Steelcase is a United States-based furniture company established in 1912 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company produces office furniture, architectural products and technologies for office environments and education, health care and retail industries. It is the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world. It has facilities, offices and factories in America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australia and Africa.
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Histori
Steelcase was established as Metal Office Furniture Company in 1912 by Peter M. Wege in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Wege is a veteran of sheet metal and refractory industry and has filed about 25 patents before starting the company. The first products of Metal Office Furniture Company include refractory metal safes and four drawer filing cabinets, created by Wege and manufactured for Macey Company.
In 1914, the company received its first product patent for "The Victor," a refractory steel waste bin. Victor gained popularity because of its light weight - achieved through a patented flat steel stabilization process at right angles to create boxes - and its ability to prevent fire during smoking is common in the room, especially in the workplace. In 1915, the company began manufacturing and distributing steel tables after designing and producing 200 for Boston's first skyscraper, Custom House Tower. In 1937, the company collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright in office furniture for Johnson Wax Headquarters. This partnership lasts for two years and produces some of the first modern workstations.
Steelcase's name was the result of an advertising campaign to promote metal office furniture on wood and trademarks in 1921. The company officially changed its name to Steelcase, Inc. in 1954.
The company was known as the leader of the furniture industry in the late 1960s because of its sales volume. Steelcase expanded into new markets during the 1970s, including Asia, Europe, and North Africa. In 1973, the company debuted with the 9000 Series furniture line, the best-selling office system and the company's flagship brand. In the same year, the company sent the single largest furniture delivery to the new Sears Tower. Delivery includes 43,565 pieces of furniture and 44 floor furnishings.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Steelcase changed its approach to designing and creating products in response to changes in the workplace and the economy. The company also focuses on creativity and internal innovation by working closely with architects and interior designers to develop their own company's own workplace and products in Grand Rapids. Company headquarters is currently built in 1983 at 901 44th St. SE in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1989, Steelcase opened a pyramid-shaped Steelcase Inc Corporation Development Center. The center contains ten research laboratories and workspaces intended to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration on product development. Steelcase emptied the Pyramid in 2010, and by 2015 is still empty. In 1996, Steelcase became the majority shareholder in IDEO design company and corporate CEO, David M. Kelley, became Steelcase's vice president for invention and technical innovation. Steelcase sold its shares back to IDEO managers starting in 2007.
In 1996, Steelcase was found guilty in a patent infringement lawsuit filed against them by Haworth, Inc., another furniture company. Steelcase was ordered to pay $ 211.5 million in damages and interest, ending a 17-year dispute with Haworth.
Steelcase became a public company in 1998 with the symbol of SCS. During the 2000s, Steelcase reorganized its workforce and began integrating modern technology into its products. In 2000, the company opened Steelcase University, a sustainable employee development and learning center. Steelcase wood furniture factory in Caledonia, MI earned LEED certification in 2001, becoming the first factory to receive certification. In 2002, Steelcase partnered with IBM to create BlueSpace, a prototype "smart office" designed using new office technology. In 2010, Steelcase and IDEO launched a new model for a high-class classroom called LearnLabs.
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Company overview
Steelcase is a public furniture manufacturer headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world. The company has about 80 locations and 11,000 employees worldwide. Its location includes the Global Business Center in Mexico, Malaysia and Romania providing support to local Steelport dealers and offices; a showroom called WorkLife Centers throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and in Toronto, Mexico City, Sydney, Melbourne and Dubai; and manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia.
The company designs and manufactures furniture, furniture systems, architectural products, textiles, wall surfaces, and ergonomic equipment and technologies for work space, education, and health care. Its products are sold online and through approximately 800 dealer locations. The company also offers consulting services in the workplace.
James Keane has served as CEO and president of the company since March 2014. The company's revenue equals US $ 3 billion in 2014, an increase of $ 2.9 billion in 2013. Steelcase ranked 753 on the Fortune 1000 list in 2014.
Brand
Three major brands of Steelcase Inc. are Steelcase, Coalesse, and Turnstone. The company also has several other brands and subsidiaries, including Designtex, PolyVision, and Steelcase Health and Education.
Steelcase acquired Designtex in 1988. Designtex offers interior textiles and upholstery. The company established its office accessories brand, Details, in 1990. In 1993, the company launched Turnstone, a line of furniture designed for small businesses and home offices. PolyVision was acquired in 2001 and made lightweight ceramic steel surfaces used for writing, projection, architecture, and interior. In 2006, Nurture was established to create products for the health care industry, including furniture and interiors for waiting rooms, offices, and clinics. This brand became Steelcase Health in 2014. Steelcase combines three of its subsidiaries, Brayton International, Metro Furniture, and Vecta to form Coalesse in 2008. Coalesse products are meant for what the company calls "living/work" space, resulting from overlapping which often happens. home and office in the modern work habits.
Corporate culture
In 1985, Steelcase bought Meyer May House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and restored it, opening it publicly in 1987. The company's art program has produced collections including Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Dale Chihuly.
The company employs a research group called WorkSpace Futures to study workplace trends. In 2010, Steelcase underwent a three-year project to renew Grand Rapids headquarters to promote employee productivity and employee benefits, including redesigning the canteen into a versatile work environment that provides food and meeting room services, socializing and being self-sufficient. work.
Steelcase's ongoing efforts have included reducing packaging, using regional facilities to reduce shipping distance, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption, and a goal to reduce environmental footprint by 25 percent by 2020. By 2012, Steelcase has reduced its waste by 80 percent, greenhouse gases by 37 percent and water consumption by 54 percent since 2006. According to the company's WorkFutures group, the company also analyzes the supply chain and chemicals to determine product sustainability. In 2014, the company leads its industry in Cradle to Cradle-certified products. In 2016, Steelcase employees volunteered 38,913 hours and the Steelcase Foundation contributed over US $ 5.7 million.
Important products
The most important Steelcase products include "The Victor" waste basket, a patented steel flame retardant container released in 1914. Victor became the top seller for a newly established company and eventually expanded into a product line. The company released some 15 tables in 1946, which introduced standard desk sizes and became a universal industry standard. The 9000 series was released in 1973 and became the most popular office system in Steelcase. Leap Chair, introduced in 1999, sold 5,000 units a week during the first year and became the company's most popular release. The ergonomic office chair is designed with eight user-adjustable areas, including seat height, armrest, lumbar support, seat depth, and rear position. The seats were developed for four years, costing $ 35 million for the design, and produced 11 academic studies and 23 patents. The company released Gesture seats in 2013, designed to support the way workers sit naturally.
Awards
Steelcase was named the most admired Housewares and Furniture company in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. The company won the Editor Choice award at the 2014 NeoCon product competition for "Quiet Spaces," a series of workspaces designed for introverts and a collaboration with Susan Cain, author Quiet: Introverted Strength in a Non-Stopping World . In addition, Steelcase's SOTO II Worktools won the Silver Award in the category of Office Accessories.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia