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Kentwood Office Furnishes Columbia Township Offices
October, 2008

Until Columbia Township employees moved into their new offices Wednesday, department heads made confidential calls from the parking lot or utility close, and workers tripped over each other on their way to the copier.

Now the construction project that began in July on the 5,000 square foot addition to the township offices at 8500 Jefferson Road is wrapping up.

Read the entire article here (pdf)

Kentwood Office Detroit relocates to Novi
October, 2008

NOVI, Michigan - October 7, 2008 - Kentwood Office Furniture has relocated its Detroit area showroom from Livonia to 40500 Grand River Ave, Suite D, Novi, MI 48373. The new showroom is conveniently located near the 1-275 and 1-96/I696 area and is situated to serve the Detroit business community.

With approx 5,000 square feet, this new showroom is over double the size of the previous facility. Product on display includes new furniture from HON, National, Great Openings, Basyx, Global and much more. Kentwood also displays remanufactured systems furniture from Herman Miller and highlights its new in-stock Fundamentals Express workstation line. The 1,500 square foot warehouse houses the Used Furniture Outlet featuring high quality gently used chairs, files and desks for immediate customer pick up.

The new facility also features a fully stocked and updated Design Resource Center available for use by the trade and our customers.

Kentwood Office "Go Green" featured in MiBiz
September, 2008

Go green – save green
Monday, September 29, 2008 - MiBiz
By Jessica M. Secord | MiBiz
jsecord@mibiz.com

GRAND RAPIDS — Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Kentwood Office Furniture is doing its part to keep the environment green.

In addition to new office furniture, the company now offers remanufactured and used furniture product lines, not to be confused with refurbished or reconditioned.

As capital has become tighter across the country, many companies appear to be looking for lower-cost, high-quality solutions for their workspaces. The company believes remanufactured furniture can meet those needs. Remanufactured and used furniture as a percentage of the Kentwood Office Furniture’s business has grown steadily over the last several years.

Read the entire article here (pdf)

COPYRIGHT 2008. MIBIZ.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This article appeared in the Monday, September 29, 2008 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who are employed in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz, visit www.mibiz.com.

Kentwood Office participates in Watershed Cleanup
September, 2008

Every year, volunteers from the community step forward to help keep our river clean by removing trash from along the banks of the Grand River. On Saturday, September 27, 2008, a team from Kentwood Office Furniture joined members from the community, including Mayor Hartwell, to help clean up the Grand River Watershed. Kentwood cleaned the area from Michigan St Bridge to 6th St Bridge.

Kimball Office Announces Updates to Sustainability Initiatives
August, 2008

1) The new Pura™ UV finish on wood models of our Xsite, Cetra, and Footprint lines, available at the end of August

Pura is a proprietary, water-based ultraviolet (UV) wood finish that has virtually no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and meets or exceeds all indoor air quality standards. It is exceptionally clear and durable and allows the beauty of our wood to shine through. It is also very durable, but when necessary, repairable. Additionally, because UV lamps are used during the curing process, Pura is more energy efficient than conventional finishing and dries faster, so there's less risk of immediate damage during handling. The depth, clarity, and beauty that Pura delivers matches the high expectations customers have of Kimball Office finishes.

2) The availability of FSC-certified wood on Xsite, Cetra, Footprint, and selected seating lines, also at the end of August.

Kimball Office offers the option of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood on select product series in our offering. Arguably the most recognized program today, the FSC is an independent, not for profit, non-government organization based in Bonn, Germany whose mission is to support environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests.

3) Our switch to the SCS Indoor Advantage certification program for low-emitting products, ongoing.

Our Design for the Environment approach includes our active membership in voluntary programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council, the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from industry and government working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places.

One of the largest contributions office furniture can make to a building's LEED certification is indoor air quality via low-emitting products. For certification of our product lines, Kimball Office uses the Indoor Advantage program from Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). Under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED-CI program, furniture tested and certified by the SCS can help contribute valuable points to a building's overall LEED ranking.

Section 179 Deductions
August, 2008

New rules allow you to write-off 100% of your equipment cost in 2008. On February 7th, 2008, Congress passed a $152 billion economic stimulus package containing beneficial new Section 179 rules that are available to business owners immediately! Under the revised guidelines, the IRS has granted you tax benefits that could allow you to write-off the total cost of your equipment purchases in their first year of service - But are you taking advantage?

Used: A Market Again
July, 2008

Don’t look now, but used furniture is beginning to hit the market again – the first burst of activity since the dot.com era. Corporate downsizing is pushing lots of used furniture into the pipeline once again, said Art Hasse, owner of Kentwood Office Furniture near Grand Rapids. “There are entire buildings that are being vacated by companies,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of downsizing. That means that there is more used office furniture that’s not that old that’s available.”

The furniture that is being snapped up by resellers is top quality. Hasse said his company is seeing more used office furniture that is newer as well. “Mortgage companies, for example, when they downsize, tend to have top quality office furniture,” he said. “This isn’t a bunch of junk out there. We’re seeing more good furniture now than there has been for a while.”

The increase in quality furniture hitting the used market also increases the number of used buyers, Hasse said. Companies that might have bought new are seriously considering a used purchase as a way to cut costs.

“With the tough economy, a company that might typically buy new is turning to used. They are squeezed from a profit standpoint so they turn to us,” Hasse said.

Kentwood Office Furniture has a new logo and new marketing campaign to promote its environmental efforts. “The customers that are out there are very green focused. And when they look at it, the option of used furniture becomes better and better for them. Buying used furniture is probably one of the best ways to protect the environment, he said.”
Excerpts from Monday Morning Quarterback, July 21, 2008

Kentwood Introduces New Brand
June, 2008

Kentwood Office Furniture today unveiled a new corporate brand and website that further signifies the company’s commitment to the environment. “Our market research shows that organizations and individuals want office furniture that is environmentally sustainable, they just don’t want to pay more for it” said Matt Wieringa, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Kentwood Office Furniture. “We’re adopting the motto ‘Go Green, Save Green’ because we believe that you can have office furniture that meets your budget and is good for the planet.” A core element of the new brand identity is the new Kentwood Office Furniture logo. It is designed to convey the company’s strong history and commitment to green. The new logo also signals a pledge to both design and value. “As a leader in office furniture remanufacturing and recycling, we have been a green business for over 30 years” said Art Hasse, President of Kentwood Office Furniture. “Our brand promise has always been simple: best selection, lowest prices, and good for the environment.” As part of the company’s brand and awareness efforts, Kentwood Office Furniture has launched an improved and updated web site, www.kentwoodoffice.com. The site features new brand identity, more products, and a streamlined interface for easier navigation.

HON Thinks Green
April, 2008

Leading Office Furniture Manufacturer Has
Long History of Environmental Responsibility

Muscatine, IA – April 15, 2008 – Sustainability and environmental responsibility are increasingly important issues in today’s society. At The HON Company, the second-largest office furniture manufacturer in North America, conserving raw materials is not a new concept. In fact, it’s something the company has been doing since its inception.

“More than fifty years ago, HON made recipe card boxes from pieces of scrap metal generated from our contract business,” says Mindy Billingsley, environmental marketing manager. “Today, we practice one of the industry’s strongest and most comprehensive programs to conserve raw materials and reduce waste.”

Programs and Processes
Beyond HON’s dedication to sustainability in product design, the company also has a number of programs in place to save the Earth’s resources. Having adopted the old adage, “waste not, want not,” back in 1947, it remains part of HON’s DNA and has shaped the company’s ongoing pursuit of environmental stewardship.

HON’s lean, green manufacturing approach includes, but isn’t limited to, the following activities:

•	“Treecycling” – HON uses post-consumer wood waste versus newly harvested wood for many seating components. This is done through a compression molding process called “comold,” which saves up to 5,000 acres of virgin forests and diverts nearly 10,000 tons of wood waste from landfills every year.
•	“Shoddy” – HON recycles more than 300 bales of fabric scraps and keeps nearly 400,000 pounds of fabric waste out of landfills in a year. This is accomplished by collecting scrap fabric and turning it over to a company that shreds it for use in “shoddy,” a fibrous material predominantly used in the automotive industry as liner in car trunks.
•	Paint Re-Use – The company reuses more than 30,000 gallons of oversprayed paint on the inside of metal storage.
•	Bulk Packaging – For years, The HON Company has sought to reduce the amount of packaging material delivered to customer sites. Its bulk packaging option uses fewer raw materials and decreases the amount of shipping materials customers have to recycle or send to landfills.
•	Sawdust Diversion – In 2006, HON manufacturing locations diverted more than 2,300 tons of sawdust from landfills, making it available for use as an alternative fuel source.

Products
The HON Company constantly seeks ways to build sustainability in its many product lines, as well.

In June of 2007, The HON Company revolutionized the office furniture industry by introducing Nature Core™, an alternative to the traditional “filler” used inside cubicle walls. Nature Core is the first of its kind for the office furniture industry, and is made primarily from kenaf, a natural, sustainable crop that grows very quickly and replenishes itself every four to six months.

HON’s commitment to sustainable products also benefits the quality of the air we breathe. In 2006, The HON Company became the first office furniture manufacturer to have products certified by the Indoor Advantage™ program developed by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a third-party auditor and certifier of environmental and sustainability claims which subjects products to the most rigorous indoor air quality standards in the United States. To date, more than 70 HON product lines have been certified by SCS.

What’s more, most HON products can help contribute toward a number of credits in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™. LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

“We embarked upon our journey more than 60 years ago, and we continue to respect the finite nature of the Earth’s resources,” Billingsley says. “We’ve made great progress in reducing our impact on the environment, but we still have much more to do. We’ll keep striving for improvement anywhere and everywhere we can.

For more information about The HON Company’s sustainability initiatives, visit www.HONthinksgreen.com.

National Enhances WaveWorks
April, 2008

Beginning April 1, 2008, National will accept orders for new and enhanced products in the WaveWorks line. Bold, exciting materials and a sea of choices...answers for any budget.

WaveWorks, a full line offering with desks, tables, filing and storage products, is being further enhanced to include even more material options and product features. Now incorporating thicker worksurfaces, cornice frames, new edge options, new pull options, a glass top desk, glass doors and double high storage...all available in veneer, laminate and a combo of both. Metal solutions now include new 30" deep pedestals and full overlay modesties. A contemporary flair with an upscale look, WaveWorks is appropriate for use throughout the entire office.

Kentwood Office Furniture Expands Trendway Partnership
January, 2008

Kentwood Office Furniture is excited to announce an expansion of our partnership with Trendway Corporation in the Detroit, MI marketplace. Since 2006, Kentwood Office's Jackson, MI location has been a successful dealer partner with Trendway Corporation. "Trendway's speed and customer service is helping us win with our customers", say Bob Hogan, Director of Sales in Detroit, "expanding into Detroit will give us the opportunity to broaden our customer base with the exceptional systems products that they bring to market." The Kentwood Office team in Detroit is excited about the partnership and is looking forward to hosting our existing and new customers for a tour of the Trendway showroom in Detroit.

Founded in 1968 and based in Holland Michigan, Trendway Corporation is a manufacturer of office furniture committed to offering high quality products backed by an exceptional service model. Because Trendway is an employee owned company, every team member takes great pride in what they do-especially in shipping on time. Eighty percent of standard orders ship in 2 weeks or less. Customers can count on their orders arriving on time and complete, because Trendway holds the industry record of 99.9 percent for on-time shipments. If that's not fast enough, Trendway offers a wide range of products through Trendway Xpress(r). These orders average 3-day shipping. Trendway is so confident in its ability to maintain this superior level of service, they offer the On Time or Free Promise.

Kentwood Office Furniture - New Used and Remanufactured Office Furniture - Go Green. Save Green.

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