TAKKT AG: TAKKT Acquires Leading British Online Retailer for Office Furniture

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TAKKT AG has acquired 100 percent of the shares of Equip4Work Ltd. Signing and closing of the transaction took place on January 29. The company generated sales of roughly 40 million pounds and an EBITDA margin in the low double-digit percentage range in the 2016/2017 financial year. It will become part of the newport group founded at the beginning of January within the TAKKT EUROPE segment.
Equip4Work, founded in 2004, sells office furniture such as desks, chairs and cabinets in the United Kingdom under its primary sales brand OfficeFurnitureOnline. It also sells warehouse and business equipment under the sales brand Equip4Work. The company places strong emphasis on private label brands and offers an attractive range of products in the affordable value for money segment as well as higher-scale branded furniture.
Read more: (DGAP – a service of EQS Group AG.) http://www.dgap.de/dgap/News/corporate/takkt-takkt-acquires-leading-british-online-retailer-for-office-furniture/?newsID=1050005

Haworth awards bonuses for 70-year anniversary

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First founded in 1948, Haworth is headquartered in Holland. The company currently has more than 6,000 members worldwide and is operating in over 120 countries with $1.8 billion in global sales.
Haworth announced on Thursday the company will give bonuses to global full-time and part-time members to celebrate the company’s 70th anniversary.
As part of the bonuses, the company will give a $1,000 gross bonus to full-time global members and a $500 gross bonus for part-time global members employed by Haworth-branded companies as of Monday, January 15, 2018.
Read more: (HOLLAND SENTINEL)
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/20180127/haworth-awards-bonuses-for-70-year-anniversary?start=5​

Drug ring smuggles cocaine into the UK inside office furniture

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A drug-smuggling operation brought over £10 million worth of cocaine into the UK under the guise of a Leicester-based interior design company, a jury has heard.
Prosecutor David Herbert alleged that the six men standing trial smuggled Class A drugs from Amsterdam to the UK inside office furniture. Leicester police seized 20 kilograms of cocaine and 289 grams of heroin in total.
The defendants are accused of using fake kitchen-design business CJC Interiors to front the operation.
CJC Interiors, which operated from the Belgrave Gate area of Leicester, appeared as a fully functioning, normal business, offering bespoke kitchen fittings and built-in storage solutions to its clients.
Read more: (DEZEEN) https://www.dezeen.com/2018/01/23/drug-ring-smuggles-cocaine-into-uk-in-office-furniture-cjc-interiors/

Steelcase Named One of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune Magazine

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Fortune has recognized Steelcase (NYSE:SCS) as one of its 2018 “World’s Most Admired Companies” in the Home Equipment and Furnishings industry sector. Steelcase earned the third spot in the category, alongside Whirlpool, Stanley Black & Decker, Newell Brands and other notable companies.
Businesses featured on the Most Admired list are ranked by business experts through surveys, and represent excellence in nine criteria. Steelcase received high scores in the Innovation, Social Responsibility, Quality of Management, Financial Soundness and Quality of Products/Services categories.
“This recognition reflects the caliber of our employees around the world, whose commitment, creativity and innovation delight our customers every day,” said Jim Keane, President and CEO of Steelcase.

Read more: (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/01/22/1298518/0/en/Steelcase-Named-One-of-the-World-s-Most-Admired-Companies-by-Fortune-Magazine.html

Former Herman Miller Offices Go Up for Sale

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The 20,000 sq ft former headquarters of furniture maker Herman Miller has been put up for sale.
The VillageGreen building in Chippenham was designed and built especially for the manufacturer over ten years ago by architects Gensler
When it was built, it was recognised for its sustainability credentials, including a BREEAM Excellent rating – one of only a handful of buildings in the South West with this accreditation.

Read more: (NEWSCO INSIDER LIMITED) https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/southwest/former-herman-miller-offices-go-up-for-sale

Steelcase named one of most admired companies by Fortune

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.,– Fortune Magazine has recognized Steelcase as one of its “World’s Most Admired Companies” in 2018 in the home equipment and furnishings industry sector. Steelcase earned the third spot in the category, alongside Whirlpool, Stanley Black & Decker, Newell Brands and other companies.
Businesses featured on the Most Admired list are ranked by business experts through surveys, and represent excellence in nine criteria. Steelcase received high scores in the Innovation, Social Responsibility, Quality of Management, Financial Soundness and Quality of Products/Services categories.
“This recognition reflects the caliber of our employees around the world, whose commitment, creativity and innovation delight our customers every day,” said Jim Keane, president and CEO of Steelcase.
Read more: (WOODWORKING NETWORK) https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/steelcase-named-one-most-admired-companies-fortune

Announcing PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet, PANTONE® Color of the Year 2018.

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“A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute
The press release in which the new colour of the year is announced, continues: “Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.
Enigmatic purples have also long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance. Musical icons Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix brought shades of Ultra Violet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality. Nuanced and full of emotion, the depth of PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet symbolizes experimentation and non-conformity, spurring individuals to imagine their unique mark on the world, and push boundaries through creative outlets.
Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to Ultra Violet. The color is often associated with mindfulness practices, which offer a higher ground to those seeking refuge from today’s over-stimulated world. The use of purple-toned lighting in meditation spaces and other gathering places energizes the communities that gather there and inspire connection.”
So, purple it is for 2018.
Source Link: (Office Republic) https://officerepublic.news/en/2018/01/announcing-pantone-18-3838-ultra-violet-pantone-color-the-year-2018/

Knoll Designs Armless MultiGeneration Light Task ChairKnoll Inc. alleges patented chair design was u

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PHILADELPHIA – A furniture company with a place of business in Greenville alleges one of its patented chair designs was unlawfully used.
Knoll Inc. and Formway Furniture Limited filed a complaint on Jan. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against HNI Corp. and Allsteel Inc. alleging patent infringement.
According to the complaint, Knoll develops and sells furniture and Formway designs furniture. The suit states Formway owns the ‘232 patent, which Knoll uses under a Formway license to make and sell its MultiGeneration by Knoll chair.

Read more: (PENNSYLVANIA RECORD) https://pennrecord.com/stories/511312497-knoll-inc-alleges-patented-chair-design-was-used-by-hni-corp-allsteel-inc

Herman Miller reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2018 Results – orders at all-time-high

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Herman Miller, Inc. (NASDAQ: MLHR) today announced results for its second quarter ended December 2, 2017. Net sales in the quarter totaled $604.6 million, an increase of 4.7% from the same quarter last fiscal year. New orders in the second quarter of $629.4 million were 9.3% above the prior year level.
On an organic basis, which excludes the impact of foreign currency translation and dealer divestitures, net sales and orders in the second quarter increased by 6.0% and 10.2%, respectively, from the same quarter last fiscal year.
Herman Miller reported net earnings of $0.55 per share on a diluted basis in the second quarter compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.53 in the same quarter last fiscal year. Excluding the impact of restructuring and other charges recognized in the period associated with the Company’s previously announced profitability improvement initiative, adjusted earnings per share in the second quarter totaled $0.57, compared to adjusted earnings per share of $0.54 in the second quarter of last fiscal year.
Read More: (OFFICE REPUBLIC) https://officerepublic.news/en/2018/01/herman-miller-reports-second-quarter-fiscal-2018-results-orders-at-all-time-high/

Swindon Furniture Company Hit by Brexit Rescued

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A furniture company whose sales went into decline after the vote on Brexit has been sold out of administration.
The sale of WJ White Ltd, which began manufacturing high-quality furniture in 1950, saves 48 jobs.
Administrators from Begbies Traynor were appointed on 18 December and immediately completed the sale of the company and its assets out of administration.
Joint administrators Julie Palmer and Sally Richards, from Begbies Traynor’s Swindon office, sold the company out of administration to recently established WJ White Contract Furniture Ltd. 
WJ White has been manufacturing office and meeting room furniture from its premises at Britannia Trade Park, in Swindon.
Products made by the company were mainly sold via its London showroom, but sales hit a “steep decline” following the Brexit announcement, the administrators said.
Read more: (NEWSCO INSIDER LIMITED) https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/southeast/swindon-furniture-company-hit-by-brexit-rescued