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CITED:“WE LEARN SOME-THING EVERY DAY, AND LOTS OF TIMES IT’S THAT WHAT WE LEARNED THE DAY BE-FORE WAS WRONG.” —BILL VAUGHAN

GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS11.10.08

Chapter Fifteen: Waste Not, Want Not

“Waste not, want not” was my grandmother’s mantra. Gramma, the woman who raised fi ve children during the depression, frequently took care of me during the day until I went to kindergarten and taught me the fi ne art of thrift. FULL STORY ON PG.19

Ah-ha! Moment on Facebook

Venturing into the world of the unknown, I recently signed up for Facebook. As promoted on its website, Facebook helps you connect and share with people in your life. I would argue that it helps you do much more. It empowers people to mobilize and facilitate change in new and unique ways.FULL STORY ON PG.18

Sustainable Workplace Practices

What changes are companies making in the way work gets done as we move into a sustainable future? What new behaviors are required for success? And how is workplace interior design responding? We would like to make a small dent in these dauntingly important questions.FULL STORY ON PG.16

Greenbuild 2008

The U.S. Green Building Greenbuild International Conference and Expo will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center located at 415 Sum-mer Street, Boston, MA, November 19-21, 2008. Boston is appropriate with a theme of Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability. FULL STORY ON PG.11

What’s New with dTank

Earlier this year we spoke to Reto Eberle, founder and CEO of dTank, the Los Angeles tailor-made furniture manufacturer. dTank is a unique institution that combines diverse furniture manufacturing capabilities and cutting edge technol-ogy and materials with a highly personalized custom product design process.FULL STORY ON PG.3

HNI Corporation Appoints Jeff Lorenger As President, Allsteel Inc.

Jeff Lorenger just can’t seem to keep a job. Maybe it’s because he has one degree too many, and that has qualifi ed him to hold such diverse positions. His degrees include Bachelor of Business Administration, MBA, and Juris Doctorate degrees, all from the University of Iowa. FULL STORY ON PG.10

Compliments of HBF & HBF Textiles, in cooperation with offi ceinsight

11.10.08 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 2 OF 31


companies

pany was remodeling its animation facility and wanted dTank to work on a mockup of a desk.

It was a little odd in that Dream-Works Animation was also considering product from major manufacturers. That’s not usually the case, because working with us is a completely dif-ferent experience. When people are looking at big companies with stan-dard product, we’re usually not in the running. People generally come to us because they know they want some-thing tailor-made. It’s a bit like apples and oranges. In this case, it really could have gone either way, to custom or to standard product. But we went ahead and started work on a mockup.

OI: How large was the scope of the project?RE: They needed about a thousand stations.

OI: How can you bid on a project of that scope when your product doesn’t exist. Why did they end up choosing dTank?RE: After several round of render-ings and mockup’s the client fi nally decided that his department would

in material and manufacturing pro-cess for your average millwork shop. DreamWorks Animation and TAG, a McCann-Erickson advertising group, have recently joined the ranks of those enjoying dTank’s tailor-made solutions, and you’ll read about those projects and more.

offi ceinsight: DreamWorks has got to be pretty big for the sort of projects you do. How did they choose dTank?Reto Eberle: It started when I got a phone call from Kirk Solomon at Cresa Partnership, a project management fi rm in LA that we’ve worked with before. He wanted to bring by a client who was very interested in what we do. I didn’t have any idea who the client was; I showed them around, and they asked a lot of questions about whether we could handle a large project. Some time passed, and then they called me back and revealed that their client was DreamWorks Animation – the com-

What’s New with dTankby Eva Elasigue

Earlier this year, offi ceinsight stopped in to talk to Reto Eberle, founder and CEO of dTank, the Los Angeles tailor-made furniture manufacturer. For those of you unfamiliar with the company (founded in 1998), dTank is a unique institution that combines diverse furniture manufacturing ca-pabilities and cutting edge technology and materials with a highly personal-ized custom product design process. LA is the perfect city for it; although the company does projects and uses manufacturing facilities throughout the country, this is the place where they turn ideas into reality, or at least some-thing close. Over a lunch of gourmet pizza (served by a handsome waiter, also very LA), we discussed what’s new and what’s in store.

As you can imagine, dTank’s proj-ects always have an interesting story behind them. These are situations too unique for mass-manufactured product, and too creative or too diverse

RETO EBERLE

DREAMWORKS


companiesRE: Yes, it’s a special self-healing foam board that we found. It’s very fl at, so it gives you a very clean ap-pearance.

The desk also has a lockable per-sonal cabinet, and of course plenty of fi ling space. It’s all done in a cherry veneer, and the desk edges are solid hardwood, so it’s very easy to repair if it needs maintenance.

OI: I can see why this project decided to go custom – every feature is so well suited for the specifi c needs of an animator.RE: Yes, and like I said, it took several mockups. You can see the fi rst render-ing – we had a different wood, a lot less tackable space, and the personal shelf wasn’t yet included. They kept the general concept, but we went through a lot of fi ne tuning and revi-sion. For example, we made about twelve fabric slipcovers for the bench, so they could look at the options in person and we could easily switch back and forth. That worked really well, so we did the same thing for the pedestal.

This was defi nitely a working mock-up. When they were here, they could add shelves, take away shelves, switch fabrics, add props – just play around with it to get a feel for the product. It was a fun project.

OI: Tell us about the McCann project in San Francisco.RE: The most notable aspects of that project were its industrial look, and the use of reclaimed wood.

It’s nice to be able to use reclaimed wood from a local source. We fi rst looked into a fi rm in Sonoma that reuses wood from winery casks, but they didn’t have the capacity for this project. Then we found The Wooden Ducks, a Bay Area company that specifi cally reclaims wood from demolished buildings. It was a great choice, because one of the problems

ing with those for a while. There’s a sitting bench on the other side of the station so that the art director can sit behind the animator or designer. We also wrapped the bench around the station wall, like an end-cap, so that people can sit and talk from across the walkway – they really liked that idea. For their whiteboard space, we used glass, back-painted white, which actu-ally makes for the best whiteboards, because it’s non-porous and always erases perfectly.

We also included a little shelf up top for their personal knick-knacks; animators always have a lot of souve-nirs from the fi lms they’ve worked on, little fi gurines they keep around for inspiration. We also gave them a ton of space for tacking – there’s a large area stretching across every panel.

OI: This cloth area; it looks too nice for a tackable surface.

really work best in furniture that was tailor-made for their needs. They just wanted what they wanted, and they knew a DreamWorks Animation tailor-made solution would work the best. We worked with their in-house design team and Gensler Los Angeles Offi ce to fi ne tune things such as the woods and fabric selections.

After lunch, we went over to the dTank HQ where dTank displays its mockups, and Mr. Eberle walked me over to the desk designed for DreamWorks Anima-tion

RE: It’s been partly dismantled, but you’ll still be able to see a lot of the features we built in. The table where the monitor rests is height-adjustable, so they can sit or stand as they like. They’re switching to dual fl at screens now, but we’ve got an old-fashioned monitor here to make sure it will fi t, because some people may be work-

MCCANN


companiesOI: I see you’ve drawn in a rough front edge for the table. Did they not want you to fi nish them?RE: We asked them if they wanted us to cut and piece the wood together for a solid tabletop, but they said they just wanted us to lay the planks next to each other as is, gaps, variations, and all. The space works really well for them; it was just recently installed, and they love it.

We’ve been having a lot of fun, and our offi ce is pretty busy with design production in many different fi elds. We’re working on a health spa in Dal-las right now.

OI: What are you producing for them?RE: We’re doing the men’s and women’s lockers, and the reception area. The spa has a Zen feel to it. The project called for a lot of creativity from the design fi rm, and they engaged us to come up with different concepts for the lockers, rather than just go to a local mill worker to crank out some cabinets.

OI: Sure. The locker room is the fi rst place people go, and that’s visually dominated by the lockers. So what do they look like?RE: They’re done in a light wood, with cutouts that are backed by a translucent green 3Form resin. The cutout for the women’s locker is a curvy, sinusoid shape, and the men’s locker has a detailed square design.

Las Vegas has been pretty busy as well; there are a lot of developers and engineering offi ces that want to upgrade their image. We work with the offi ces of the support industries, and we’re doing two engineering offi ces right now.

People seem to think more about de-sign when they’re gaining or anticipating more new business. In the case of the engineering offi ces, which are looking for a fresh image, old product doesn’t really work for them because they need a lot of workspace.

that most places look for, like divider panels, but the people at McCann were adamant that they just wanted long, open benches. They basically asked us to cut holes for their wires, and that’s it.

OI: This kind of reclaimed wood would contribute to LEED points as well, wouldn’t it?RE: It defi nitely would – you have one point for local manufacture, and then another for reuse. The environmental aspect might have had something to do with their decision, but it was mainly a matter of style. Still, everyone wins when you use these kinds of materials.

OI: Do you have the renderings of these benches?RE: Sure, I’ll pull them up for you. You’ll see that industrial look with all the wood grain and the raw steel. We also duplicated the building’s brick stone walls and concrete floor.

In addition to the benches, we made pedestals that you can pull out from under the table, for the times when they need extra work space. The pedestals have two wings that you can extend as needed, so they can really add a lot of extra space.

you run into when working with fi rms like this is that they generally work more on the artistic side. You need to make sure they can meet your lead times, because this is still a business production.

They told us they had a lot of wood coming in from the Levi Strauss build-ing in San Francisco, which had just been taken down. The building was old, so it had some very good, solid beams. This wood has also been put into several San Francisco restaurants. We showed the client some samples, and it was exactly what they wanted.

This particular branch of McCann, TAG, does the advertising for consum-er electronic fi rms, so they were aiming for a very young, kind of raw feel for their space. McCann has other offi ces done in this style, so the industrial look fi ts their culture well. We were wary at fi rst, because with this wood there are a lot of small variances in height, wear, color – all things that might normally make a material less desirable.

OI: Sure, it makes sense that a com-pany working on video games would shy away from a traditional offi ce. RE: Absolutely. In our initial concept renderings, we also included features

SPA LOCKER ROOM


companiesOI: Your brochure is mostly render-ings. I suppose that it is material for your salespeople, who would be the ones telling the story.RE: Yes, it’s almost entirely visual, be-cause our salespeople wanted some-thing they could use to show people a wider range of our work.

dTank has been thinking about marketing lately, as well. When fi rms ask us, “What’s new?”; well, that’s a tough question to answer. Everything’s new, and we don’t have a catalog of product lines to hand them. So we’ll be working on marketing materials that do more to explain our process, like project showcases.

Our story is really about the com-plete scope of the work we do; that illustrates our versatility, not just one project or product. And then there are projects such as the TAG project that have multiple angles to them, such as its unique culture and the sustainable material they used. Some of our proj-ects can really be out there conceptu-ally, so keeping people current about the kinds of projects we do will give them a better and better understand-ing of the service we offer.

Sometimes I feel that proper adver-tising is the hardest part of running a company like this, because we work very differently from the way the rest of the industry works. We have keywords such as collaborative, and tailor-made, but it’s still hard sometimes to quickly convey what we’re about.

OI: Well, there’s not much precedent in the industry for your way of doing things.RE: That’s right. Even though we’ve been doing it for ten years now, it’s still new for a lot of people. It doesn’t always occur to them as an option. Sure, there are some folks who really get it, and we work with them a lot.

But as far as easy concepts go, I feel tailor-made is the best way to describe it, and we’re going to work with that a lot

OI: It certainly looks like a law fi rm, with all that cabinet space.RE: Yes, lots and lots of storage. We have a bank of storage on the side of the station away from the desk, and on top of that we created a signature pad, where they can leave paperwork that’s waiting to be signed. That was something the paralegals really want-ed. With that, they can move papers off their desk, and lawyers can come by and review their paperwork without disturbing the paralegal’s work.

The work we did on their fi rst fl oor is featured in the brochure that we produce every year. It features some of our best renderings from the past year, sort of a review of the scope of our work, to give people an idea of our capabilities. We also feature one particular project as a case study, to show the full layouts and products we make for different areas, from conference rooms to private offi ces to showrooms.

OI: Is there anything else you’re work-ing on right now?RE: The University of Texas is putting up a new building, and we’re doing all the private administrative offi ces for the Dean and the staff. They insisted on using pecan wood, which is the Texas state tree.

OI: That seems like a rather subtle point – I don’t know who would walk into an offi ce and say “Hey, is that desk made of pecan?”RE: True, they just knew that they wanted it. We’ve done a mockup, and the wood is a nice yellow blond, it’s actually quite beautiful. We’re in the fi nal stage of changes now.

OI: What other mockups do you have in your showroom right now?RE: We’ve got a paralegal station for Allan Matkins, a large law fi rm. We’ve done one fl oor for them already, and we’re working on the second and third now.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS


companiesmid-size company, we would no longer be able to give the same amount of per-sonal attention to each of our clients. It’s impossible to do our type of design work on a huge scale like that. For a product design fi rm like us, once you get past a certain point, the design gets watered down.

Clients come to us for the benefi t of the collaborative process. If you have twenty designers each working on multiple projects, that’s just not going to work.

dTank is at the right size to do what it does, well. We just hired some people to make our overall process better. Sure, if you’re in manufacturing, then you have machines that need to run, so more business is always good. But for creative work, you don’t want to go past a point of saturation.

An advertising agency is a good ex-ample of that. Advertising is not created by machines; it’s done by people and ideas. They may obtain faster software with more capabilities, but ultimately machines can only assist the creative

OI: We know you have been expanding your workforce. How many new hires did you pick up, and how are they doing?RE: We have more engineers in Dallas, and we’re now hiring another project manager and another salesperson for LA. We’re not really hiring to increase the volume of business so much as to fi ne tune our process to be faster, better, and smoother.

OI: So you’re not really focused on growth, then – are you at a level that you like?RE: A little more business never hurts, but I think we’re at a good size for what we do. We had an interesting moment in our fi nal negotiation with DreamWorks Animation; they wanted some reassur-ance about how big we were. And I told them that if they’re concerned with how big we are in comparison to the industry giants, then they don’t really want to know. I am able to do what I do because I’m small. If dTank were a huge or even

more in our advertising. That’s some-thing people already understand, and it’s a very apt analogy. Tailoring is a service profession; you go to a tailor to get some-thing that is made specifi cally for you.

We’ve found that that concept really sticks in the heads of the end users as well. The people from DreamWorks Ani-mation were here the other day – they’re starting to bring some of their employ-ees over to see the furniture – and the person in charge of the group was telling them, “This is our tailored solution,” and so forth. He just loved the idea that they’ve got their own ‘tailor’ making their furniture.

OI: That seems like a great catch-phrase. It also refl ects the more bou-tique nature of the company.RE: Yes, that’s right. We’ve actually reg-istered “tailor-made” as our trademark, if you can believe that. I called my trade-mark attorney on the off-chance that it wasn’t taken, and amazingly enough, no one else in the furniture industry had claimed it.

ALAN MATKINS PARALEGAL STATION


companiesRE: It’s the design fi rms who submit the projects for consideration. Nancy Keatinge was telling me that the proj-ects aren’t just selected on the basis of pictures – what they write about the project is just as important. The jury wants to know all the information, from the construction, to the interior, to the furniture. They’re looking for a good story as well as a good fi nal product. Nancy was saying that when dTank is involved in the project, that always gives them something good to write about the furnishings. Last year we received three nominations and we won one, this year we one two with Barnes Morris Law Firm with Felderman Keatinge Associ-ate and Joni and Friends International Disability Center with Gensler.

The nice thing about the Calibre Awards is that they recognize every-one involved in the project, from the designer to the carpet company to the contractor.

a project that I think is more suited to standard product, I’ll tell them so. There’s no point in getting involved in a bidding situation because our pro-cess requires human interaction.

Sometimes dealerships call us and ask if we can design something for a project, and I tell them that we don’t know what we’re designing until we know the client’s needs and ideas. We do the designing, sure, but we need to work with people that have some vision for what they want.

We were nominated for the Calibre Awards this year, the team-based project awards. We got four nomina-tions this year - two with Felderman Keatinge Associates, one for RTKL’s new offi ce in downtown LA, and then one for Joni and Friends International Disability Center with Gensler.

OI: Well, congratulations. How did you get nominated?

process. Collaboration takes time – time with the client, time to think, time to organize. If that goes away, then you will not have a happy client on your hands.

OI: I suppose the primary concern there is that you want people to know what to expect from dTank. Do you feel that people pretty much know what to expect when they think of dTank?RE: Yes. They know that we’re more of a boutique manufacturer, but they also know that we’re not working out of someone’s garage. If they need product for a thousand people, we have the manpower to do it. But we are not a one-stop furniture manufac-turer. People usually come to us for a specifi c aspect of a project.

I’m fi ne with dTank having a reputa-tion of being more on the boutique side. If people are consulting us on


Is this how you want future interior designers to be educated?

We are running out of qualified educators. To sustain our profession, we need your help.Call Georgy Olivieri @ 630.346.7923 or IDEC @ 317.328.4437.

says NO!

says NO!

says NO!Kendall College of Art and Design

11.10.08

people

GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 10 OF 31

Consultant at McKinsey & Company; before joining HNI, Mr. Sung was Senior Vice President, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.

Mr. Lorenger seems to have gained much of his diverse experience within the HNI organization, having held at least six positions in the decade since joining it in 1998. In addition to the positions noted above, he also served as vice president, marketing, Allsteel Inc.; vice president, member and community relations, Allsteel Inc.; and senior counsel, HNI Corporation.

Mr. Lorenger has apparently recog-nized one of the important factors of living an interesting life in the Mid-west: residing near one of the Big Ten university towns. Iowa City, the home of the University of Iowa and, among other things, its famous Iowa Writer’s Workshop is just a stone’s throw from Muscatine, which has its own points of interest, including three billion dollar corporations. “We are not just sitting around watching the corn grow,” said Jack Michaels, former chairman, president and CEO. Perhaps that accounts for Mr. Lorenger’s extended stay at the University of Iowa – almost as long as my stay at the University of Wisconsin-Madison – but he picked up more degrees. Add to that a lot of very fresh corn on the cob and the mighty Mississippi ….

Don Mead and Mr. Lorenger were a strong one-two punch for The HON Company leading into NeoCon WTF 08. In August, 2008, Mr. Mead was named president of the HNI subsid-iary, The Gunlocke Company, report-ing to Mr. Askren. Now Mr. Lorenger is leaving HON, giving Jerry Dittmer – named president, the HON Company in March, 2008 – the opportunity to fi ll their shoes.

> Vice President, Seating for AllsteelNow. he is president of Allsteel, report-ing to Stan Askren, Chairman, Presi-dent and CEO, HNI Corporation.

Mr. Lorenger succeeds Eugene Sung, who is departing the organiza-tion after a short stay. He was named president in June, 2007. Reaffi rming HNI’s penchant for drawing knowledge from other industries, Mr. Sung had broad-based senior level management experience with The Coca-Cola Com-pany and Campbell Soup Company, and was also a General Management

HNI Corporation Appoints Jeff Lorenger As President, Allsteel Inc.by Brad Powell

Jeff Lorenger just can’t seem to keep a job. Maybe it’s because he has one degree too many, and that has quali-fi ed him to hold such diverse posi-tions. His degrees include Bachelor of Business Administration, MBA, and Juris Doctorate degrees, all from the University of Iowa. In the few years that I have known him, he has been, in reverse chronological order: >Vice President, Sales and Marketing for The HON Company, >Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for HNI Corporation

JEFF LORENGER (LEFT) AND DON MEAD


events

and operations. The awards will be offi cially presented during the closing plenary session.

Opening keynote address Archbishop Desmond Tutu Wednesday, Nov. 19th, 8:00am -10:00am

Archbishop Tutu, a Nobel Peace Laureate, led a crusade for social justice and racial conciliation in South Africa as then-General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. Today, he is revered worldwide as a “moral voice” seeking to end poverty and human rights abuses.

Archbishop Tutu’s many accom-plishments include receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984; the Albert Sch-weitzer Prize for Humanitarianism; and the Magubela prize for liberty in 1986. He is committed to stopping global AIDS and has served as the honorary chairman for the Global AIDS Alliance. In February 2007 he was awarded Gandhi Peace Prize by Dr. A.P.J. Ab-dul Kalam, president of India.

ing many changes in its new design to achieve this status. Many of the city’s buildings have begun initiatives to be more accountable to the planet. Entire renovations for some build-ings – Genzyme as an example – have demonstrated their commitment to the greening of Boston.

One of these buildings is the Boston Children’s Museum, the exclusive venue for the Greenbuild Welcome Gala. This is Boston’s fi rst Green Museum, incorporating sustainable design into the building. Recycling played a large role in materials both removed from the old building and those being utilized in the addition. Over 3,000 plants, some of which were planted by children, now cover nearly 6,000 square feet of green roof.

Designed for children and their families, the exhibits focus on science, culture and environmental awareness – a perfect beginning for the next gen-eration of the caretakers of the planet.

Seventh Annual USGBC Leadership AwardsBoston Institute of Contemporary Art Thursday, November 20, 7pm-10pm

Free for Full Conference Attendees Exhibitor, Student, EGB, Guest and One-Day Attendees: $100 Tickets can be purchased at registra-tion.

This event will be held at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art. Attend-ees can explore the 2007 recipient of the Harleston Parker Medal, awarded by the Boston Society of Architects and City of Boston to recognize Bos-ton’s “Most Beautiful Building.” Each year, the USGBC Leadership Awards recognize outstanding individuals and organizations committed to advancing green building design, construction,

Greenbuild 2008by Becky Roop

The U.S. Green Building Greenbuild International Conference and Expo will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center located at 415 Summer Street, Boston, MA, Novem-ber 19-21, 2008. Boston, home of the American Revolution, seems the perfect place to celebrate Greenbuild 2008’s theme of Revolutionary Green: Innovations for Global Sustainability.

The Greenbuild conference is a two-time recipient of the IMEX Envi-ronmental Meeting Award. 100% of the emissions from attendee travel and conference center use are offset via Cleaner and Greener certifi cation, and the event involves close collaboration with Meeting Strategies Worldwide on green strategies and innovations. For example, Greenbuild Denver imple-mented the fi rst recycling program in the Colorado Convention Center, which the CCC continued after the confer-ence left. Additional strategies include but are not limited to: air quality, energy effi ciency, water conservation, waste minimization, and environmental purchases.

Greenbuild 2008 includes over 100 educational sessions, LEED work-shops, off-site educational sessions, and Green Building tours of local Boston sites. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available for all educational sessions, LEED work-shops, green building tours, and post conference seminars.

Wednesday Night Welcome Gala ‘The Green Revolution’-- USGBC and Boston Host Committee

The Welcome Gala for the Green-build Conference will celebrate how Boston has embraced “Going Green.” It is striving to become the Greenest City in the United States, and is mak-

ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU


eventsBronx, her work takes her around the world to improve the quality of life in environmentally challenged communities. She founded Sus-tainable South Bronx in 2001 and implemented the highly successful Bronx Environmental Steward-ship Training (BEST) program— a pioneering green-collar job training and placement system -- seed-ing communities with a skilled workforce that has both a personal & economic stake in their urban environment. She is currently presi-dent of the green-collar economic consulting firm the Majora Carter Group, LLC.

She is a MacArthur Genius Fel-low who started 2007 as one of Newsweek’s “25 To Watch”, ended the year as one of Essence Maga-zine’s “25 most Influential African Americans”. She has been named one of the “50 most influential women in NYC” by the NY Post for the past two years, and “NYC’s most influential environmental-ist” by the BBC World Service. Ms. Carter is currently recording a special national public radio series called “The Promised Land” for 2009 release.

award-winning buildings that pro-mote sustainability within the built environment.

With a design portfolio that includes public buildings, sports facilities, offi ces, schools, and muse-ums, Mr. Behnisch oversees a wide range of global projects at all scales striving to design inclusive buildings that provide maximum benefi t to the community as a whole.

Mr. Behnisch recently served as the Eero Saarinen Visiting Professor at the Yale School of Architecture. He has been awarded numerous design honors, and was recently designated an “Environmental Champion” by EnvironDesign Journal and Interiors & Sources.

Majora Carter, PresidentMajora Carter Group, LLC Wednesday, Nov. 19, 4:00pm - 5:30pm

“Green-Collar Jobs” are attract-ing press and pundits, but few have actually marshaled the resources to get unemployed Americans trained and placed on pathways out of pov-erty in this growing economic sec-tor. Majora Carter has. Born, raised, and continuing to live in the South

Van Jones President and Founder, Green For AllWednesday, Nov. 19, 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Van Jones is the founder and president of Green For All, where he is working to combine solutions to America’s two biggest problems: so-cial inequality and environmental de-struction. Mr. Jones is also a founder of a new national coalition that is promoting the idea of a national “Clean Energy Jobs Corps” as well as the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. He is the recipient of several awards including the 1998 Reebok International Human Rights Award, the international Ashoka Fellow-ship, selection as a World Economic Forum “Young Global Leader,” and the Rockefeller Foundation “Next Generation Leadership” Fellowship.

Stefan Behnisch, PrincipalBehnisch Architects, Inc.Wednesday, Nov. 19, 4:00pm - 5:30pm

Since founding the offi ce of Behnisch Architects, Inc. Büro In-nenstadt in 1989, Stefan Behnisch has directed the design of dynamic,

VAN JONES STEFAN BEHNISCH MARJORA CARTER


events

Bill McKibben, Environmentalist and AuthorFriday, Nov. 21, 9:00am - 10:00am

Bill McKibben is an American envi-ronmentalist and writer who frequently writes about global warming, alterna-tive energy, and the risks associated with human genetic engineering. He has written several books and is a fre-quent contributor to various magazines including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, Mother Jones, and The National Geographic. In 2007, he founded Step It Up, which organized hundreds of rallies to demand that Congress enact curbs on carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Most recently he founded 350.org, an international campaign to unite the world around the number 350, the safe upper limit for atmospheric CO2 which we have currently exceeded.

Howard FrumkinDirector, The National Center for Environmental Health, CDCFriday, Nov. 21, 9:00am - 10:00am

Howard Frumkin works to maintain and improve the health of the Ameri-can people by promoting a healthy environment and by preventing pre-mature death, avoidable illness, and

Nancy C. FloydFounder and Managing Director, Nth Power, LLCThursday, Nov. 20, 4:00pm - 5:30pm

Nancy Floyd is Founder and Manag-ing Director of Nth Power, the most experienced venture capital fi rm fund-ing startup companies in the growing sector of energy technology. Nth Power is widely known as the driving force behind many of the market leaders in renewable energy, energy effi ciency, advanced materials and clean trans-portation.

Ms. Floyd has led Nth Power’s investments in Silicon Energy (Nas-daq: ITRI), Northern Power (Nasdaq: DESC), Smartsynch, Serveron, Spec-traSensors and Propel Biofuels. She has been an advisor to the National Renewable Energy Lab, was a board member of Sustainable Asset Manage-ment in Zurich, Switzerland and is an active member of E2. She also helped organize the Northwest Business Leaders for Clean Energy campaign and was appointed by Governor Ted Kulongoski to serve on the Oregon Economic and Community Develop-ment Commission.

Richard Moe, PresidentNational Trust for Historic Preserva-tionThursday, Nov. 20, 8:00am - 9:30am

When Richard Moe became the seventh president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, he brought to the position a lifelong interest in history and a career-long commitment to public service. Since 1993, Mr. Moe has led the organiza-tion in its mission to save the nation’s diverse historic places and create more livable communities for all Americans. Under his direction, the National Trust has greatly strength-ened its fi nancial base, reaffi rmed its commitment to expanding and diversifying the organized preservation movement, become an outspoken and effective advocate of controlling sprawl and encouraging smart growth, and launched innovative initiatives to dem-onstrate preservation’s effectiveness as a tool for community revitalization and for sustainable development.

Paul AnastasDirector, Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, Yale Univer-sityThursday, Nov. 20, 4:00pm - 5:30pm

Known as “The Father of Green Chemistry,” having coined the term in 1991, Paul Anastas has worked to develop the fi eld over the past 17 years. He joined the Yale faculty in 2007, where he serves as Director of the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, which advances the sciences, education and use of sustainable technologies. Prof. Anastas focuses his research on the design of safer chemicals, bio-based polymers, and new methodologies of chemical synthesis that are more effi cient and less hazardous to the environment. He has published nine books and numer-ous papers on the subject of science and technology for sustainability.

RICHARD MOE NANCY FLOYD


eventstheir local level efforts to bring social equity into the green building move-ment. Through innovate partnerships, curriculum creation and a dedication to rebuild, all of our panelists identifi ed needs within their communities and are working to fulfi ll them. By devel-oping the Green Construction Skills Initiative, USGBC New York is creating necessary education and a certifi cation process for building trade profession-als. The Northern California Chapter – in partnership with Green for All, founded by Van Jones, businesses and organizations – is forming the Green Jobs Growth Alliance to make green jobs a reality for low-income communi-ties. Through the Arkansas Chapter, two initiatives have come to fruition: an affordable homes partnership to revitalize the community and NOLA 100, a rebuilding effort in New Orleans focused on energy conservation tech-nology to bring economic benefi ts to homeowners.

Closing keynote address E.O. Wilson and Janine BenyusFriday, Nov. 21, 11:00am-1:00pm

E.O. Wilson is a University Research Professor emeritus and honorary Curator of Entomology at the Museum of comparative Zoology at Harvard University. One of today’s fi nest schol-ars and naturalists, Dr. Wilson is the recipient of more than 100 internation-al medals and awards. He is a Pulitzer Prize winning author of several books in which he highlights the calamitous loss of species diversity going on today and calls on all of us to do what we can to prevent it.

Janine Benyus is the author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, which names an emerging discipline that seeks sustainable solu-tions by emulating nature’s designs and processes. A co-founder of the Biomimicry Guild and founder of the Biomimicry Institute, Ms. Benyus regularly consults with sustainable

environmental sustainability. In March of 2000 she established the HGCI, becoming the Director of this emerg-ing organization. She also co-instructs the Harvard Extension School course, Sustainability - The Challenge of Changing Our Institutions. She is the recipient of several awards includ-ing the Young Australian of the Year, NSW Environment Category, for her work in establishing the Environmental Management Program at the Univer-sity of New South Wales, Australia; a Churchill Fellowship to research best practice in university environmental management; and most outstand-ing paper for her contribution to the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.

The Greener Good: USGBC Chapters present local green jobs and social equity initiativesThursday, Nov. 20, 10:00am - 11:30am

This panel of distinguished USGBC chapter representatives will discuss

disability caused by toxic substances and other environmental hazards. Be-fore joining the CDC, Mr. Frumkin was professor and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, and professor of medicine at Emory Medical School. There he founded and directed the Environmental and Occupational Medicine Consultation Clinic. In 2004 he was named the Environmental Professional of the Year by the Georgia Environmental Council. He is the au-thor or co-author of over 100 scientifi c journal articles and chapters, and has written numerous books.

Best of GreenbuildLeith SharpDirector, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI)Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2:00pm - 3:30pm

Ms. Sharp has worked with universi-ties for the last 10 years to achieve organizational change in the pursuit of

E.O. WILSON JANINE BENYUS


eventsFees Full Day $375 National Member; $495 Non-Member Half Day $205 National Member; $275 Non-Member LEED for Homes Full Day $255 National Member; $325 Non-Member

You can refer to www.greenbuild365.org for the most up to date course offer-ings. A full list of Greenbuild’s offerings can be found at www.greenbuildexpo.org.

USGBC Education Provider Program. Choose your learning level, the topic you need, and the schedule you prefer. More detail on each of the programs is located at www.usgbc.org/education.

USGBC Education Provider ProgramsUSGBC Education Provider courses are developed by USGBC member organizations. Approved courses serve the needs of building professionals, LEED APs, and those who want to ex-pand their knowledge in green building best practices.

business, academic, and government leaders. She also conducts seminars, refl ecting on how to learn from the genius that surrounds us.

LEED WorkshopsGreenbuild offers a wide selection of USGBC LEED workshops taught by LEED Faculty and industry experts. These workshops take place before and after the conference education sessions. This year the conference will also feature a selection of programs that have been approved through the

The flow of communication in an office setting is impacted by the physical design of a space, which supports or hinders the intuitive distribution of knowledge through an organization, according to research in Environment and Behavior. To learn more about how effective space planning may increase connectivity, see our Research Summary, “Space Planning and Organizational Productivity.”


offi ces – and with the willingness of workers on every level to participate.

>Alternative means of commuting : Offi ce buildings are beginning to offer features that encourage alterna-tive transport – from preferred park-ing for carpoolers, to safe bike stor-age, to showering facilities for people who walk or bike to work. For offi ce parks lucky enough to have walking or jogging paths nearby, showering facilities can further promote mid-day exercise routines. Designers will consider privacy and comfort issues in the creation of such spaces.

>No commuting: “Every morning across seven continents, 402 million people rise ahead of the Sun to drag themselves into that smog-fi lled, oil-fuelled nightmare called the morning commute,” comments Lloyd Alter in his web article “Change the Way you Work.” For offi ce cultures that promote working off-site, the call to interior designers may come through a different sector: how can the layout and design of home offi ces promote

(Is this any different from govern-ment quelling the public into believ-ing that we can sit tight and hope for top-down solutions to perplexing problems? At what point must we realize our individual potential – what in the days of ancient Greece was called Civic Duty – to make a differ-ence?)

And what is the trade-off of “sit-ting tight”? Well, one unfortunate outcome is helplessness. In terms of green buildings, feelings of helpless-ness may have profound implica-tions for both the individual psyche and the collective participation in the greater goals of the building. How long can designers, engineers and architects attempt to isolate the building occupant from taking an active role in solutions? This is a question of ethical design. And, if the lessons being learned in the interior design of factory workplaces are a guide, active participation of the workplace users is an intrinsic part of lean thinking and its resultant rapid continuous improvement, i.e., profi tability.

The Sustainable WorkplaceThe sustainable workplace, of course, is a confl uence of many factors, including social dynamics, organizational culture and features of the built environment. Cultural issues and offi ce policy go a long way in set-ting the tone for sustainable behav-ior in the workplace. The question then becomes: how can the interior environment support and encourage these initiatives?

While not an exhaustive list of pos-sibilities, below are some of the areas where sustainable offi ce practices may intersect with the design of

Sustainable Workplace PracticesBy Laura Smith

Engaging the User in the Environ-mental Story

What changes are companies mak-ing in the way work gets done as we move into a sustainable futurew? What new behaviors are required for success? And how is workplace inte-rior design responding? We would like to make a small dent in these daunt-ingly important questions.

But fi rst, the Notion of Participat-ing in Environmental Performance

How does interior design attempt to engage occupants in the environ-mental performance of the design itself? When we create buildings that seamlessly attempt to relieve users of thoughtfulness, we may not be doing anyone a favor.

There may be select instances in which features of the interior environ-ment mandate stewardship behaviors (such as sensor lights and layouts that encourage stair use over elevators). There are, however, many sustainable measures which depend on participa-tion of the users, and, accordingly, rely on the attitude, knowledge and behaviors of the building occupants for a successful outcome.

Let’s dwell on this point for a mo-ment. A technologist may argue that the most sustainable buildings are those which ask little to nothing of the building occupant. Sit tight, happy worker, while the sphere of technology takes care of optimizing the perfor-mance of your green building. This mode of thinking tends to perceive the occupant as a threat to environ-mental performance (don’t open the windows in my perfectly conditioned building!), and not as an active par-ticipant in the building’s environmen-tal story.

opinion : concurrents


opinion : concurrentswas a concept that The Environments Group in Chicago knows well. Their offi ce on Wacker Drive has a large, beautiful kitchen with a bar counter, reusable dishes and seats overlooking the Chicago River.

The sustainable workplace needs to address considerations not only of building systems, materials, technol-ogy, but also the intersection of these design moments with the attitudes and behaviors of the building occu-pants.

Environmental crisis, depleted nat-ural resources and suburban sprawl will complicate the ability to continue working as we work today. Changes in the system are likely, if not inevitable, meaning that employers and the em-ployed alike will need to be involved in this dramatic paradigm shift. And interior designers will increasingly respond to – if not preempt – these challenges with sophisticated design solutions.

Laura Smith is working towards a PhD in Architecture at the University of Michigan. Prior to graduate studies, she worked for 5 years in the interior design department of Perkins+Will/Eva Maddox Branded Environments in Chicago. She can be reached at laura@offi ceinsight.com

personal expression. Additionally, issues of discomfort could adversely affect work performance if the energy reduction is not carried out with sensitivity.

>Sharing: Why is it that we teach our kids to share their toys, but adults are so often reluctant to do the same? We insist on having our own everything…lawn mowers, tools, technologies and books. I create literal and metaphorical fences around my “things” hoping to convey that they are “mine.” Where are the opportunities to reduce this kind of thinking in workplace design? It would be exciting indeed to see a workstation design that really tackles the concept of shared resources in the workplace.

>How we eat: Fast food and take out is not only more expensive, and often less healthy, it also generates much packaging waste. Organizations should honor the need for employees to get away from their desks and eat healthfully. Accordingly, offi ce kitch-ens should not be tucked in ugly corners with cramped real estate. They can alternatively be designed for hospitable food storage, prepara-tion and communal meal sharing. This

productivity? Or what kind of “third places” [places in between work and home] can support off-site work?

>The 4-day work week: The 4-day workweek has been proposed as a way to greatly reduce car commut-ing. Highways might be slightly more pleasant, but what would the offi c-escape look like if we even reduced commuting by 1 day a week for millions of people? Working longer hours 4 days a week, for example, may necessitate an increasing quality and quantity of places in the offi ce to relax and take breaks throughout the 10-hour day. Of course, the 4-day workweek has its proponents and critics. The success of this strategy will ultimately depend on the type of business in question.

>Dressing for the “condition”: If we know that we can save signifi cant amounts of energy by (even slightly) reducing the conditioning in offi ces -- are we willing to dress differently to achieve that end? Are women willing to wear sweaters, scarves or leg-warmers in the winter? Will we all be wearing Bermuda shorts in the sum-mer? This question may be the end of the line for some, as it begins to intersect environmental issues with


interiors

interior design practice. The plan calls for action by all the stakeholders in the interior design industry, includ-ing; associations, industry partners, interior design fi rms, practitioners, clients, academic institutions, and educators. The educators can’t do it by themselves.

The document will be posted on the IDEC website, idec.org by Novem-ber 17. Please contact me with any questions you may have and ideas for funding support. I can be reached at 630-961-0703 or 630-346-7923 cell or [email protected].

I am still working on my Facebook account, number, photo, etc. I need to fi gure out a few things… wall writing and all of that good stuff. For you who have already reached out, thank you! I will respond to your kind invitations. I will be honored to be your friend and mutual supporter of interior design education. I share your passion.

Georgy Olivieri, LEED AP, MBA, is president of GO Initiatives. She can be reached at [email protected]

the future of interior design education.The young interior designers are

the future of our profession. I encour-age them to mobilize with likeminded interior designers, including those not so young, to facilitate change in our profession.

Attention all interior designers, who really care about sustaining the future of interior design education:

We need you to talk with the leader-ship of your fi rms and companies. You have the power to change our pro-fession and it begins with advocacy. Ask your leaders if they are aware of the problem and their aspirations to improve the situation. >Are they getting involved with the IDEC Sustaining Interior Design Educa-tion? >Are they considering ways to help practitioners move into education to share their rich legacy of experience?>Do they value advanced graduate education that can provide quantitative and qualitative research supporting the value of interior design for clients? >How are they giving back to the pro-fession through education? >Do they partner with academic insti-tutions or do they plan to in the future?

Talk to your peers and your manage-ment teams. You might be surprised how many practitioners are not yet aware of the problem and certainly are not familiar with the complexity of the situation.

The good news is that we have developed a set of positive recommen-dations, a real implementation plan for short term and long term results fostered by IDEC. The Kimball Offi ce Working Group Report, Sustaining Interior Design Education is a his-toric document developed by leading experts in the fi eld of education and

Ah-ha! Moment on Facebookby Georgy Olivieri

Venturing into the world of the un-known, I recently signed up for Facebook. As promoted on its web-site, Facebook helps you connect and share with people in your life. I would argue that it helps you do much more. It empowers people, especially young people, to mobilize and facilitate change in new and unique ways. Our recent election is a positive testimonial to their effectiveness.

For me, Facebook provided unex-pected reinforcement and new ideas about building awareness of the de-clining pool of qualifi ed interior design educators. We have been seeking sup-port and funding from all the diverse stakeholders in the interior design pro-fession to launch IDEC’s Sustaining Interior Design Education Initiative. Perhaps, we have overlooked the most powerful infl uencers in our industry, the young new generation of interior designers. After all, they have person-ally experienced the problem.

When I signed onto my Facebook account, I had a huge ‘ah-ha’ mo-ment. I was surprised to fi nd a large number of people who wanted to be my ‘friend.’ Learning a whole new lingo, that means people want to reach out to you and communicate their thoughts (so be a little cautious). When I reviewed the photos of the people, I didn’t recognize many. However, I noticed a strong commonality. Most are young interior design profession-als from many fi rms and across all of North America.

These people must have been faithfully reading offi ceinsight to know about the IDEC Sustaining Interior Design Education Initiative. How else would they have known to reach out to me? My takeaway is that young interior design professionals really care about


eco-issues

and energy. We have made a differ-ence.

However, this project of mine has made me realize there is one aspect of our business we have yet to infl uence: construction.

A few weeks ago I bemoaned my sloth by not salvaging all of the old framing lumber that went into the dumpster. I should have removed the remnants of old drywall, plucked out the remaining fasteners and stacked the “clean” lumber for reuse. But I didn’t and I regretted it. But I didn’t fully realize how much of a difference that salvage operation could have

productive food growth and sometimes deprive wildlife of habitat. Our projects sometimes cram people together in environments with bad acoustics, lack of natural light, no direct access to fresh air and no views to the outdoors. What we do nearly always involves the use of tremendous amounts of natural resources and energy. We bad.

To our praise, we have infl uenced many of the manufacturers we support (through our specifi cations), enjoining them to become less wasteful; this has resulted in tremendous progress with respect to streamlining many aspects of their businesses, saving resources

Chapter Fifteen: Waste Not, Want Notby Kathleen Vick, ASID

“Waste not, want not” was my grand-mother’s mantra. Gramma, the woman who raised fi ve children during the depression, frequently took care of me during the day until I went to kinder-garten and taught me the fi ne art of thrift. Yes, Gramma practiced sustain-ability back in the days when it was just how people did things.

Sometimes I am deeply troubled by my profession. After all, almost everything we interior designers (and architects and contractors and developers and manufacturers) do involves exploitation and waste. Our projects sometimes take land out of

KATHLEEN’S WHEELBARROW


eco-issuesAt the end of every day, just as the

guys are beginning their clean-up, I begin mine. I pick up all the stuff that can be recycled: nails, screws, soda cans, water bottles, paper cartons-all the fl otsam and jetsam found on jobsites that normally just gets heaved into the dumpster. Every other day I manage to fi ll an entire wheelbarrow with recycling. Have I become Crazy-Anglo-Lady-Collecting-Caca? I think of how much material I manage to save from the landfi ll and I suppose I am willing to live with becoming a character.

It’s all well and good for us in the design community to talk about our LEED points and feel self-satisfi ed about specifying those mass quanti-ties of sustainable products. We need open our eyes to the reality of what we are really involved in; we need to do more; we need to get our hands clean.

Does anyone know a few someones who can start some new businesses? Can someone do something?

tion sites that can be fi lled with demoli-tion lumber. Someone needs to hire people to clean and stack that demo framing lumber onto pallets and sell it, at least for blocking. Someone needs to do something because what we are now doing with used lumber during demolition is wrong; it’s just mindless wastefulness. My gramma would give those guys an earful if she were still alive!

That’s only part of the story. The oth-er part is scrap: all those bits less than 14 ½” long that are simply discarded. Someone needs to start a business. Someone needs to supply dumpsters to construction sites, free of charge, which can be fi lled with scraps of wood. Someone needs to make those scraps into mulch, composite materi-als, or reconstitute them into fi replace logs or something else for crying out loud. Something needs to happen with all of this wood that simply gets thrown into the landfi ll and does not decay. It is a wanton disregard for our natural resources.

made until we took delivery of our new framing lumber.

I have been around construction sites for more than 35 years and I was stunned to see the condition of #2 (or better) framing lumber; it bears testa-ment to the tragedy that has befallen our forests. I have never seen wood with so much bark, sap, twist, knots, checks and shenanigans. What’s more, I was totally horrifi ed that my contractor just accepted that junk. “Don’t bother culling, Kathleen. It will just make you crazy”, Brandon told me, “It’s all coming in like that. There is absolutely nothing you can do. We’ll just use the worst of it for blocking.” I could have used my salvage for block-ing! I could have saved at least one pallet; I could have saved a few trees; I let straight, dry framing lumber go to the landfi ll and, in exchange, I paid good money for trash wood. And I am not alone.

Someone needs to start a new business. Someone needs to supply dumpsters, free of charge, to construc-

WOOD WASTE


PRODUCT INTRO> Designtex, a Steelcase company, introduced the Destinations Collection. Inspiration for the uphol-stery and vinyl wallcovering collection comes from travel destinations that include fl ea markets, farmers’ market, palaces and fashion dis-tricts. The collection features extreme performance fabrics and value priced patterns. http://designtex.com

> The HON Company added three fabric color options to its F3 chair. Ilira-stretch is now offered in slate, sand-stone, and earth, as well as

to be used under any type of fl ooring and can also be embedded in poured fl ooring like resin or tile screed. However, the material cannot be used under metallic or highly conductive fl ooring. The materials are offered on 39.4 in (100 cm) wide rolls with a length of 1969 in (50 m) with four RFID-tags/m2. The impact sound insula-tion is EN ISO 9239-1:2002 (according to the radiant panel test) certifi ed and is suited for castor chairs (according to EN 985:2001) under tufting fl ooring. Embed-ded in resin, the glass fi ber reinforcement with tags passes the pressure test DIN EN 12390-3 with up to 45 MPa (45 N/mm2). Applications are for the navigation of robots, the logistics and locating of goods and products, as guidance system in e.g. stores as well as collecting of information of the course of movement of customers with shopping carts.

This column is published in collaboration with Material ConneXion. For more infor-mation regarding the material previewed, please contact Michael LaGreca at [email protected]. T: 212.842.2050.

MATERIAL OF THE WEEK

MC# 6253-01Textiles for fl ooring with integrated RFID-tags for navigation and logistic applications. RFID-tags (radio frequency identifi cation) serve as invisible land-marks to support the navigation of robotic vehicles or the localization of movable objects as long as they are equipped with a scanner and wireless data communica-tion. The passive RFID-tags receive their energy from the electromagnetic fi eld of the scanner and therefore do not need their own power source. Information that was sent from the scanner can be saved in the RFID-tag, e.g. for logistic purposes. The RFID-tags consist of 33% PET, 66% polyamide, aluminum as well as a silicon chip. The manufacturer currently offers an optional impact sound insulation and a fi ber glass reinforcement material in which the RFID-tags are integrated. The impact sound insulation, based on polyes-ter non-woven, is suitable to be used un-der laminates and carpeting and the fi ber glass reinforcement material is suitable

black. Ilira-stretch is made using a warp-knit technology, providing a multi-directional stretch and giving the fabric resilience for lumbar support that moves with the user. The F3 ilira-stretch chair has HON’s limited lifetime warranty and received SCS Indoor Advantage Gold. http://www.HON.com.

> Pallas Textiles features three of its newest uphol-stery collections at Health-care Design 2008: Pure Luxury, Common Ground and Simply Real Collections. Pure Luxury combines basic design with contemporary tex-tures, materials and colors to DESIGNTEX: DESTINATION HON: F3


and Richard Carruthers, Vice President European Commer-cial Business Development, both of whom are leaving the company. The company said that Mr. Yamauchi’s past experience as CEO of Friedman Corporation along with the experience acquired since joining 20-20 will help to develop and implement winning growth strategies. In addition, both International and Commercial teams will now report directly to Jean-François Grou, President and COO. www.2020Technologies.com

> 20-20 Technologies Inc. entered into an agreement to transfer part of its business activities in the Benelux market to Simar automatiser-ing bv of Amsterdam, The company is 20-20 Technolo-gies’ local distributor for the Fusion product. Simar is a distributor of kitchen and bath design software and is the developer of the software products, KIMS and SIMS, used for business manage-ment. The transaction en-sures that current customer service, business contracts and pricing will remain intact www.2020Technologies.com

> Abu Dhabi National Exhibi-tions Co. and RMJM, project architects, submitted a joint application to the Guinness Book of Records to recognize the Capital Gate Tower as the “most inclined in the world.” Capital Gate, under construction in the UAE capital city, leans westward an astonishing 18 degrees; by comparison the Leaning

of Wright Design Associates in Rochester, NY, is a graduate of Syracuse University, and has over 30 years experi-ence as an interior designer and educator. Ms. Wright specializes in space planning and design of older structures and adaptive re-use of both residential and commercial interiors. She has many vis-ible projects in the region, including the Hochstein Memorial Performance Hall, and the historic Park Church in Elmira, NY. Both projects received design awards from the regional chapter of the ASID. Her “Master Bedroom” design for the 2002 RPO Symphony Showhouse won an International Design Guild Award.

> 20-20 Technologies Inc., announced Mr. Craig Yamauchi, Executive Vice President, will assume leadership for both resi-dential points of sale and manufacturing sectors in North America. He replaces Luc Larocque, Executive Vice President, Retail Sales North America and International,

well as quick disconnect plugs for electrical termina-tions. The ballast module twists off for easy relamping and maintenance. http://www.schreder.com

NOTEWORTHY> Arlene A. Wright received the ASID Chapter Medal-ist Award from the New York Upstate Canada East Chapter of ASID. The award is given in recognition of outstanding service and signifi cant contributions to an ASID chapter, to the Society, and to the overall profession of interior design. Ms. Wright, principal designer and owner

create a simple, elegant up-holstery collection for health-care spaces. The Common Ground collection offers four patterns; Holy Cow, Turtle Neck, Work Horse and Busy Bee, all featuring rich colors that complement existing fi nishing standards, giving de-signers additional options for aesthetics and performance. Common Ground is durable, cleanable and appropriate for healthcare interiors. Simply Real’s four patterns, de-signed by Laura Guido-Clark, highlight uniquely hued color combinations in fabrics made of recycled and recyclable materials. http://www.pal-lastextiles.com

> Schréder Lighting USA introduced Albany lumi-naires with the Sealsafe Optical System. Sealsafe is a hermetically sealed opti-cal unit that prevents dust and water from entering the unit and ensuring lifetime protection. Albany features all aluminum construction for corrosion-resistance in any environment, tool-free access to high effi ciency refl ectors and the ballast module, as

PALLAS: COMMON GROUND

SCHRÉDER: ALBANY

ARLENE WRIGHT CRAIG YAMAGUCHI


http://www.aia.org/idp_out-standingfi rm.

> Thornton Tomasetti opened two offi ces in the United Arab Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The company is currently working on projects in six countries in the region. In Abu Dhabi, the fi rm is lead-ing the structural engineering of the zero-energy Masdar Headquarters building, the Tameer Towers and a resort at Al Raha Beach. In Dubai, the Thornton Tomasetti is assisting Turner International with roof construction at the Dubai Mall, developing schematic design for the Meraas Tower, and as-sisting with structural design of the Jumeira Road and Al Wasl Road bridges. Kyle Krall, a principal of Thornton Tomaset-ti, will relocate to the region in January to operate the Abu Dhabi and Dubai offi ces. www.ThorntonTomasetti.com

> Trendway sales continue to climb in spite of a fl at market. Sales for the com-pany were up 7% in 2007 and sales for September and October, 2008 were the high-est in the company’s 40 year history. Trendway also continues to show success relative to its Federal Govern-ment business. President, Bill Bundy, credits its success to the company’s service model which promises a complete, ready-for-people workplace, on time, as promised. Com-pany vice-president, Mark Dlugolecki, also credits the dealers, sales representatives and fi eld leadership for cus-tomer satisfaction. http://www.trendway.com

> McCoy Workplace Solu-tions launched McCoy Healthcare Solutions, a new division to better serve the needs of the area’s numerous major health and medical institutions. The new division of the Houston Steelcase dealer is now the exclusive Houston-area supplier of the Nurture by Steelcase line of furnishings and solutions for the healthcare industry. Ken Beaver, vice president of sales and marketing for Mc-Coy Workplace Solutions, is leading the new initiative.

> The Outstanding Firm Awards 2008-2011 went to fi ve architecture fi rms selected through the Intern Development Program. The fi rms not only satisfi ed the requirements for recognition with the IDP Firm Award, but demonstrated a commitment to the program by going above and beyond the baseline criteria. The IDP Outstand-ing Firm Awards and the IDP Firm Awards are part of a new program which aims to honor not only the fi rms with the most remarkable dedication to the IDP, but also those who meet baseline criteria in their dedication to the IDP. Submis-sions for the new program are accepted on a rolling basis, with jury cutoff dates occur-ring twice a year on January 15 and July 15. Recipients maintain their award for three years. The 2008-2011 IDP Firm Awards recipients are >BSA LifeStructures>Gould Evans Associates>HKW Associates>Rosenbaum Design Group>SHP Leading Design.

ing the employee experi-ences with the professionals’ opinions data pointed to some unexpected misconceptions, enlightening data, and useful recommendations on correc-tive, risk-reducing measures. Atlas now offers the fi rst of three separate white papers based on this research. The fi rst paper highlights the re-lationship between employee demographics and work-related discomfort. A copy of the white paper is available for free from Atlas Ergonom-ics at http://www.atlasergo.com/contact.

> The Los Angeles chapter of the AIA gave top honors to three projects for built architecture.- The Water + Life Museums and Campus in Hemet, CA, by Lehrer + Gangi Design + Build- The Art Center College of Design’s South Campus in Pasadena, CA, by Daly Genik - NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, MD, by Morphosis.Twenty-fi ve awards were given to Los Angeles architects for projects across the United States and around the world.

Tower of Pisa leans less than 4 degrees. The new tower, scheduled for completion at the end of 2009, is being constructed on top of a dense mesh of reinforced steel, which sits above a distribution of 490 piles drilled 30 meters underground. http://www.rmjmpress.com/2008/10/27/capital-gate-set-to-enter-guinness-book-of-records-as-worlds-most-inclined-tower

> AGATI Furniture will furnish the new Portola and renovated Richmond branches of the San Fran-cisco Public Library. The Portola Branch library will fea-ture Williams study tables and computer carrels and DePaul chairs. The new branch, to be completed in December, was designed by Chris Noll of Noll & Tam Architects and furniture was specifi ed by Susannah Meek of S Meek Architecture. The renovated Richmond Branch library, one of the oldest branches in San Francisco, will include Antrim study tables, Myles computer carrels, and DePaul benches. The project was designed by the San Francisco Bureau of Architecture. http://www.agati.com

> Atlas recently compared the results of randomly-drawn employee surveys to data from questioning health, safety and ergonom-ics professionals. The profes-sionals were asked their opin-ions on risks faced in different jobs; by people of different ages, weights and genders; and by those using different types of furniture. Compar- LA AIA


> Knoll’s Miami showroom achieved LEED-CI Silver certifi cation. To achieve this certifi cation, the showroom incorporated a number of environmental design ele-ments, including: maximized use of natural light and, where necessary, fl uorescent fi xtures with optimized energy performance, carpeted fl oors with a backing that contains 76% post-consumer materi-als, Eco-Spec paint low in VOCs, Energy Star rated ap-pliances, Forest Stewardship Council-certifi ed wood on Knoll workstations, GREEN-GUARD Indoor Air Quality Certifi ed Knoll products, and recycled building materials.

> The WAC Lighting manu-facturing plant achieved zero landfi ll status. Nothing from its manufacturing efforts goes into a landfi ll. It’s all reused and recycled. In addition, the plant recycles water and wastewater for landscaping and other needs, offers test-ing laboratories that are UL approved, and offers lead-free capabilities from all of its powder coasts, fi nishes and other manufacturing materi-als. www.waclighting.com

development that brings elements together into a neighborhood and relates the neighborhood to its larger region and landscape. Strategies under consider-ation include the restora-tion and enhancement of Red Sandstone Creek and associated onsite wetlands, selecting a previously devel-oped and environmentally degraded site as opposed to using a previously unde-veloped site and designing and constructing buildings to use 20-30% less energy and 30-50% less water than conventional construction. For more information about the project, which is cur-rently in the planning stages and subject to government approvals, visit: http://www.evervail.com

> KI received the 2008 WasteWise Gold Achieve-ment Award for Packaging Reduction. KI was honored for the second times with a Gold Achievement Award by the Environmental Protec-tion Agency for its program that eliminated 6.29 million pounds of industrial waste and raw materials as a re-sult of product redesign and recycling activities in 2007. The prevention program saved the company more than $500,000 in costs last year. WasteWise is a free, voluntary EPA program through which organizations eliminate costly munici-pal solid waste and select industrial wastes, benefiting their bottom line as well as the environment. http://www.ki.com

RE-SITED> Darin Daguanno joined SmithGroup. Detroit, MI. Mr. Daguanno is a former project designer/architect of inSTUDIO in Northville, MI. He will work with SmithGroup’s Offi ce/Work-place, Government & Cultural Studios. http://www.smithgroup.com

> Bruce Rhoades joined Kling-Stubbins’, Cambridge, MA, as Director of Interiors. With over 20 years of industry experience, he will provide interior design leadership and design expertise. His notable projects include the national headquarters of American Public Television, the student center classrooms of MIT’s Stata Center, and offi ce renovations at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. http://www.klingstubbins.com

ENVIRONMENT> The Ever Vail village development project was awarded Platinum in a LEED Green Building Pilot Program, Neighborhood Development. The LEED-ND rating system encourages environmentally superior

> The Watercube won the Jorn Utzon Award for Inter-national Architecture. Also known as the Chinese Na-tional Aquatic Center where the 2008 Olympic Swimming and Diving Competitions were held, the Watercube was a joint collaboration with the Australian fi rm PTW Architects, Chinese prac-tices CSCEC, CCDI and the international fi rm, Arup. The building’s structure is framed in steel, while the bubbles are made from ETFE (Ethylene tetrafl uoroethylene) pillows measuring 0.2 mm thick. The membrane lets in more light and heat than traditional glass does; keeping all 5 pools warmer and reducing energy costs by 30%. In addition, rainwater was collected and recycled and a LED lighting system was installed.

> What kind of walks are best for you? Longer, mod-erately-paced daily walks (40 minutes at 60% to 65% maxi-mum heart rate) are best for losing weight; shorter, faster walks (20-25 minutes at 75% to 85% maximum heart rate) are best for conditioning your heart and lungs.

THE WATERCUBE BRUCE RHOADES

KNOLL MIAMI


studio Kaikai Kiki.- Banners of Persuasion: Fif-teen artists explore a medium foreign to their usual practice, experimenting within the lost world of wall-hanging tapestry for the exhibition, ‘Demons, Yarns and Tales.’- altreforme: All the objects are made exclusively in aluminum selected from the best alloys used in the automotive fi eld.- GlassLab: The Corning Museum of Glass returns with its program, GlassLab and will feature live performances allowing viewers to experience the excitement of hot glass-making. http://www.designmi-ami.com

> The Interiors Awards Breakfast will be held Janu-ary 30, 2009, 7:30-10:30 am. The 30th annual event, at Cipriani 42nd Street, 110 East 42nd Street, NYC, is hosted by Contract Magazine. More than 600 design professionals will attend the Interiors Awards Breakfast to pay tribute to this year’s winning design teams and the Designer of the Year.

> The Real Architecture series continues with four upcoming events. The series opens November 13 with a special presentation on the Stirling Prize-nominated West-minster Academy. The lecture will take place in the Academy at The Naim Dangoor Centre, 225 Harrow Road, London, England. Series events on No-vember 20, 27 and December 3 will be held at The Royal College of Physicians, 11 St. Andrews Place, Regents’ Park. http://www.architecturefoun-dation.org

discuss SSL/LED lighting and open panel discussions with a focus on how the technology can be used today. http://www.architecturalssl.com/archled/attendance.php

> The Center for Health Design, Concord, CA, will be at HealthCare Design 2008 in Washington, DC, Nov. 8-11. CHD is a nonprofi t research and advocacy organization for transforming healthcare set-tings into healing environments that improve outcomes through the creative use of evidence-based design. The CHD booth, located across from Registra-tion at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD, is replete with helpful information for the visitor. They suggest that the visitor:- Ask about EDAC, an evi-dence-based design accredita-tion & certifi cation program- Pick up you complimentary copy of EDAC Study Guide One and enter to win a Think Chair from Nurture by Steelcase- Browse through the library with EBD educational tools and resources- Meet CHD Board Members, Volunteers and Staff- Look at the latest book from the CHD Research CoalitionWorkshop and presentations on November 9 include:- Creating the Research Road-map for Developing Safe and High Quality Buildings: Are We There? - The Pebble Project: A Re-search Initiative Defi ned- EDAC (Evidence-based De-sign Accreditation & Certifi ca-tion) Exam Preparation

PROJECTS> EMCOR Group, Inc. sub-sidiary, University Marelich Mechanical will upgrade and convert mechanical systems for the California State Uni-versity Channel Islands. The company will install the HVAC and plumbing systems and will convert purchased steam into chilled and heated water.

> Welsbach Electric was contracted for electrical upgrades of The Wantagh State Parkway, NY. The project includes the modernization of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and lighting up-grade for the parkway located approximately 30 miles east of Manhattan that links the Ocean Parkway at Jones Beach State Park with the Northern State Parkway in Westbury. http://www.EMCORGroup.com

EVENTS> ArchLED’08 comes to the Merchandise Mart, 222 Mer-chandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL, November 12-14, 2008. Architectural SSL magazine and its publisher, Construction Business Media LLC (CBM) teamed with the Midwest En-ergy Effi ciency Alliance (MEEA) to create a one-of-a-kind sum-mit and exhibition that takes a critical look at the application of solid-state/LED lighting in the built environment. ArchLED’08 will analyze the potential of this revolutionary new technol-ogy and will provide extensive exhibit space showcasing what is available and what is in development. There also will be educational sessions to

For a complete list of events, visit http://www.hcd08.com

> Designs for Living: Public Architecture and Design Excellence is the theme for a panel discussion on Novem-ber 10. Held at the Center for Architecture, 536 La Guardia Place, NYC, 5:30-8:00 pm, the discussion will focus on build-ing typologies that shape com-munities and urban designs that defi ne our city. A panel of leaders with expertise in planning and design of public spaces and buildings will pres-ent recent planning, land-scape and building projects in New York City and planning concepts in New Jersey. http://www.aiany.org/calendar

> Design Miami/ offers design perspectives with the Satel-lite Exhibitions. The exhibi-tions, December 3-6, are held in the Miami Design District within walking distance of the main Design Miami/ exhibition.-Masterpieces and Materials Past and Present Meta: Meta, a new company, by antiques house Mallett, will present its debut collection. Mallett specializes in 18th century furniture and objects. - Al Sabah Art & Design pres-ents ALEF: The Al-Sabah Art & Design Collection is a new contemporary art and design gallery from the owner and founder of Villa Moda.- Kaikai Kiki: Kaikai Kiki will participate in Design Miami/ for the fi rst time, showing newly designed and produced objects. On view will be a se-lection of functional and deco-rative design works, produced by Takashi Murakami with his


JOB SITETo place ads:ad@offi ceinsight.com Billing information:brad@offi ceinsight.comOr, call or fax:T 203 966 5008F 203 972 6512

Textiles leadership decided to create an umbrella company, Momentum Group. We are a quality award winning company, and many of our customer service programs are recognized as best practice. Job Responsibilities include: - Introduction and education of new products - Developing strong relationships with key accounts - Keeping all customer sampling up to date - Meeting sales targets and expense budgets - Providing customers with key information and sampling to meet specifi c project needs Qualifi cations: - College degree required - Knowledge of the Contract Industry a must. - Interior Design and/or Dealer sales experience preferred. - Must have a positive attitude, strong people and communica-tion skills, be a creative thinker and have self-motivation. Qualifi ed candidates will also have 2-3 years of design/indus-try experience in a contract/ commercial market. IIDA and/or NEWH membership or affi liation desired.

Candidate should be comfortable with frequent travel.

Please send resume including salary requirements to:

Momentum Group Attn: HR Sales Fax: 949-833-0497 Email: [email protected] No phone calls please.

E.O.E. M/F/V/H

Sales Representative IN, AL, NY Jasper, IN Birmingham, AL Upstate NY

Momentum Group, a leading supplier of contract textiles, is growing and expanding our sales force with the addition of three highly motivated Sales Represen-tatives. The territories are: Jasper, Indiana, Birmingham, Alabama and Upstate New York.

Ideal candidates will possess strong people and communication skills, have a positive attitude, and be self-motivated. If you have the drive and related experience to excel in Contract Textiles Sales, we encourage you to apply!

Our major products include woven fabrics, vinyl, panel, and cubicle cloth, as well as extensive custom services. In addition to provid-ing customized card programs to virtually every major furniture manufacturer, we offer unique color coordinated lines for the Architectural and Design contract market.

With three distinct commercial fabric brands, the Momentum

© 2008 offi cesite, inc.24 East Avenue (#1299)New Canaan, CT 06840

Bradford J. Powellbrad@offi ceinsight.comT 203 966 5008F 203 972 6512

Jean Linjean@offi ceinsight.comT 203 912 7423

www.offi ceinsight.com

Area Representative South/Midwest Territory

dTank Seeks Area Representa-tive This is a great time to join the dTank organization as it deepens and broadens its brand. dTank is a leading virtual manufacturer in North America that signifi cantly expands tra-ditional custom- and millwork offi ce furnishings by taking A&D-designed products, in a broad range of materials, from conception to installation.

dTank is looking for a staff Area Representative to continue the development of its South/Mid-west territory: Texas, Colorado, and other south Midwestern states. Currently, dTank’s dealer network in the area market-ing and selling the company’s services and products includes dealerships in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Albu-querque.

Responsibilities for this Area Representative include develop-ing business and projects for dTank and expanding and maintaining the network of exclusive or semi exclusive dealers for dTank in each of the Area’s markets. Specifi cally, the Area Representative will help

the dTank dealers achieve suc-cess and profi tability from their dTank-related efforts through marketing support, training, joint A&D project calls and related activities.

This is a hands-on position that requires business development and an ability to close transac-tions and to build a strong dealer network in the Area. This individual selected will be self-starting and energetic and enthusiastic about the develop-ment of custom products for the A& D community. They will also enjoy traveling, have a manu-facture/dealer background and be able to bring knowledge to the Area dealerships and their sales people and clients.

Compensation includes a base salary, commission on all the bookings from his territory, T&E expenses and health insurance. This is a wonderful opportunity for a young person that wants to grow and take on a challenge with career and signifi cant-earnings potential.

For additional insight, please visit www.dTank.com

Interested persons should send their resume to [email protected]


businessto 41.4 in September, reversing three consecutive months of modest improvement. This index has been below 50 (the line of demarcation between expansion and contraction) since February. Historically, new project business related to new con-struction represents about 40-50% of industry demand. Given the long lead time between planning and completion of new offi ce space, high construction costs, and tight credit condi-tions, weakness in new project-related demand may prove to be the most signifi cant revenue headwind for offi ce furniture manufacturers in 2009.

> The current BIFMA forecast (updated in August) anticipates negative industry growth in both 2008 and 2009. BIFMA estimates 2008 offi ce furniture orders and shipments will decline 2.4% and 3.9%, respectively, which implies a further deterioration this year given year-to-date orders and shipments are essentially fl at. For 2009, BIFMA projects a 10.8% order decline and a 10.4% drop in shipments. While that forecast feels a bit too dire, our economic crystal ball is admittedly cracked given the ongoing fi nancial/political maelstrom.

> As we noted in last month’s update, the attractiveness of offi ce furniture equities seemingly hinges on 2009 earnings power. Historically, offi ce furniture equities have commanded mid-high teens multiples on forward EPS. With the group median forward P/E now less than 10x, the market is clearly pricing in downside risk to EPS. Each of our companies under coverage is well-managed and high quality, boasting indi-vidual competitive strengths and positive cash fl ow dynamics. Importantly, they have generally worked to lessen their reliance on the U.S. offi ce furniture market though expansion into new geographies and end markets; and have improved their respec-tive cost structures through various savings and effi ciency initiatives. Finally, the negative impact of rising commodity costs seems likely to moderate over the next few quarters as price increases catch up with infl ation. Net-net, the companies are better-positioned to weather the storm than they were prior to the 2000-2002 decline, and would likely be able to gener-ate some EPS growth even assuming a modest decline in U.S. demand. However, should the BIFMA forecast prove accurate, that would become considerably more challenging.

RAYMOND JAMES BRIEF 11 03 08

BIFMA: September Orders -2%; Shipments -1%Analyst(s): Budd Bugatch

> On All Hallows Eve, the Business and Institutional Furni-ture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) released its market statistics for September 2008. The month’s order and ship-ment statistics are derived from a sampling of 38 companies in the contract offi ce furniture industry whose combined ship-ments make up about 75% of total industry volume. While orders and shipments were negative, the September data was not as scary as we might have feared given a host of eco-nomic ghouls and goblins.

> BIFMA estimates September contract offi ce furniture orders fell 2% year-over-year (our table shows -1% due to rounding differences), compared with a 1% decline in August. Septem-ber shipments fell 1%, versus down 4% in August. The 2% order decline for September compares with fl at orders in the prior year; an easier comp versus August 2007’s 3% increase. The September order decline moderated sequentially, but also benefi ted from an easier comparison; +5% in September 2007 compared with +7% in August 2007. Year-to-date orders are fl at, while shipments are down 1%; a clear slowdown com-pared with mid-single-digit growth in 2007 and mid- to high single-digit growth in 2006, but not a disaster.

> Our cautious outlook for the offi ce furniture industry stems from concern that diffi cult macroeconomic conditions will translate into continued deterioration in industry demand, thereby pressuring sales and earnings for our companies under coverage. Historically, the primary drivers of industry demand include business confi dence, corporate profi ts, white-collar employment, new offi ce construction, and offi ce vacancy rates. These statistics remain under pressure.

> The AIA Architecture Billings Index (a leading indicator of non-residential construction) plunged from 47.6 in August


businesstion into four primary market verticals within the EMS segment has also proven to be a sound decision given the current state of the automotive industry. In addition, we realized approxi-mately $2.7 million of pre-tax benefi ts in the fi rst quarter relat-ed to the workforce reduction restructuring actions announced in fi scal year 2008 in both of our segments. And we will see further benefi t from the additional effi ciencies and cost savings we will be realizing in the future as our European restructuring actions are completed. We remain cautious on the near-term business outlook given the uncertainty in the world markets, but all of these actions should better position us for the future.”Furniture Segment (Dollars in millions)

3 Mos. Ended 9/30/08 9/30/07 %Ch.Net Sales $156.6 $155.9 0%Inc. Cont. Oper. $3.2 $5.1 -37%

The company reported that income from continuing operations in the furniture segment was lower than the prior year primar-ily as a result of supply chain cost increases on purchased fi nished product, higher commodity costs, higher freight and fuel costs, and a sales mix shift to lower margin product. In ad-dition, the current year fi rst quarter was negatively impacted by an increase in LIFO inventory reserves associated with infl ation in select raw materials. Partially offsetting the higher costs were price increases on select product, benefi ts realized from the previously announced workforce reduction restructuring activi-ties and lower incentive compensation costs.

Mr. Thyen noted that Kimball’s contract offi ce focused brand has been under the greatest pressure, which has benefi ted its mid-market brand. The outlook for hospitality is “neutral or decline,” he added. “What remains to be seen is whether our excellence in service and quality will enable us to obtain a larger share of the hospitality market even though the overall market is slower.”

“Our fi nancial strength gives us a unique position during this time of world economic turmoil,” said Mr. Thyen. “We continue to use our strong balance sheet to look for growth organically and through acquisitions.”

A major contributor to the company’s balance sheet in the second quarter will be the sale of the more than 27,000 acres of timber and farmland auctioned off Nov. 6-8.

Kimball’s Nov. 5 conference call will be archived at www.ir.kimball.com for approximately 90 days. A telephone replay will be available through November 19, 2008, at 888-286-8010 or internationally at 617-801-6888. The pass code to access the replay is 18081719.

BUSINESS AFFAIRS> HNI Corp. announced Nov. 7 that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of 21.5 cents per share on its common stock, payable on Dec. 1, 2008, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Nov. 17. This is the 215th consecutive dividend that the corporation has paid since its fi rst dividend in 1955.

> Kimball International, Inc., on Nov. 5 reported results for fi scal year 2009 fi rst quarter, which ended September 30. (Figures exclude the results of discontinued operations.)Financial Highlights(Dollars in millions, except per share data)

3 Mos. Ended 9/30/08 9/30/07 %Ch.Net Sales $339.5 $333.9 2%Gross Profit $58.5 $67.8 -13.7%SG&A $53.3 $59.5 -10.4%Inc.Cont.Oper. $2.2 $6.6 -67%EPS Cont.Oper. $0.06 $0.17 -65%

First quarter fi scal year 2009 net sales increased 3% in the Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) segment when compared with the prior year, while net sales in the Furniture segment remained fl at with prior year as higher net sales of hospitality furniture were offset by a decline in net sales of of-fi ce furniture.

The company attributed the decline in SG&A costs primarily to lower incentive compensation costs and benefi ts realized as a result of the previously announced workforce reduction restructuring.

Operating cash fl ow for the fi rst quarter was $14.0 million compared to $17.4 million in the fi rst quarter of the prior year. The Company’s net cash position from an aggregate of cash and short-term investments less short-term borrowings decreased to $22.3 million at September 30, 2008, compared to $29.8 million at June 30, 2008, as cash fl ow generated from operations was more than offset by cash payments during the quarter for capital expenditures, an acquisition, and dividends.

James C. Thyen, Chief Executive Offi cer and President, stated, “The volatility in the fi nancial market, general uncertainty glob-ally and the tighter credit markets are impeding growth in both of our segments, but particularly in our Furniture segment. We increased our sales and marketing investments and introduced signifi cant new products to the furniture market over the last couple of years which has provided us a better opportunity for sales growth in the Furniture segment. Our strategic diversifi ca-


businessbanking system and improve availability of credit. We are hope-ful that the declining energy and commodity prices will help strengthen consumer confi dence and lead to an improvement in the fl ooring market next year.”Segment Information(Dollars in millions, except per share data)

3 Mos. Ended 9/27/08 9/29/07 Net sales:Mohawk $953.8 $1,076.7Dal-Tile $472.0 $497.4Unilin $357.8 $378.4Oper. Inc.:Mohawk ($224.4) $77.0Dal-Tile ($430.5) $63.1Unilin ($550.1) $71.0

9 Mos. Ended 9/27/08 9/29/07Net sales:Mohawk $2,827.3 $3,237.8Dal-Tile $1,402.6 $1,469.6Unilin $1,173.1 $1,094.1Oper. Inc.:Mohawk ($167.5) $185.2Dal-Tile ($315.4) $196.9Unilin ($440.1) $213.3Assets:Mohawk $2,122.5 $2,417.8Dal-Tile $1,785.6 $2,298.7Unilin $2,950.9 $3,620.7

The Mohawk segment was impacted most by the downturn. Sales declined by 11% with both costs and revenues under pressure, including higher than anticipated raw material cost escalation. Price increases announced in the summer are expected to be fully implemented by year end, and additional price increases were initiated in ceramic, laminate, and vinyl products during the period. To right size the business, the com-pany announced closing of two staple yarn plants and several regional distribution centers in the fourth quarter.

Although Dal-Tile sales declined in the quarter 5% below the prior year with business deteriorating through the quarter, “we believe Dal-Tile is performing much better than the overall ceramic tile market,” Mr. Loberbaum said. “We are increas-ing our product offerings to the hospitality, multifamily and other commercial segments. New commercial introductions in the American Olean brand will add to our commercial sales through independent distributors. We have begun our factory direct program for large customers and expanded our product line for the Mexican market. We are reducing our ceramic pro-

> Mohawk Industries, Inc., on Nov. 3 announced its third quarter 2008 results:Consolidated Earnings Data (Dollars in millions, except per share data)

3 Mos. Ended 9/27/08 9/29/07 Net sales $1,763.0 $1,937.7Gross profit $439.1 $545.4Oper. Inc. ($1,209.3) $200.8Net Earnings ($1,393.6) $122.1EPS (dil.) ($20.37) $1.78

9 Mos. Ended 9/27/08 9/29/07Net sales $5,341.2 $5,778.8Gross profit $1,381.8 $1,625.5Oper. Inc. ($938.9) $569.6Net Earnings ($1,239.5) $327.7EPS (dil.) ($18.12) $4.79

As a result of Mohawk’s declining stock price and deteriorat-ing industry conditions, accounting rules required non-cash charges for a preliminary goodwill and other intangibles impair-ment of $1,216 million net of tax and for a deferred tax asset impairment of $253 million. Its goodwill and other intangibles impairment analysis was not yet complete at the time of the earnings release, and on Nov. 6 the company fi led a notice with the SEC that it would be late in fi ling its Form 10-Q quarterly report. The company’s press release emphasized that these im-pairment charges do not require any cash payments or impact it operations, liquidity or debt covenants.

Excluding the non-cash write off, non-GAAP net earnings in the third quarter were $76 million or $1.10 per share. In the third quarter of 2007, net earnings were $122 million or $1.78 per share. For the fi rst nine months of 2008, excluding the non-cash write off’s, non-GAAP net earnings were $230 million or $3.35 per share.

During the third quarter, “the company generated strong cash fl ow from operations of $185 million, paid down debt of $128 million, and has over $800 million available under its current credit facilities,” said Mohawk Chairman and CEO Jeffrey S. Loberbaum. “All of our businesses are focused on reducing overhead costs, managing working capital and enhancing sales and margins. The U.S. economy is declining with consumers reducing discretionary expenditures. Residential home sales and remodeling are at low levels and commercial projects are being impacted by tightening credit and softening busi-ness conditions. The European economy has become signifi -cantly weaker and affected both our fl ooring and non-fl ooring products. Government intervention should help stabilize the


business>Moody’s Investors Service on Nov. 7 placed Mohawk Industries Inc.’s long-term debt rating on review for possible downgrade. http://fi nance.yahoo.com/news/Moodys-Mohawks-longterm-debt-apf-13503216.html

>USG Corp. initiated additional programs to reduce costs, including a workforce reduction plan expected to decrease its worldwide salaried workforce by about 20%, or approximately 900 positions. As communicated to its employees beginning on Nov. 3, the fi rst step in the plan is to offer voluntary sever-ance benefi ts. After the number of participants in the voluntary separation program is determined, the company will implement an involuntary separation program to account for the remaining position reductions. Separated employees will receive a lump sum payment based on earnings and length of service and an allowance to continue certain benefi ts. According to its Form 8-K fi led with the SEC, the company expects to have the plan substantially completed by the end of January 2009, estimating associated costs of between $35 million to $45 million.

duction in the fourth quarter with both shorter work schedules and shift reductions. Our sales, distribution and administrative infrastructures are being reduced further to adapt to the poor environment. Savings in trucking costs are being achieved through increased fl eet utilization and synergies with other Mohawk shipments.”

Unilin sales declined 5% as reported or 11% on a constant exchange rate basis. Laminate sales were down in both U.S. and Europe with Eastern Europe and Russia outperform-ing other areas. Laminate royalties have also declined as the industry units contracted. Roofi ng system sales were slightly up for the period. European board volume has declined along with the industry and pricing is at cyclical low levels. In the Columbia wood operations, the company has taken out costs and launched new products, noting that customer demand for wood is “very challenging” and Columbia continues to operate at a loss. During the period, Unilin costs were higher due to rising chemical, energy, transportation and increased unab-sorbed overhead. Many cost initiatives are underway including reengineering products, implementing new systems and reduc-ing infrastructure.

“The fourth quarter outlook is challenging due to the slowing economy, tightening credit and falling consumption of consum-ers and businesses,” continued Mr. Loberbaum. “We do not expect to benefi t signifi cantly from declining oil and energy until the fi rst half of 2009. In the quarter, our businesses will reduce inventory with increased shut downs and be impacted by a decline in product mix. The stronger dollar is expected to negatively impact our results in the period. Based on these factors our EPS guidance for the fourth quarter of 2008 is $0.20 to $0.30. Excluded from this guidance is a fourth quarter restructuring charge of $25 to $30 million related to closing facilities which will benefi t our future operations.“We anticipate 2009 results will improve from our second half in 2008. During 2009 higher selling prices and lower costs should help our margins. Actions taken in 2008 to reduce overhead, improve productivity, shut down high cost capacity and manage inventories will positively impact our operations. Consumer discretionary spending for fl ooring will improve from substantial government stimulus, additional liquidity, lower gas and falling commodity prices. We remain convinced Mohawk will be a stronger company when we come out of this cycle.”Mohawk’s third quarter earnings press release and a replay of its Nov. 4 conference call can be accessed at http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=95954&p=irol-news&nyo=0

Soduko: Fill in the empty cells so that every row, column and cube contains a digit from 1-9, without duplication. (Level: Medium)

7

8

5

7

5

1

3 9 2

1

7 9

7 8

6 4

3 9

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technology

11.7.08 9.26.08 6.27.08 3.28.08 12.28.07 9.28.07 6.29.07 %frYrHi%fr50-DayMA

ChromC 0.8 1.7 3.3 4.7 4.9 4.7 7.5 -85.6% -19.5%

CompX 5.3 5.8 5.2 9.3 14.8 19.6 18.5 -71.4% -4.4%

HMiller 19.0 25.1 25.2 24.5 28.8 27.1 31.6 -43.9% -11.6%

HNI 17.0 25.6 18.4 27.7 35.7 36 41 -58.5% -19.1%

Inscape 2.3 3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.5 -48.4% -13.9%

Interface 6.1 11.9 12.9 14.3 17.5 18.1 18.9 -67.6% -29.2%

Kimball 6.1 11.2 8.6 10.8 14 11.4 14 -60.1% -26.2%

Knoll 12.8 15.2 12.4 11.6 16.6 17.7 22.4 -31.6% -2.8%

Leggett 16.3 22.3 17.2 14.9 18.7 19.2 22.1 -33.7% -13.2%

Mohawk 39.1 69.9 64.8 71.5 75.5 81.3 100.8 -53.3% -27.5%

OffDepot 2.6 5.8 11 11.1 14.4 20.6 30.3 -86.9% -31.5%

Staples 18.4 23.1 24 11.4 22.6 21.5 23.7 -30.9% -3.4%

Steelcase 8.6 10.4 9.9 3.1 15.3 18 18.5 -53.5% -8.6%20-20 Tech 2.4 3.4 5 6.1 6.4 6.6 7.1 N/A% N/A%

UntdStat 34.4 49.4 36.6 47.7 47.4 55.5 66.6 -43.0% -12.4%

USG 14.2 28.7 30.1 35.2 36.6 37.6 49 -87.7% -32.6%

Virco 3.5 3.6 4.7 5.4 5.9 7.8 - -70.4% 10.3%

SUM 208.8 315.9 292.9 335.5 378.6 406.4 475.5 - -

DJIndust 8,943 11,143 11,346 12,216 13,339 13,895 13,408 - -

TECHNOLOGY> EMCOR Group was named to InformationWeek magazine’s list of the top 500 most innovative users of business tech-nology. It is the seventh consecutive year that the company has made the list which is compiled by analyzing company IT

budgets, technology deployment, strategies, and staffi ng. The list includes companies in 21 industries, ranging from banking and fi nancial services, to energy; from construction and engi-neering, to utilities. To be included in the ranking, companies must have at least $500 million in annual revenue. http://www.EMCORGroup.com

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PRACTICAL MAGIC COLLECTION BYmedia.officeinsight.com/CurrentIssuezxc/OI111008.dibm.pdf · Greenbuild 2008 The U.S. Green Building Greenbuild International Conference and Expo will