04.23.18 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE...

GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS04.23.18

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04.23.18 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS

CITED:“THERE’S ZERO CORRELATION BETWEEN BEING THE BEST TALKER AND HAVING THE BEST IDEAS.” — SUSAN CAIN

Inspiration from Milan Design Week

It’s spring, it’s April and in the international furniture world that can only mean one thing! It’s Milan Design Week – the conflation of design events in Milan organized around the long-running Salone del Mobile.Milano. Before we get completely overtaken by NeoCon’s 50th, officeinsight will share some of the many forms of inspiration we received during the show.

FULL STORY ON PAGE 3…

Kimball Doubles Down on Women in Leadership

The end of January brought a few leadership changes at Kimball International. Kourtney Smith took the helm at National Office Furniture, as President, and Kathy Sigler will succeed Kourtney as President of Kimball Hospitality. We spoke with the team at Kimball International to see what’s in store for both National Office Furniture and Kimball Hospitality brands under the new leadership. After 2½ months on the job, both women are hitting the ground running in their new roles, and they’re not wasting any time.


ILFI Chases Authenticity + Action at Its Living Future 2018 Event in Portland

In just one week, about 1200 people will head to Portland for Living Future 2018, an “unConference” hosted by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). The event is billed as a “leading event in regenerative design” – a “forum for leading minds in the green building movement to make strides toward a healthy future for all.” This year’s theme is Authenticity + Action.


04.23.18 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 2 OF 38

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events

It’s spring, it’s April and in the international furniture world that can only mean one thing! It’s Milan Design Week – the conflation of design events in Milan organized around the long-running Salone del Mobile.Milano.

Sadly, we, like most of you, were not in Milan for the 2018 edition. But owing to our membership in the interna-tional furniture press corps we have received many press releases from the organizers, as well as some from partici-pants. We love getting these and find them inspiring, so with the intent of inspiring you, over the next few weeks before we get completely overtaken by NeoCon’s 50th, officeinsight will share some of the images with you. We can’t reprint all the information we’ve received, but we hope our extended captions will give you a bit of their flavor.

Three years ago in an effort to reward as well as stimulate an atmosphere of friendly completion among the exhibitors, the Salone organization created the Salone del Mobile.Mi-lano award. This year at the awards ceremony the President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, Claudio Luti had this to say: “The Salone del Mobile.Milano award, presented at a great evening of celebration at Palazzo Marino is intended to pay homage to the extraordinary vitality of a business sys-tem that, yet again, has given its utmost, helping to make the Salone del Mobile a unique and indispensible event that is the focus of global attention. We felt it important to

give public recognition to the huge creative, productive and organizational effort that has gone into ensuring the excel-lent quality of the goods on display in each of the pavilions, upholding the leadership role of the event and of the city, and to share in a joyful celebration that is a reminder of the fact that the Salone del Mobile is, above all, an emotion.”

The three winners of the Salone del Mobile.Milano award are Mazalli CC-Tapis, Magis and Sanwa, to whom three prizes of equal merit go for their outstanding contributions to the world of furnishing and design at this edition of the trade fair.

Inspiration from Milan Design Week

From the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition the award went to Mazalli for CC-Tapis. A perfect combination of product and presentation. Traditional craftsmanship meets art to create a suggestive and captivating atmosphere. Rugs made to be stroked and a stand to be experienced. Photo: Luca Fiammenghi


events

From the Salone Internationale del Mobile the Award went to Magis. A small ideal city inspired by the work of Andrea Palladio, with clear refer-ences to other great visionary Italians such as Giorgio De Chirico and Aldo Rossi, the Magis stand is a true example of an urban environment. Iconic products sit perfectly alongside new ones, inhabiting and communicating in an open space, in which it is not clear whether they are the guests or the protagonists of this magical story. Photo: Andrea Mariani


events

From Euro Cucina the award went to Sanwa. Amidst all the frenzy and excitement of the Salone del Mobile, the Sanwa stand is an oasis, a breath of fresh air. Clean, minimalist, essential, the space allows the products to speak for themselves, with infinite examples of attention to detail and the equal importance of solids and voids. Photo: Saverio Lombardi Vallauri


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A “Lifetime Award” was presented to Maurizio Riva of Riva 1920. At the awards ceremony he said, “I want to fight for a better world every single day, because there’s still no other planet on which we could survive.” The jury called him a man whose heart is “half made of wood”, a man who knows how to appreciate and show off the infinite qualities of materials, while remaining firmly in the background. Photo: Luca Fiammenghi


eventsFor those of you who’ve never been,

the original trade show Salone del Mobile di Milano, at the Milan exhibi-tion center known as “Fiera Rho” consists of several exhibitions. (Rho is the suburb where the huge fairground is located)

Some of the exhibitions rotate years while others are held every year. This year’s lineup consisted of Salone In-ternationale del Mobile, International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, EuroCucina, FTK – Technology For the Kitchen and a special installation in the Piazza del Duomo: Living Nature. Then Milan Design Week brings in an overwhelming number of separately organized events around the city, timed to coincide with i Saloni (plural).

Here we present a small teaser of images from each of those venues. n

EuroCucina is just that: European Kitchens, and the big brands in kitchens were all in attendance. Shown are just two of the many: from Arrital (bottom) and Abimis (top). Photo Saviero Lombadri Vallauri


events

In the Salone International del Mobile halls, if you were looking for American owned companies you could find Knoll (top) and Haworth owned Cappellini (bottom). Knoll Photo: Luca Fiammenghi; Cappellini Photo: Alessandro Russotti


events

The Salone sponsored the Living Nature exhibition (La natura dell’abitare) in Piazza del Duomo, The project was a 500 square meter area, con-ceived with energy saving criteria in mind, containing four natural, climatic microcosms in which all four seasons coexist alongside one another. Visitors are immersed in nature and experience its changes as they make their way through the four different areas – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. Additionally, the exhibition featured a commons area where many seminars and discussions were enjoyed. Photos: Andrea Mariani


events

Forms of Movement, by Nendo, for Milan Design Week. “Movement is an inseparable part of our being; we move our bodies, we move objects, and there are objects that move independently around us. Even objects that are completely stationary can convey a feeling of movement. Objects can physically move in reaction to our motion, or can encourage us to move in reaction to them. For example, a chair can be interpreted as an object that urges us to sit. So when designing a chair, are we designing a product or are we designing the movement of sitting down?” Photo: Takumi Ota

Forms of Movement, by Nendo, for Milan Design Week. “Objects react to people and people react to objects. This exhibition focuses on this rela-tionship and displays 10 projects that deal with the concept of movement; a container collection that introduces different lids that open and close according to various ways of touch, zippers that explore new functions by reexamining the familiar linear motion, a window shade that automati-cally opens and closes according to the movement of people and light, and an hourglass collection that designs time itself by controlling the move-ment of the sand within.” Photo: Takumi Ota


events

Forms of Movement, by Nendo, for Milan Design Week. “These objects and various others presented, embody movement in their shape and func-tion while incorporating advanced technologies, state of the art mechanisms, and unconventional materials.” Photo: Takumi Ota

Into Marble, a design for Marsotto edizioni’s exhibition space during Milan Design Week 2018, by Nendo. “The idea for this space originated from Marsotto’s expertise in marble processing, leading to the decision to use marble for the pedestals, as well as the objects presented. Since this exhibition showcases linear and sharp furniture, the pedestals were designed in contrasting rounded shapes that resemble puddles. The edges were softened and gentle ripples were added on the top surfaces to accentuate the soft appearance. Each piece was produced by a multi-milling machine followed by a manual polishing process.” Photo: Takumi Ota


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“Furniture pieces were placed on top of the puddle-like stands, creating an ambiguous expression that can either look as if the objects are melting into liquid or emerging from it. Moreover, some pieces seem as if they are sinking into others, like a bowl sinking into the table it is placed on.” Photo: Takumi Ota

“N01, a wooden chair designed for Fritz Hansen, the Danish furniture company founded in 1872. “The chair was aimed to have an iconic shell design, using nine layers of veneer. This is the first time in 61 years, since Arne Jacobsen’s Grand Prix chair, that the manufacturer produces an entirely wooden chair, one that is contem-porary yet maintaining the traditions and heritage of the brand.” Photo: Yoneo Kawabe

“Normally the joints between a frame and a shell are thickened to increase its strength, sometimes resulting in a heavy appear-ance. To provide a lighter appearance, these joints were carefully designed to look as though they are barely touching. The backrest shell is fixed into slits engraved on the frame, making it look as if the frame is pinching the shell from both sides, and the seat is connected with concealed joints making it seem as if it is floating.” Photo: Yoneo Kawabe

“The short-length armrests allows to move the chair as close as possible to the table and still maintaining sup-port for the arms when seated. Both sides of the seat have a gradual incline, allowing a comfortable seating experience that feels like the body is embraced, while at the same time maintaining the style of the Swan and Egg chairs that are the flagship chairs of the company. This puzzle-like assembly of 23 wooden pieces is a mix of solid wood and veneer all produced by hand, ensuring the construction comes across as seamless as possible in its design.” Photo: Yoneo Kawabe


events

Transitions by Panasonic Design, an immersive installation at Milan Design Week exploring the future of air quality. “The immersive installation is contained within a large ‘water-drop pavilion’, 20m in diameter, in the impressive courtyard of the Pinacoteca de Brera, home of the Brera Art Gallery. Visitors are invited to embark on a transition of their own: from the busy fair environment to a moment of calm and relaxation. Inside, they are transported from the hectic fair into an oasis of calm with the cleanest, purest air in Milan from Panasonic’s latest air purification technology. Visitors will wander through a cooling, ultra-fine, dry mist created from Panasonic’s green air conditioning technology. Atmospheric sound design, lighting and visuals will add to the calming experience. The installation is subtitled ‘Air Inventions’, referencing Panasonic’s transition to products and experiences that address the more intangible elements of everyday life.”

Transitions by Panasonic Design. The installation explores the role design will play in improving our physical environment and emotional wellbeing in the future. It also marks Panasonic’s transition towards a new creative philosophy: designing products and services and experiences that go beyond physical products to address emotions, the environment, and wellbeing.


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companies

Kourtney Smith, the new President of National Office Furniture

Kourtney most recently held the position of President, Kimball Hospitality. Before her promotion to that role in August 2015, she served as Vice President, Marketing for National Office Furniture where she led product develop-ment, marketing, sustainability, vertical markets, increas-ing brand awareness in the architect and design commu-nity, and sales development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

“Kourtney brings more than 25 years of experience in the markets served by our National brand,” said Don Van Winkle, Chief Operating Officer and President, Kimball International. “Her customer centric leadership, proven ability to assess the needs and trends of our markets, abil-ity to develop talent and drive results are key attributes to continuing to build success at National. Kourtney’s most recent experience in the executive leadership role at Kim-ball Hospitality further broadened her strategic planning capabilities and positions her for success in this new role.”

Kourtney holds the distinction of being a Kellogg Execu-tive Scholar of Professional Achievement in Marketing and Sales Management. She has continued her personal and professional development through a variety of pro-grams and involvement in industry associations.

The end of January brought a few leadership changes at Kimball International.

Kourtney Smith succeeded Kevin McCoy as President, National Office Furniture, and will continue to serve as a Vice President of Kimball International, Inc. Secondly, Kathy Sigler will succeed Kourtney as President, Kimball Hospi-tality, and with that promotion, Kathy will now also serve as a Vice President of Kimball International, Inc.

We spoke with the team at Kimball International to see what’s in store for both National Office Furniture and Kim-ball Hospitality under the new leadership. After 2½ months on the job, both women are hitting the ground running in their new roles, and they’re not wasting any time.

At National, Smith and her team are continuing an ag-gressive scan of current and new product categories. The major shift toward ancillary, along with a shrinking systems category, is laying more pressure onto brands like National.

“National has never had a systems product – we’ve al-ways been in ancillary,” said Smith. “Now, we’re all fighting for more of the same pie.”

“We’re looking way out in the future because the speed of change is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. We’re finding new ways of reinvention, thinking more creatively beyond traditional casegoods and seating. It’s got to be more than that; we can’t just have great looking products. We’re figur-ing out what new value streams might look like, including from an acquisitions standpoint.”

We’ll see some of that new portfolio at NeoCon in June; visitors can expect a more residential and eclectic feel in the showroom, along with new tech additions.

At Kimball Hospitality, Sigler and her team are rolling with a market that is shifting just as fluidly and frequently as the workplace market.

“In hospitality, data and technology are driving very mean-ingful change. There’s more connection and more person-alization,” said Sigler. “We’re reinventing ourselves because the market constancy reinvents itself. Our customers make it very difficult to predict their wants, even in the next few years. Our mission is to become that concierge for a higher-level experience. D’style is a powerhouse in the public space, and it’s a high-end brand that will help support that.”

Kimball Doubles Down on Women in Leadershipby Mallory Jindra


companies

Kathy Siegler, the new President of Kimball HospitalityKathy has served in areas of increasing leadership

capacities within Kimball International for more than 25 years, most recently as Vice President, Operations, for the Kimball brand where she was responsible for the strategic and day-to-day execution of all direct manufacturing and manufacturing support (engineering, global supply chain, quality and continuous improvement) functions. Before her time with the Kimball brand, Kathy held numerous roles in Kimball Hospitality spanning 12 years from 1992 to 2004, including customer service, master scheduling, sales operations management, demand management, and program management.

“Kathy’s breadth of experience and pattern of success makes her an excellent choice for this executive leader-ship position,” says Don Van Winkle. “She has a unique blend of talents in operational excellence, complex proj-ect management, and customer centricity which are so important to this industry.”

Kathy graduated from Indiana University in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in management and a minor in finance.

Kimball’s leadership development programs and succes-sion planning form a culture of natural positive growth at both an individual and organizational level – setting aside gender differences.

40% of all managers at Kimball are female. Two out of three of Kimball’s brand presidents are female; four out of nine top senior executives are female; and three out of seven outside board of directors’ members are female. Those numbers are much higher than national averages.

“Companies are continuing to struggle to get diversity,” said Don Van Winkle, “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to create a space where anyone who wants to move up, can. Kourtney and Kathy happen to be female, but we don’t promote someone simply because they’re female. Instead, we give everyone opportunities to grow and get to those positions. We give them the support to grasp those opportu-nities, and it’s up to them whether they do so. Kourtney and Kathy just flat-out earned their positions.”

“Women in Leadership: Why It Matters”, a study done by the Rockefeller Organization, offers insight into the current conditions of women in leadership.

“The United States ranks first in women’s educational attainment on the World Economic Forum’s 2016 Global Gender Gap Index of 144 countries,” the Rockefeller study reports. “But it ranks 26th in women’s economic participa-tion and opportunity, and 73rd in women’s political empow-erment. Women hold just 4% of the leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies (21 out of 500) – worse even than women’s current representation in the Senate (20% - an all-time high).”

“It has been estimated that, at the current rate of change, it will take until 2085 for women to reach parity with men in key leadership roles in the United States.…even when pitted

Kimball Hospitality will continue down a path first laid out by Smith, who most recently served as President of the brand. Kimball Hospitality’s acquisition of hospitality furnishings brand D’style is a big piece of the strategy.

“The D’style acquisition was a great opportunity to extend their footprint beyond the guest room into the public space,”

said Smith. “The changes happening in hospitality are very similar to the transformation we saw in the workspace. People are not in the guest room anymore, but in the common spaces. Whether they’re interacting or not, people want to be around other people.”

Smith and Sigler both started around the same time as sales coordinators at Kimball Healthcare, a position they say was a great place to start at a company and develop a working knowledge of many aspects of the business. Each moved through and up the Kimball organization, taking on more responsibilities and becoming the “special projects person” in their departments.

“Always learning and always being curious are qualities that work well with leadership,” noted Smith. “Being that special project person lets you build your skillset. And at Kimball, we have breadth; there are three brands and every area of work. You get the opportunities to reinvent yourself and feel fulfilled in your career.”


companies

against outlandish goals, one in four Americans say that it’s more likely that humans will colonize Mars (26%) and four in 10 think that space travel will be routine just like air travel for tourism (40%) within their lifetime than half of Fortune 500 CEOs will be women (vs. 74% and 60%, respectively).”

Placing a balance of men and women in leadership posi-tions may happen as a natural process at Kimball, but it doesn’t for many companies. Organizations would do well to pay attention to the benefits triggered by making sure women are equally represented.

D’style furnishings at the Kimpton Solamar Hotel Collection. Designed by Paletteur. Photography: courtesy of Kimball International, Inc.

D’style furnishings at the Chicago Athletic As-sociation Collection. Designed by Roman and Williams Buildings and Interiors

D’style furnishings at the Hotel Zetta – San Francisco, CA Collection

D’style furnishings at the J-Six Restaurant, San Diego CA Collection

Kimball HospitD’style, a high-end furnishings brand


companies“Women role models are uniquely important – among

those who have had mentors that supported them in the workplace, majorities of men and women alike say their mentor was the same gender as them, suggesting the need for, and potential influence of, more women in top posi-tions,” reports the Rockefeller study. “Specifically, among women who had mentors in the workplace, nearly two-thirds (63%) say that their mentor was another woman, rising to 72% among millennial women who have had mentors, while just 37% had male mentors. That flips among men, with more than three-quarters (77%) having had male men-tors (vs. 23% female mentors).”

Sigler says she tapped into a hybrid mix of formal and informal mentoring at Kimball.

“This company has always been about reinventing itself,” she said. “Your career trajectory is rarely linear. For my first 10 years, I worked in sales and customer facing roles, and at one point I recognized that I needed to balance my expe-rience and my perspective. I knew I needed the operations background; that I didn’t have the experience I needed to get to the next level. I took a big step back in order to even-tually move up.”

She switched over to the operations side, taking a master scheduler position and moved up quickly from there.

Kimball Hospitality furnishings


companies

Tellaro, a new line of soft lounge seating, featuring simple and strong lines. Tellaro offers a grid stitching pattern that can be applied to the seat or back cushions to add intersecting stitched lines.


companies

“There’s a culture of trust at Kimball,” said Sigler. “You’ve got to have a lot of trust in the company, and you also have to come to the table with it yourself. I’ve been of-fered a lot of broad experiential learning. And Kimball lets you go at your own pace, however fast or slow you feel you can move through.”

In addition to balancing out pay equity, Equities.com also reports that having female leaders translates to having stronger mentorship opportunities for all employees.

“It is generally agreed that without representation of those who have achieved something before, it’s hard for others to move forward,” reports equities.com. “It’s easier to climb the mountain when you see that someone else has done it.”

Smith’s mother and father both worked for Kimball. Her history and love for the company runs deep, and her leader-ship style reflects it.

“I’ve always felt that I was recognized for my abilities and my contributions…My approach has always been, seeking to understand,” said Smith. “I like for decision making to be really informed. I try to strike a healthy balance of fact and intuition. You need to have different views, and you need to learn about the personalities of the people on your team. I try very hard to get to know people, particularly once you get up to a certain level in your career, it can be easy to lose that connection. I seek many voices. The more people you can involve along the way, the more success you’ll see – im-mediately.”

We couldn’t agree more. Smith and Sigler, and their respective teams, have a bright future ahead. We wish them the best of luck! n

Lobby and reception offerings from National Office Furniture

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events

In just one week, about 1200 people will head to Portland for Living Future 2018, an “unConference” hosted by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI). The event is a “leading event in regenerative design” – a “forum for lead-ing minds in the green building movement to make strides toward a healthy future for all.”

Once you attend one of ILFI’s larger-scale events, it’s hard not to think of them as part of a larger movement ILFI is nurturing – highly inspiring, and broad in scope but also targeted in its approach to action. This year, they’ve actu-ally themed the conference Authenticity + Action, intending to recharge attendees toward authentic, in-real-life action. We caught up with Amanda Sturgeon, CEO of the ILFI, to see what the team has in store for Living Future 2018 attendees.

Living Future ILFI maintains an attendance of about 1200 for the malleability of connection, inclusivity and overall experience that number can support.

“We like to keep it that size because we’ve found that’s where people can have the best total experience,” says Amanda Instead of actively growing this conference big-ger and bigger, we’ve developed a few other great events throughout the past few years.”

ILFI also hosts a Net Positive Symposium, and the Living Product Expo, held annually in Pittsburgh. As expected from the title, the Living Product Expo is more products and manufacturing based (which is why Pittsburgh is such a great fit), and it attracts an intimate 400-500 people.

But Living Future is ILFI’s keystone event – covering en-ergy, water, health, products, biophilic design, beauty, and many more topics – with a more diverse attendance.

“Living Future began as a way of figuring out how to push buildings further for the benefit of all. And now, it’s really a time to address everything else too. It’s an intersection of environment, culture and social justice.”

Past conference themes include Truth & Transparency; Beauty & Inspiration; Empowering Women; and Genius Encouraged. Since the Truth & Transparency themed year, ILFI has developed three transparency labels. And many of ILFI’s previous conferences have followed a similar suit with thoughtful, real-life action.

Last year at our Living Product Expo, one of our keynotes was Paul Hawkins, who really outlined the impact food has on our environment. At Living Future this year, we wanted to bring that more into focus and understand how our work in the built environment might be helpful to the food industry.”

ILFI Chases Authenticity + Action at Its Living Future 2018 Event in Portlandby Mallory Jindra


events

LIVING FUTURE 2018 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS>Raj Patel. Writer, activist, academ-

ic. “Raj Patel is a research professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and a senior research associate at the Unit for the Humanities at Rhodes Univer-sity. He studies the world food system and alternatives to it. He has testified about the causes of the global food crisis to the U.S. House of Represen-tative’s Financial Services Commit-tee and was an adviser to Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. In addition to publications in journals about economics, philosophy, politics, international development, and public health, he writes for a range of newspapers and co-hosts The Secret Ingredient podcast. His books include Stuffed and Starved and The Value of Nothing. His latest book, co-authored with Jason W. Moore, is published by the University of California Press and entitled A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide To Capitalism, Nature and the Future of the Planet.” Read ILFI’s Keynote Q&A with him here.

>Terry Tempest Williams. Conser-vationist, advocate for free speech, and author of Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place, and many other works. “Terry Tempest Williams has been called “a citizen writer,” a writer who speaks and speaks out eloquently on behalf of an ethical stance toward life. A naturalist and fierce advocate for freedom of speech, she has consistently shown us how environmental issues are social issues that ultimately become matters of justice. “So here is my question,” she asks, “what might a different kind of power look like, feel like, and can power be redistributed equitably even beyond our own spe-cies?” Williams, like her writing, can-not be categorized. She has testified before Congress on women’s health issues, been a guest at the White House, has camped in the remote regions of Utah and Alaska wilder-nesses and worked as “a barefoot artist” in Rwanda.”

>Majora Carter. Revitalization strategy consultant, peabody award-winning broadcaster. “Majora Carter is responsible for the creation & implementation of numerous green-infrastructure projects, policies, and job training & placement systems. Her work is characterized by an emphasis on talent-retention on the corporate and community levels. Clients include industry leaders in many fields, mu-nicipal and federal government agen-cies, and leading educational institu-tions across the US. From this vantage point, Majora co-founded the now 750+ member Bronx Tech Meetup, as well as the StartUpBox Software Ser-vices company which is rebuilding the entry level tech job pipeline by using market forces and established busi-ness practices to help diversify the US tech sector. Majora Carter has helped connect tech industry pioneers such as Etsy, Gust, FreshDirect, Google, and Cisco to diverse communities at all levels, and she continues to drive resources that value diversity into the communities left out of previous economic growth trends.”

https://trimtab.living-future.org/trim-tab/issue-33/transformational-people-raj-patel/


eventsRaj Patel, a writer, activist, academic

and notable food expert, will offer his insights on how food and design might intersect.

ILFI will also use Living Future 2018 to draw attention to its new Zero Car-bon Certification program, launched just last week.

A Slice of “unConference” Life: What to Expect at Living Future 2018

In addition to a line-up of celebra-tion parties set throughout the four-day conference, Living Future is jammed full of events, all baked with a recipe of intrigue, thoughtfulness, surprise and intellect. Below, you’ll find a tiny fraction of what attendees will be experiencing.

>Workshop: Designing for Vibrant Communities with Majora Carter. This interactive workshop builds the sen-sitivities and competencies to reveal and address equity considerations and

opportunities in planning communi-ties of all scales. The project moves the audience towards a holistic and inclusive model for driving toward a pro-equity approach to design and planning a project. Table exercises and group work push participants to build competencies in equity assessment, inclusive engagement, equity impact review, and the array of design and development considerations that bear on equity outcomes.

The session will guide attendees in developing a heightened awareness of equity and social justice issues and an understanding of how to integrate strategies in their green building proj-ects. Attendees will come together at the end of the session to hear from the panel of experts and discuss how they will apply strategies they learned from the interactive session.

>Water Summit: Igniting Conversa-tions and Ideas for Net Positive Water

for All. This year, the Water Summit will focus on four of the stickiest brain-teasers facing Net Positive Water and Healthy Watersheds. Each topic will feature an “Ignite talk,” bringing a fresh perspective, a spark of inspira-tion or reframing of the issue from a leader in the field. Attendees will then break up into discussion groups and tackle one of these knots, in the hopes of finding some new paths forward and new strategies to try in our journey for holistic, net positive, and watershed approaches to meeting water needs. The four “big” topics are:

1. Achieving Net Positive Water in arid climates

2. Achieving Net Positive Water in high-density contexts or with high-intensity use types

3. Finding the right scale and kind of system for each project

4. Up front and long-term affordabil-ity and equity

Living Future 2017 attendees. Photography: courtesy of ILFI.

https://trimtab.living-future.org/blog/introducing-the-ilfis-new-zero-carbon-certification/

https://trimtab.living-future.org/blog/introducing-the-ilfis-new-zero-carbon-certification/


events>Tour: Sustainable Wineries. Wend-

ing through Oregon’s bucolic wine country, this tour incorporates stops at Anne Amie Vineyards and Stoller Fam-ily Estates for wine tastings and a look at their unique operations, including the world’s first LEED Gold Winemak-ing facility. Anne Amie and Stoller demonstrate a deep commitment to sustainability and craft, winning acco-lades for both the quality of their wines and their green initiatives. You will see firsthand how these businesses worked to achieve Salmon Safe, LEED gold, and LIVE Viticulture certifications, all while producing world-class wines.

>Session: Just B: Cultivating an Au-thentic and Impactful Workplace. It’s possible to use business for good and sustain a successful company while being a socially just, environmentally

beneficial and equitable organization. Workplace frameworks such as JUST and B Corp challenge mission-driven companies to be authentic by putting their principles into action.

Join firms who translated company values into actions and embarked upon the journey of JUST self-disclo-sure and B Corp certification. Learn about the fundamentals of the JUST label, and journeys of a team in their certification beginnings, a well-estab-lished engineering company, and a firm continuously pushing the enve-lope in social equity initiatives. Learn of their experiences and challenges and how they’ve successfully engaged em-ployees, reimagined the business, and implemented holistic change internally and externally. Then walk the journey yourself and identify where your com-

pany values can evolve to JUST and B Corp programs. Collaborate with the presenters to reveal actionable tasks to implement change at your organization that can be taken in the next 30 days. Track: Organizational Best Practices

>Tour: Portland Neighborhood Tour – The Evolution of the Lloyd Ecodistrict. This tour will showcase the world’s first official EcoDistrict and one of Portland’s neighborhoods poised for the most growth in the coming decades. The Lloyd EcoDistrict reflects an increasing consciousness in our cit-ies and communities that environmen-tal performance improvements are only successful if they are done in a way that equitably distributes their benefits and burdens. Join EcoDistrict leaders for a 2-mile tour that starts with a brief presentation and then a walk through

Living Future 2017 attendees


eventsthe district to see some of the visual successes of the EcoDistrict as well as gaining an understanding of the challenges that lay ahead. Tour leaders have all been involved with the Lloyd EcoDistrict from its conception.

Ms. Sturgeon notes that ILFI de-signed Living Future 2018 to be one of the few conferences in North America that will really get you out of the con-ference ballroom and into some pretty

cool experiences.“We call it an “unConference

because we try to shake up the idea of a conference. We build-in per-formance elements, tours, off-site events, demonstrations, food trucks, and conference sessions that are truly interactive.”

Living Future typically sells out the week before the event, so snag a spot.

“International Living Future Institute

is an environmental NGO committed to catalyzing the transformation toward communities that are socially just, cul-turally rich and ecologically restorative. Composed of leading green build-ing experts and thought-leaders, the Institute is premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is a fundamental requirement for reconciling humanity’s relationship with the natural world.” n


r-d connectionRESEARCH-DESIGN CONNECTIONPreferred Emotional Statesby Sally Augustin, Ph.D.

Jeanne Tsai conducts culture-based research on emotions, and her find-ings are useful to anyone attempting to develop places or objects that support desired emotional experiences, such as leisure areas at workplaces. Daw-son, reporting on the 2017 Internation-al Conception of Psychological Science in Vienna states that:

“Tsai and her collaborators have found that…Cross-culturally people characterize emotions as positive or negative (called ‘valence’) and stimu-lating or soothing (called ‘arousal’).

‘Ecstatic’ and ‘relaxed’ are both positive-valence emotions, for example, but ‘ecstatic’ is high arousal, while ‘relaxed’ is low arousal. When asked about how they would ideally like to feel, European Americans typically preferred excite-ment and elation more than did Chi-nese, who preferred calm and relaxation more than did European Americans. There were no differences in how much European Americans and Chinese re-ported actually feeling those emotions, however. ‘Cultural factors may shape how we want to feel more than how we actually feel,’ Tsai said. This ideal affect difference shows up in children’s books, magazine ads, and the official portraits of politicians and business leaders. American media figures sported broad, open, teeth-baring ‘excited’ smiles more frequently than did their Chinese counterparts, who more often expressed calmer, closed smiles.” n

Joe Dawson. 2018. “Emotions in Context: What We Know About How

We Feel.” Observer, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 25-26.

Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive sci-entist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesigncon-nections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest re-search findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psycho-logical Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychol-ogy for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwith-science.com) and can be reached at [email protected].

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officenewswireFor complete releases, visit www.officeinsight.com/officenewswire.

PRODUCT INTROS

>Note to NeoCon exhibitors: Digital entry deadline for the Best of NeoCon® Awards 2018 is Tuesday, May 1; with an extension to the final deadline of Monday, May 14 available for an additional fee. May 14 is also the final dead-line for images; please visit https://bestofneoconawards.secure-platform.com/a for more information and to en-ter. Officeinsight will publish our NeoCon Product Preview issue on Friday, Jun. 8; please send product informa-tion and images of NeoCon product introductions as soon as possible to [email protected] or [email protected]. Our deadline is Friday, Jun. 1.

>Herman Miller debuted Cosm, its new seating line designed by Berlin-based Studio 7.5, at Salone del Mobile last week. The com-pany’s Milan exhibition, titled “For You Everyone,” show-cased the many variations of Cosm. Visitors were invited “test drive” Cosm’s Auto-Har-monic Tilt™, designed to

instantly provide balanced support and movement corre-sponding to the user’s body, posture, and seated position. The frame and suspension work in tandem with the Auto-Harmonic Tilt™ to enhance comfort. The continuous con-tour of the suspension envel-ops each person’s individual form, delivering dynamic, uninterrupted support. Even Cosm’s arms were precision-designed for comfort in a process of constant sculpting, testing, and re-sculpting. The innovative new Leaf Arms cradle the elbow no mat-ter the size or shape of the user’s body. Cosm’s aesthet-ics include a monochrome “dipped-in-color” option that presents the chair in a single hue from top to bottom, avail-able in three colors—Canyon, Glacier, and Nightfall. More traditional options in the form of Mineral, Graphite, and Carbon are also available. Cosm is offered in three back heights and a stool, providing a range of configurations to allow it to be implemented seamlessly across an entire floorplate. Read More

NOTEWORTHY>Tina Barnard, founder and owner of Tina Barnard De-signs, was named recipient of the inaugural Anna Her-nandez/Luna Textiles Educa-tion Fund Award. Selected for “her professional success and fearless leadership,” Ms. Barnard will receive $5,000 on behalf of the IIDA Founda-tion, which will be matched by ICFF with funds acquired through a silent auction dur-ing the tradeshow. She will formally accept the award during ICFF at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in NYCon May 23. Read More

>HNI announced the retire-ment of Stan A. Askren and the promotion of Jeffrey D. Lorenger as President, HNI Corp. and the election of Mr. Lorenger to the HNI Board of Directors.

Mr. Askren informed the Board he expects to retire as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors no later than Dec. 31, 2018. The Board anticipates Mr. Lorenger will be promoted to CEO before the end of the year. Mr. Askren’ s an-nounced retirement along with Mr. Lorenger’s promotion are part of a long-planned and orderly succession pro-cess that has been under-way for an extended period. Mr. Lorenger joined HNI in 1998 and has held multiple executive level positions including as President, Office Furniture; President, Contract Furniture Group; President, Allsteel; Vice President, Sales and Marketing, The HON Company; and Vice Presi-dent, General Counsel and Secretary for HNI Corp. Read More

>Among the many dramatic showrooms and installations throughout Milan last week for Fuorisalone and Salone del Mobile.Milano was “Altered States” designed by Snarkitecture for quartz manufacturer Caesarstone. Being that this was the year of Eurocucina, which takes

Herman Miller: Cosm by Studio 7.5

Tina Barnard

Caesarstone.Altered States by Snarkitecture for Milan Design Week

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officenewswireplace biennially, the col-laboration explored the core theme of the kitchen island. Snarkitecture looked at water as the most important “ingre-dient” in the kitchen, drawing inspiration from its changing states in nature (glacier, river, geyser) and in the kitchen (ice, water, steam) to create Altered States. The installation at Palazzo dell’Ufficio Eletto-rale di Porta Romana featured a large circular kitchen island, made of Caesarstone White Attica, that explored the changing states of water – ice, liquid and steam – at different stations. Surrounding the main “arena” was an amphi-theatre made up of over 250 Caesarstone and metal mesh pedestals using three differ-ent Caesarstone colors from their new industrial collection. Read More

>IIDA NY on Apr. 12 held its 10th Annual Sustain-able Quilt Auction, where proceeds benefited Free Arts NYC. This local organization empowers underserved youth through art and mentorship programs to develop their creativity, confidence, and skills to succeed. Creators from TPG Architecture, Perkins+Will, Gensler, and IA Interior Architects among others, donated one-of-a-kind quilts aligning with this year’s theme of “Connection.” The teams quilted for more than 1,200 hours combined, pro-ducing quilts that used new techniques and technologies not seen in previous years. For example, Perkins+Will’s “Water Quilt” was based on the tessellation origami technique, in which a single sheet of 2D paper is folded

into 3D shapes. Two quilts, “It’s Not France” designed by LMNOP and “Circuitree of Life” designed by IA Interior Architects, Ultrafabrics, and KI Interiors, incorporated lighting into the fabrics’ struc-ture. The event was held at the Steelcase Showroom at Columbus Circle. Read More

>Landscape Forms’ Torres lighting received a 2018 Red Dot Award for Prod-uct Design. Designed by industrial designer Rodrigo Torres in collaboration with lighting designer Chip Israel, Torres is a graceful, minimal-ist design that includes area lights available in two sizes, with single or dual luminaires, and in 12’, 14’, 16’, 20’, and 25’ pole heights. A 3’ tall path light, wall light, and catenary light round out the family. Read More

> NY11+ held the ribbon cutting for the 2018 Interior Design Student Exhibition, “Interior Design: Considering Space”, Apr. 3 at Teknion in NYC. The exhibition, displayed through Apr. 6, featured student work from the NY11+ schools. Dan Villella, President of IDLNY,

Ethan Lu, President-Elect of IDLNY and Jennifer Busch, VP of Architecture & Design at Teknion assisted Ruth Lynford, Founder of NY11+, in cutting the ribbon. Then Andrew Seifer, Associate Professor at FIT, moderated a very engaging and informa-tive discussion which featured three New York Certified Interior Designers who spoke about the process and impact of becoming a NY Certi-fied Interior Designer. The program was followed by a reception where refreshments were served. NY11+ was founded in 1997 by Ruth Lynford, as an exhibi-tion of work from prestigious New York State educational institutions, all offering pro-grams in Interior Design of four years or more. To date, more than a dozen schools join together each year an effort to reach the general public, the pres, and the de-sign community through their students’ work. Participating NY11+ schools include Buf-falo State College, Cazenovia College, Cornell University, Fashion Institute of Technol-ogy, New York Institute of Technology, New York School

IIDA NY 10th Annual Sustainable Quilt Auction

Landscape Forms: Torres lighting


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officenewswireof Interior Design, Parsons School of Design, Pratt Insti-tute, Rochester Institute of Technology, Sage College of Albany, School of Visual Arts, Syracuse University, and Villa Maria College. Sponsors for this year’s event were the Angelo Donghia Foundation, Curatorial Out-comes, and IIDA NY. Patrons were Benjamin Moore & Co. and Haworth. Contributors in-clude Drake/Anderson, HOK, Knoll, New York Window Film Co., and Perkins+Will. Friends include M2L Inc. NY11+ also gave special thanks to its host, Teknion, and trade publication partners

officeinsight, Contract, Interior Design, interiors+sources, and Metropolis. Read More

>SaloneSatellite 2018 Award winners included an easy-to-assemble kitchen unit, children’s furniture ad-dressing sensory integration, and an interactive home decoration system featuring featuring three-dimensional fabric modules. The jury selected these projects not only for the formal incisive-ness of their design but also because of the message they embody. First prize went to Stefano Carta Vasconcellos of Italy for Cucina Leggera (Light Kitchen), which can be assembled through the in-terlocking of seven elements without screws or hardware.

Second prize went to Tink Things of Croatia, which caters to the specific playful and sensory needs of children to design products that shape a comfortable and encourag-ing environment. Third prize went to Yuri Himuro of Japan for Soft Block, fabric modules that encourage the interaction and creativity of the user, like an unfinished project open to infinite variations and pos-sibilities. The SaloneSatellite jury also presented the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 award to Sakari Hartikainen of Finland for Savoa, a delicately balancing side table; and the Banca Intesa San Paolo award to Mutarq of Mexico for Claro, a flat-pack bookshelf. Read More

>According to Ted Moudis Associates’ new 2018 Workplace Report, employee experience is now the pri-mary driver for companies redesigning their workplace. This third issue of the report, compiled by TMA’s Work-place Strategy Team, helps to solidify trends that TMA has previously identified and are holding firm, while

NY11+ Ribbon Cutters (L-R) Jennifer Busch, VP of Architecture & Design at Teknion, Ethan Lu, President-Elect of IDLNY, Dan Villella, President of IDLNY and Ruth Lynford, Founder of NY11+

NY11+ Founder Ruth Lynford welcomes guests at the 2018 Interior Design Student Exhibition opening event on April 3 at the Teknion showroom in NYC

NY11+ Panel Presentation (L-R): Nicole DeVito, Project Interior De-signer at Corgan; Benjamin Huntington, Principal at Veritate Design; Laura O’Halloran, Senior Designer/Associate at TPG Architecture; Andrew Seifer, Associate Professor at FIT.

SaloneSatellite 2018 Award Winners (L-R): Tink Things (Second Prize), Stefano Carta Vasconcellos (First Prize), Yuri Himuro (Third Prize). Photo credit: findinGALILEO


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officenewswirealso outlining burgeoning workplace developments and delving further into the differ-ences between traditional and alternative workplace strate-gies such as activity-based working. It encompasses data from more than 3.1 million sf of workspace in the digital media, professional services, consumer products, and fi-nancial sectors built through-out the United States over the past two years. The data shows that the square footage per seat for activity-based working projects rose 14 feet for a total two-year gain of 18 feet. The square footage for all offices overall kept steady at 165 per seat. According to TMA, this confirms that the limits of office density have been reached, and the focus is on the employee experi-ence. Additionally, the study found that more seats overall are being dedicated to alternative types of seating as people become more comfortable working outside of the ‘tra-ditional desk.’ This includes meeting seats, open collabo-ration, cafés, and individual focus seats – which can also support employees’ access to technology and ergonomics. TMA also made some work-place predictions it expects to see over the coming year: -An increase in semi-enclosed and small focus rooms for 1-3 occupants; -Less executive suites; -An increase in usable square-footage per work seat in activity-based working environments; -An increase in both employer and building-provided ame-

nity and wellness spaces; and -An increase in the impor-tance of emotional safety as a key driver in office design. Read More

>Nominations for the 2018 WMF/Knoll Modernism Prize are now open. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the prize recognizes architects or designers that have demon-strated innovative solutions to preserve or save threatened modern architecture. The singular, biennial award was established in 2008 to raise awareness of modernism’s contribution to contemporary life and the influential role that architects and designers play in preserving modern heritage. The first prize was awarded to Brenne Gesell-schaft von Architekten mbH for its restoration of the ADGB Trade Union School in Bernau, Germany (1930). Other winning projects have included the Zon-nestraal Sanatorium in the

Netherlands, the Architec-tural Consortium for Hizuchi Elementary School in Japan, the Viipuri Library in Rus-sia, and the Justus van Effen complex in the Netherlands. Nominated projects for 2018 must have been completed in the last five years and faced threats that affected the site before preservation. Projects that have enhanced a site’s architectural, functional, economic, and environmen-tal sustainability while also benefiting the community are encouraged. There are no geographic restrictions, and the deadline for nominations is Jun. 15. Read More

ENVIRONMENT>Crossville Inc. recycled 23,447,883 pounds of fired porcelain in 2017. This brings the company’s cumu-lative recycling total to more than 114 million pounds since the 2009 launch of its

Tile Take-Back® program and subsequent TOTO USA recycling partnership. These recycling initiatives are based on Crossville’s proprietary process for recycling fired porcelain products, includ-ing post-consumer materials. Through Tile Take-Back®, the company is able to recycle previously installed tile col-lected from its distribution network, as well as scraps that result from tile cutting during installation, sizing, or sample creation. Through its TOTO partnership, Cross-ville receives pre-consumer fired porcelain toilets that do not meet quality standards; prior to the partnership, these cast-offs were being sent to landfills for disposal, but now they are recycled for use in manufacturing new tile. All 114 million-plus cumula-tive pounds of the recycled material Crossville has divert-ed from landfills have been or will be introduced into the tile production process.

The 2016 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize was awarded to Molenaar and Co. architecten, Rotterdam; Hebly Theunissen architecten, Delft; and Michael van Gessel landscapes, Amsterdam for the restoration of the Justus van Effen Complex in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.


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This use of recycled material during manufacturing results in Crossville maintaining its status as a net consumer of waste for a seventh consecu-tive year. Net waste consump-tion is achieved by using more waste than is created during production. Here’s the break-out of Crossville’s porcelain recycled in 2017: -12,225,850 pounds fired scrap product at the com-pany’s plant -7,825,860 pounds of TOTO’s scrap porcelain -105,684 pounds of post-consumer waste from the Tile Take-Back® program Additionally in 2017, Cross-ville removed 3,290,489 pounds of filtrate solids from dirty water and recycled back into tile production. Read More

> Interface, as a result of its 2018 social giving campaign and in conjunction with Earth Day, made a $25,000 donation to Project Draw-down. Project Drawdown is the force behind last year’s New York Times bestselling book, “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global

Warming.” Interface was an original supporter of Project Drawdown and is dedicated to shifting the conversation on global warming from a focus on reducing to a new, more ambitious focus of revers-ing, manifested by its newest sustainability mission, Climate Take Back™ – launched in 2016. Climate Take Back encour-ages business to view global warming as an opportunity, rather than a problem. To achieve Climate Take Back, Interface plans to develop more aggressive carbon goals, experiment with using carbon as a resource, and launch new product innovation. Last year’s launch of Proof Posi-tive, the world’s first carbon negative prototype carpet tile, served as a testimony to this guiding philosophy. Interface is also looking for innovative solutions outside its business by recently partnering on a student competition with Net Impact, which asked contestants to create viable business plans that align with one of the solutions listed in “Drawdown.” “For more than 25 years, Interface has been at the forefront of the business

world’s pursuit of sustainabil-ity. Its reductions in emissions and water use and adoption of clean energy showcase that businesses have a leadership role to play in achieving draw-down,” said Paul Hawken, executive director and co-founder of Project Drawdown. “We are grateful for the support of Interface and its employees and look forward to working together to nurture the growing movement to reverse global warming.” Project Drawdown will use the funds Interface donated to support its living research program, which maps, models and describes the po-tential of the most promising climate solutions to achieve “drawdown” – the point in time in which the concentra-

tion greenhouse gases in the atmosphere begins to decline – by 2050. The results of the research program will con-tinue to inform the organiza-tion’s uniquely aspirational communications initiatives, including a second edition of “Drawdown.” “We believe we have the power to create a climate fit for life, but we need more discussion and the work of organizations like Project Drawdown to do this,” said Erin Meezan, Interface’s chief sustainability officer. “We will continue to support and part-ner with like-minded compa-nies and organizations that drive awareness around what is possible and how we can implement those solutions.” Read More

PROJECTSESD (Environmental Systems Design, Inc.) on Apr. 16 moved into the iconic Willis Tower, where it has cre-ated a living lab to engage both employees and clients. The company leased about 47,000 sf over one full floor and part of a second for its

Crossville: Toilets Into Tile

ESD: New headquarters in Willis Tower is a living lab


https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/crossville-announces-2017-recycling-program-milestones/

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new headquarters. Cutting-edge capabilities include: -Lighting – An Enlighted LED solution includes Bluetooth beacon technology for use with applications such as space utilization along with ambient light and occupancy sensors for efficient energy usage. -Sound Containment – A sound-masking system in the open-office environment is

integrated with the fire-alarm system. -Furniture – Sensors on all connected work surfaces capture space-utilization data. Motorized height-adjustable desks respond to personal preferences with one tap of the desk control. The new space includes open ceilings so clients can see the systems the company designs, and it also showcases equip-

ment from various manufac-turers. “ESD is known for its innovation and creativity,” said Executive Chairman Raj Gup-ta, whose father Hem founded ESD in 1967. “From the server room to the conference room, we’ll show multiple ways to

apply different technologies.” Read More

EVENTS>Interior Designers of Cana-da is seeking topic submis-sions from multidisciplinary speakers for its inaugural Design Symposium – Value of Design Thinking, which will be held from Sep. 16-19 in Toronto. This year’s theme, ‘Value of Design Thinking,’ aims to showcase the benefits of an empathetic, inventive, and iterative design process focused on the human experi-ence within interior spaces. In addition, IDC is accepting submission throughout the year from speakers for profes-sional development courses on relevant topics and expertise on important issues facing the design industry in Canada. Read More

ESD Executive Chairman Raj Gupta cuts the ribbon at the firm’s new Willis Tower headquarters. Behind him directly are Kurt Karnatz, President (L) and Zackery House, CEO (R). On the FAR left is Mehdi Jalayerian, Chief of Innovation.


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businessBUSINESS AFFAIRS>The American Institute of Architects on Apr. 18 reported that architecture firm billings rose for the sixth consecu-tive month in March, although the pace of growth slowed modestly from February. Overall, the AIA’s Architecture Billings Index score for March was 51.0 (any score over 50 indicates billings growth), which still reflects a healthy business environ-ment. In February, the ABI score was 52.0. While business conditions softened somewhat at firms located in the Northeast region, billings remained strong at firms located in the South and West regions.

The project inquiries index for March was 58.1 compared with 62.4 in February, and the design contracts index was 51.5, down from 54.5 in February.

“New project activity coming into architecture firms continues to grow at a solid pace. As a result, project backlogs—in excess of six months at present— are at their highest post-recession level,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. “Business re-mains strong in the South and West, and firms with a residen-tial specialization continue to set the pace.”

The regional three-month moving average ABI was highest in the West (53.4), followed by the South (53.2), Midwest (50.7), and Northeast (49.0). By sector, multi-family residential scored highest (53.4), followed by commercial/industrial (53.1), mixed practice (51.1), and institutional (49.7). Read More

>DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. announced it has agreed with recommendations provided by Iron Compass, LLC to add John (Jack) Elliott and Ronald Kaplan to the board of directors of the company, effective immediately. “In January we renewed our commitment to engage with our shareholders to the betterment of the company and all stakeholders,” said Lead Director Steve Parry. “The addition of two great leaders, Jack Elliott and Ronald Kaplan, is evidence of what can happen when constructive collaboration with our shareholders takes place. Iron Compass put forward two truly talented and highly qualified nominees with impressive skill sets and track records that will enhance our board and contrib-ute to DIRTT’s growth strategy.”

To immediately accommodate these appointments, long-serving director Lawrence D. Fairholm, who joined the board in 2005, has retired from the Board; and Interim CEO Michael Goldstein will step down as a director. Mr. Fairholm has agreed to remain involved with the company as a special advisor with respect to Partners. Mr. Goldstein will continue to lead the company, with full scope and authority as Interim CEO, and will work closely with the board and participate in board meetings as an observer. Gregory Burke, who also joined the Board in 2005 will not be nominated to serve as a Director at the June 26 meeting, consistent with the Board’s focus on renewal and on having truly independent directors.

4.20.18 3.29.18 12.29.17 9.29.17 6.30.17 3.31.17 %frYrHi%fr50-DayMA

HMiller 31.9 32.0 40.1 35.9 30.4 31.6 -23.8% -6.7%

HNI 35.3 36.1 38.6 41.5 39.9 46.1 -26.9% -4.6%

Inscape 1.9 2.2 3.1 3.6 3.7 4.3 -55.5% -9.9%

Interface 25.5 25.2 25.2 21.9 19.7 19.1 -3.1% 1.2%

Kimball 16.6 17.0 18.7 19.8 16.7 16.5 -20.7% -3.5%

Knoll 20.8 20.2 23.0 20.0 20.1 23.8 -15.2% -1.9%

Leggett 42.9 44.4 47.7 47.7 52.5 50.3 -22.0% -4.2%

Mohawk 235.6 232.2 275.9 247.5 241.7 229.5 -17.9% -1.7%

Steelcase 13.9 13.6 15.2 15.4 14.0 16.8 -23.4% -1.3%

USG 40.6 40.4 38.6 32.7 29.0 31.8 -2.1% 7.7%

Virco 4.3 4.1 5.1 5.5 5.4 4.0 -28.9% 0.0%

SUM 469.3 467.3 531.0 491.4 472.9 473.6

DJIndust 24,463 24,103 24,719 22,405 21,350 20,663 -8.1% 0.0%

Industry Stock Prices

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businessJohn F. (Jack) Elliott served as President of Pure Technologies Ltd. since 2009 and CEO since 2014 until the company was acquired in February 2018. Since joining Pure in 1996, Mr. Elliott served in a number of key senior management positions and was instrumental in building the company into the world leader in technology-driven condition assessment, monitor-ing and analysis of water, wastewater and oil & gas pipelines. During Mr. Elliott’s tenure as President and later CEO, revenue and Adjusted EBITDA grew by more than 400% and 700%, respectively. Prior to joining Pure Technologies, Mr. Elliott was General Manager of Structural Diagnostics Limited, Opera-tions Manager and General Manager of CCD Western Limited, and Operations Manager for Cana Construction Limited. Mr. Elliott is a Past President of the American Concrete Institute (Alberta Chapter).

Ronald W. Kaplan is the Chairman of Trex Company, the lead-ing manufacturer of wood alternative decking materials known for its long-tailed secular growth opportunity, dramatic financial success, and environmental sustainability. Trex (NYSE: TREX) has a market capitalization of approximately US$3.2 billion. As CEO from 2008 until 2015 and subsequently Chairman, Mr. Kaplan led a dramatic turnaround that has resulted in greater than 70% growth in revenue, and an improvement of EBITDA from negative to more than positive US $150 million and a total shareholder return in excess of 2,400%. Mr. Kaplan has also served as the CEO and President of Continental Global Group Inc. and held numerous senior roles in the Harsco Corpora-tion. He has also serves as a director of ECORE International Inc. and CaesarStone Ltd.

Given the expertise Mr. Elliott and Mr. Kaplan bring in leading and building successful companies, they will be participating in the recruitment of DIRTT’s new CEO. As such, both individuals will join existing directors Todd Lillibridge and Richard Haray on a newly-created CEO Search Committee with the mandate to recruit a talented external candidate with a track record of value creation to become the next CEO.

DIRTT and Iron Compass have entered into a customary settle-ment agreement, and Iron Compass has withdrawn its previous meeting requisition. The parties have agreed to amend the company’s majority voting policy and, subject to shareholder approval, advance notice provisions. The agreement is avail-able on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. DIRTT’s annual and special meeting of shareholders will take place on Jun. 26 with a record date of May 7. https://dirtt.net/company/news

>DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. plans to release its 2018 first quarter financial results on Monday, Apr. 30 after markets close. A conference call and webcast for the invest-ment community is scheduled for Tuesday, May 1, at 9:00 a.m.

Eastern Time (7 a.m. Mountain) to discuss the results in greater detail. The call and webcast will be hosted by DIRTT interim CEO Michael Goldstein and interim chief financial officer Peter Henry. To access the conference call by telephone, please dial +1 877.479.7708 (toll-free in North America). A live webcast (listen-only mode) of the conference call will be available at: https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/asy3q72o. Investors are invited to submit questions by email before and during the conference call. Please send them to [email protected]. A replay of the conference call will be available at +1 855.859.2056 by entering passcode 4977827, from noon (Eastern Tim) Tues-day, May 1 until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) Tuesday, May 8 at https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/asy3q72o, and on DIRTT’s website at www.dirtt.net/company/investor.

>HNI Corp. on Apr. 20 reported its first-quarter fiscal 2018 results (dollars in millions except EPS):

3 Mos. Ended 3.31.18 4.1.17 %Ch.Net Sales $505.1 $477.7 5.7%Gross Profit $176.9 $173.7 1.8%SG&A $171.9 $163.7 5.0%Op. Income $3.7 $7.9 -53.5%Net Inc. $2.5 $4.8 -48.0%EPS (dil.) $0.06 $0.11 -45.5%

The news release was issued earlier than previously scheduled to coincide with the announcement of the leadership change also announced on Apr. 20 (see story in Noteworthy in the officenewswire section of this issue). As previously scheduled, HNI plans to host a conference call on Tuesday, May 1 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time to discuss first quarter results.

“First quarter results exceeded our expectations led by strong organic sales growth,” said HNI Chairman and CEO Stan Askren. “All of our businesses, supplies-driven, contract, and Hearth, performed well and delivered significant top-line improvement. We achieved a significant milestone with the successful go-live of our Business Systems Transformation initiative. This, combined with the completion of our operational transformations, makes us a stronger company, well positioned to drive long-term profitable growth for our shareholders.”

On an organic basis, sales increased 8.6%. The net impact of closing and divesting small office furniture companies de-creased sales $12.4 million compared to the prior year quarter.

GAAP gross profit margin decreased 140 basis points com-pared to the prior year quarter, from 36.4% to 35.0%. Unfavor-able business and product mix and input cost inflation, partially offset by higher sales volume, contributed to a decline of 270 basis points, which in turn was partially offset by 130 basis points due to lower restructuring and transition costs.

http://www.sedar.com

https://dirtt.net/company/news

https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/asy3q72o


https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/asy3q72o

http://www.dirtt.net/company/investor


businessThe increase in selling and administrative expenses was primarily attributed to impacts from the Business Systems Transformation initiative, partially offset by cost management and the impact of closing and divesting small office furniture companies.

HNI recorded $1.3 million of restructuring costs and $1.3 million of transition costs in the first quarter in connection with previously announced closures and structural realignments. Of these charges, $1.3 million was included in cost of sales. Specific items include severance and production move costs.

The Corporation released a valuation allowance for certain for-eign tax items in the first quarter, which resulted in a favorable effective tax rate.

Office Furniture (dollars in millions):

3 Mos. Ended 3.31.18 4.1.17 %Ch.Net Sales $380.9 $360.0 5.8%Op. Income -$0.4 $6.4 -

On an organic basis, first quarter office furniture sales in-creased 9.7% driven by increases in the North American contract, supplies-driven, and international businesses. The net impact of closing and divesting small office furniture compa-nies decreased sales $12.4 million compared to the prior year quarter.

First quarter office furniture GAAP operating profit margin decreased 190 basis points. Of this decline, 310 basis points were driven by impacts from the Business Systems Transfor-mation initiative, input cost inflation, and unfavorable business and product mix, partially offset by higher sales volume. This decline was partially offset by 120 basis points due to lower restructuring and transition costs.

Hearth Products (dollars in millions):

3 Mos. Ended 3.31.18 4.1.17 %Ch.Net Sales $124.2 $117.7 5.5%Op. Income $17.1 $11.8 44.9%

Hearth products sales growth was driven by increases in the new construction and retail businesses. GAAP operating profit margin increased 380 basis points. Of this increase, 80 basis points were driven by higher sales volume. The remaining 300 basis points were attributed to lower restructuring and transi-tion costs.

Outlook

“We continue to project solid top line growth and strong pro-ductivity improvement in 2018,” said Mr. Askren. “We are see-ing increased inflationary pressures. While we are working to offset these cost increases, they will have a negative impact on our results, particularly in the second quarter. We continue to be excited about our competitive position and expect to deliver solid profit improvement for the year.”

HNI continues to expect full year organic sales to be up 5% to 8%. Including the impact of closing and divesting small office furniture companies, full year sales are expected to be up 1% to 4%. The Corporation estimates full year non-GAAP earnings per share to be in the range of $2.40 to $2.70, which excludes restructuring and transition costs. This compares to prior guid-ance of non-GAAP earnings per share of $2.40 to $2.80. The impact of rising input costs is primarily driving the reduced earnings outlook.

For the second quarter, HNI expects organic sales to be up 4% to 7% compared to the same quarter last year. Including the impact of closing and divesting small office furniture compa-nies, second quarter sales are expected to be up 1% to 4%. Second quarter non-GAAP earnings per share are anticipated to be in the range of $0.28 to $0.38, which excludes restruc-turing and transition costs.

The full text of HNI’s 1Q18 earnings release, including all tables, may be accessed at http://investors.hnicorp.com

>Upcoming quarterly reports this week:

-Interface, Inc. plans to release its first quarter 2018 results on Wednesday, Apr. 25 after the close of the market, with a conference call scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 26, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. http://www.interface.com/US/en-US/about/inves-tor-relations/corporate-press-releases-en_US

-Knoll, Inc. plans to report financial results for the first quarter 2018 on Wednesday, Apr. 25 following the close of the market, with a conference call scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 26, 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66169&p=irol-irhome

-Mohawk Industries, Inc. first quarter 2018 earnings release is scheduled for release on Thursday, Apr. 26, with a confer-ence call on Friday, Apr. 27, 11:00 am Eastern Time. http://www.mohawkind.com/CorporateIRNewsReleases.aspx

-USG Corp. scheduled a conference call and webcast to dis-cuss first quarter 2018 results on Wednesday, Apr. 25, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Central). http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=115117&p=irol-IRHome

http://www.interface.com/US/en-US/about/investor-relations/corporate-press-releases-en_US

http://www.interface.com/US/en-US/about/investor-relations/corporate-press-releases-en_US

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66169&p=irol-irhome

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66169&p=irol-irhome

http://www.mohawkind.com/CorporateIRNewsReleases.aspx

http://www.mohawkind.com/CorporateIRNewsReleases.aspx

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=115117&p=irol-IRHome

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=115117&p=irol-IRHome


JOB SITETo place ads or to get a price quote contact Bob Beck [email protected] 972 293 9186

Find all our ads all the time at www.officeinsight.com/careers.

PO Box 967Cedar Hill, TX 75106

Robert [email protected] 972 293 9186

Mallory [email protected] 219 263 9006

www.officeinsight.com© 2018 officeinsight,LLC

Bradford J. Powell, Hon. [email protected] T 203 966 5008

Independent Rep Group - SoCal

Sales Assistant - Parsippany, NJ

Trendway Corp. is seeking an aggressive, multi-line independent rep group to serve its customers in the Southern California region.

Trendway is a 50 year old manufacturer of high quality workplace solutions including panel-based workstations, benching, task

and collaborative seating and architectural wall products all available through its dedicated dealer network.

Interested independent rep groups should represent complementary manufacturers with a similar business culture to Trendway.

Interested sales teams should send contact information to Jim Ford, National Director of Market Development, at [email protected]

Business Furniture, Inc. (bfi) is seeking a full time Sales Assistant for our Parsippany, NJ office.

Essential duties and responsibilities

> Insure all orders have been properly entered and placed. Create and main-tain all necessary files to insure a complete record. Communicate as required to insure successful furni-ture orders.

> Review, process, correct and maintain quotes, registers, and vendor ac-knowledgments to ensure accuracy.

> Track, expedite and sched-ule product shipments, deliveries and installations to ensure timely completion of job with manufacturers and vendors.

> Investigate and respond to vendor, customer and ac-counting inquiries to insure order is shipped on time and correctly to provide customer satisfaction.

> Create and maintain quote, order files and other paper-work from accounting and outside mail to maintain order and complete files for Sales Representative.

> Other duties may be as-signed.

Internal Contacts

> Frequent contact with Sales Representative to verify and/or provide necessary information to process quotes, orders and to ar-range for deliveries.

> As needed contact with Branch Manager for gross profit approvals, outside vendor/installer use, sales problems and advice on handling accounts.

> Frequent contact with Cus-tomer Satisfaction to clarify status on services.

> Frequent contact with Order Entry and Billing to clarify orders, change orders and not authorized invoices.

> Frequent contact with Ac-counts Payable to check payable vouchers, clarify status and to hold pay-ments.

> Frequent contact with Proj-ect Coordination regarding customer satisfaction and not authorized invoices.

Experience:

> Furniture industry: 1 year (Required)

Send resume:

[email protected]

http://www.officeinsight.com/careers

http://www.officeinsight.com/careers

http://www.officesite.com/classifieds/



http://www.trendway.com

mailto:jford%40trendway.com?subject=

mailto:bkowalczyk%40bfifurniture.com?subject=

http://www.bfionline.com/

04.23.18 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE...

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