, we are a rapidly growing Herman
Miller dealer with a solid presence in the
market. We are adding additional seasoned
designers and project managers.
Forward Resume/Contact:
Jason Longbotham
[email protected]
713.468.2166
REP GROUPS NEEDED
EXPERIENCED INDEPENDENT
REP GROUPS WANTED
Various U.S. Locations Available
Taylor Seating is currently seeking successful, experienced independent sales
representatives in several major markets to
join our team.
Taylor Seating is based in Youngstown,
Ohio and is a division of Gasser Chair. We
design and manufacture high quality seating for corporate, higher education, and
GSA markets. With a broad range of styles,
the product line includes lounge, guest, executive, conference, reception, and multiple
seating. Made in the USA, Taylor Seating
has a rich history and excellent reputation
for upholstered seating. Because of its
bench craftsmanship and distinct manufacturing capabilities, we can also meet the
needs of various custom requirements.
Interested candidates may reply in confidence to Jay Buttermore, National Sales
Manager at
[email protected]
Please include your resume, territory
desired and a current list of the product
lines you represent. Qualified candidates
will be contacted.
Independent Rep Group
Wanted Florida
Healthcare Sales Furniture Senior
Environments
Dor-Val Manufacturing a forty-two year old
company specializing in Senior Healthcare is seeking an independent rep group
for Florida. Our complete line of wood
furniture is North American made with
four-to-six week lead-times. Candidates
with successful sales experience in working
with end-users, specifiers, design firms and
dealers connected to Senior Health-care
a plus.
We offer a generous commission program, support the sales effort with product
samples, catalogs, marketing materials
and a responsive customer service team.
To learm more, please visit our web-site at
www.dor-val.ca.
Interested parties apply in confidence to
[email protected] indicate Dept k in the subject line
FABRICATION
LAMINATE and solid surface
WORKSURFACES
We are a supplier to contract
furniture OEMS of laminate and
finished veneer work surfaces. we
bring solutions to the surface.
- Custom Components Corporation We are a, FSC Certified (mixed and
pure credit), supplier of fully fabricated
worksurfaces and laminated assemblies.
Tops, doors, panels, shelving, wall panels,
conferencing solutions, casegoods and
much more. We are currently compliant to
ISO9001-2000 - with a documented quality system - PPAPS provided.
Our core competency encompasses
supplying various types of surfaces and
casegoods in a wide range of materials
as simple components or finished good
assemblies. Let us do the work and we
will supply you with your very complicated
assemblies including all accessories and
supporting hardware: Legs, Grommets,
Electrical, Stretchers, Ganging Hardware,
Lighting ETC. built to your specifications.
Our Capabilities Include:
• Three top of the line schelling rear
load cnc panel saws
• Contour / curvilinear edgebanding
(using baz / cnc automated technology
for superb quality and repeatability) up to
3mm thickness (homag) also topmaster
t-edging of t-molded surfaces
• Straight / linear edge banding (pvc,
polypro, abs, veneer) (homag)
• Every surface is cnc machined (5
cells) for precision (hole patterns, t-nuts,
threaded inserts, stiffeners and much
more). (weeke, homag and ima)
• In house laminating using hot and
cold pressing - enviro-friendly pva
cross-link bonding agent. (Black Brothers,
National Casein, Joos, Tyler). sketch face
laminating available in laminate and
veneer.
• post laminating of 3d products - case
clamping, dato
We process many materials including:
• MDF
• Particleboard
• HPL (Wilsonart, Formica, Laminart,
Merinolam, Nevemar, Pionite and many
more)
• Natural wood veneers and exotics
• Recon veneers
• Solid core phenolic
• Epoxy resin
• Corian
• LPL melamine
• Markerboard laminates
• Plywood
• Timberstrand
We are located in a 40,000 sq foot
facility in West Michigan. This puts us in
close proximity of our primary parts and
technical support supplier of our processing equipment. This ensures minimal downtime. The latest in processing technology
with duplicate+ machines in every cell to
avoid delivery disruptions.
Lead-times from 24 hours to 3 weeks.
Nation-wide shipping
Capacity of up to 1000 surfaces per day.
Small or large jobs and contracts. Financially sound operation, competitive pricing,
friendly customer service with a can do
attitude. We are ready to serve.
Contact: Ryan Pawloski, CEO for more
information. Contact us today.
PHONE: 616-523-1111
email: [email protected]

Clarus Glassboards

Transcription

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