Archive for the ‘Office Furniture’ Category

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Office Furniture Manufacturers – San Diego Area Options

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Although many brands of office furniture are made in factories in Canada and China, the U.S. has its share of manufacturing plants. There are even several here in California. The CFMA has listings on its website for most of these office furniture manufacturers. San Diego business owners who want to buy locally-made custom furnishings have quite a few companies to choose from.

Craftsman Office Furniture

These guys have been in business since the early 1970s. They specialize in casegoods, conference tables, and reception furniture. The Craftsman emphasis is on beautiful finishes that include not only wood veneers and laminates but also glass and marble. They are available to quote custom and built in jobs.

DeskMakers

This company started out very simply in 1964 with only a few product choices for their customers. Now, their factory churns out a broad range of office furniture collections in 18 standard thermofuse laminate finishes. Like Wendy’s hamburgers, these pieces are built to order while you wait.  Surprisingly, lead times are still quite short – ranging from 1-2 weeks according to the website.

Salman Furniture

Albert Salman’s name remains associated with this extensive selection of office furnishings although the company was acquired by Mike Parkinson in 1993 (almost 20 years after the business was founded). It features a unique manufacturing facility of 75,000 square feet that is one single, high ceilinged room. 75 employees work in this space – giving it an extraordinarily high square footage to worker ratio. The entire production process is viewable from the showroom.

The Taylor Company

This company is the oldest of the group – going back all the way to 1816. It has been passed down through 7 generations and is among the top 30 oldest family owned businesses in the U.S. Not only does The Taylor Company have a rich tradition of desk and chair craftsmanship, they also boast a 100% union workforce and a well developed sustainability program.

That’s Not All

Of course, besides being located near several manufacturers, San Diego is also home to re-manufacturing companies. These dealers offer customers the ability to select finishes for high quality refurbished office furniture from leading U.S. brands at a deeply discounted cost.

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Office Furniture Solutions For Tall Workers

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Being above average height can make finding office furniture solutions a chore. Many task chairs can be adjusted for height (or have a custom cylinder installed to add a few inches). However, that doesn’t mean the seat depth will be suitable for someone with very long legs. A short seat won’t provide support for the thighs. Similarly, worksurfaces that are too low can lead to problems with posture and arm positioning. Choosing adjustable tables or desks is a fairly simple solution to this problem – and offers more options to employees of all heights.

As far as seating goes, many manufacturers have Big & Tall selections in their product lines. These chairs are designed for larger employees (taking both height and weight into account). Of course, the higher price tag associated with these furnishings is not a guarantee of comfort. For example, a wing backed, overstuffed executive chair is not suitable for shift work that requires hours of sitting at a stretch. You need to pick a high quality office chair that is designed for flexibility and adjustability to provide good back and leg support for long periods of time.

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2009 Office Furniture Sales Statistics

Monday, August 30th, 2010

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA) has released its 2009 numbers for office furniture sales. If you think statistics are fascinating, you’ll want to check out their historical data and projected figures. Here are some highlights:

  • 2009 consumption (production and imports minus exports) totaled $7.845 million
  • From 2008 to 2009, production dropped 29.7% – the biggest decrease BIFMA has ever documented
  • In the same time period, U.S. exports of office furniture to other countries dropped almost 28%
  • Canada is the recipient of 50% of office furniture exported from the U.S.
  • Manufacturers in Canada and China each account for 40% of office furniture imported by the U.S.
  • 2010 is likely to see a further 2.5% drop in consumption
  • The outlook for 2011 is rosier with an expected increase in consumption of 12.6%

According to BIFMA, these numbers don’t take into account the refurbished furniture market. By volume, restored office furniture accounts for about an additional 15% of consumption. Of course, with so many business owners putting off buying new furnishings, the recycled furniture industry is in a position to offer an excellent alternative.

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Do You Need A Professional Office Furniture Consultant?

Friday, August 27th, 2010

If you are planning to furnish a new office or renovate an old one, enlisting the assistance of a professional office furniture consultant can be a wise move – especially when you can receive a free consultation. Although picking out desks, chairs, and cubicles may seem fairly straightforward, there are actually a number of problems you can run into. Having an advisor to walk you through the planning, selection, and installation process can be very helpful for the following reasons:

Efficient Space Usage

If you do all the calculations for office furniture placement yourself, it’s easy to miss out on making the most of your square footage. Simply calculating the footprint of each workstation and leaving room for pathways isn’t the best way to do space planning. There are dozens of tips and tricks that professionals know that increase the number of employees who can comfortably fit in your office environment. A consultant can also offer advice on how to save money on cable and electrical installations by arranging modular furniture in a spine based layout.

Brand Selection

A professional office furniture advisor (who isn’t an exclusive dealer for one manufacturer) can give you objective information about the best brands and models for your workspace. Without a consultant, you would have nothing to go on but customer reviews and the advertising provided by the manufacturers of each brand. Digging through the web to compile enough information to make a good decision takes up a great deal of time. It makes sense to ask for a consultant’s top 3 or 4 recommendations that fit your price range so you can narrow down the field and just research those few choices.

Acoustics, Ergonomics, and Aesthetics

Some of the most frequent complaints employees have about office furniture is the noise level of the cubicle environment and the discomfort caused by inadequate chairs and workstations. A consultant can help you select the items that will maximize worker satisfaction and create a pleasant office environment. In addition, you can bounce ideas for different color schemes off an experienced designer and end up with a look that fits your branding and doesn’t clash with the rest of the décor.

LEED Certification

If you are trying to earn LEED points, it’s an especially good idea to consult a professional. Office furniture selections that are sustainable and that don’t negatively impact IAQ (indoor air quality) can help you achieve certification. Again, this is an area you could research yourself, but it makes more sense to make use of the knowledge already accumulated by a specialist.

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Black Office Furniture – San Diego Basics

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Just like an LBD (little black dress), nothing stays in style quite like black office furniture. San Diego businesses that are constantly expanding often discover that black is the easiest color to match for office chairs. That’s a plus if you are purchasing refurbished or remaindered task chairs that aren’t all the same model – or even the same brand. You can buy items individually or in small batches at deep discounts and know they won’t clash.

Being flexible with the style of chair you purchase permits employees more leeway in selecting their own furnishings as well. If you give them an office supply catalogue, a price range, and the stipulation that their office chair has to be black, chances are they can find something they like very easily. Employees may also trade chairs back and forth until each person finds one that’s comfortable for them.

The other benefit of black office furniture is that it doesn’t show dirt and wear as readily as lighter shades do. These furnishings should still be wiped down every week, but you won’t have to worry about them looking shabby after a few months of constant use.

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Executive Cubicles – A Cut Above

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

executive office cubiclesBeing an executive doesn’t always mean you get a cushy corner office. In this economy, you may have to make do with a much less glamorous space. Executive cubicles may seem like an oxymoron, but you can actually set up a fairly nice space for yourself even in a crowded work environment. Here are some of the ways to set your cube apart from the crowd:

Super Size It

Manager cubicles are larger than entry level ones – and an executive model should be bigger still. Fortunately, panel systems are modular so you can easily join two of them together to make a “super cube”. Put in a couple of guest chairs to make it obvious that you really need the extra space for the high level networking you do. Also, if you can locate your cubicle near an exterior window, be sure to claim that prime piece of real estate.

Surface Appearances Are Important

You may not need to go all the way by paneling your cubicle walls with mahogany (like Jared Neilson did). However, a nice wood grain laminate or beautifully patterned textile is certainly reasonable. Hang an original art piece on the wall. Add an antique desk and lamp to finish out the cube.

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How To Care For Leather Office Furniture

Monday, August 16th, 2010

If you are fortunate enough to have a piece of buttery soft leather office furniture, you probably want it to last as long as possible. Many manufacturers provide specific care instructions either on a tag or in the user’s manual. However, if you can’t locate that information, here are some basic rules to follow:

  • Dust your leather furniture with a soft cloth twice a week. For non-suede surfaces, you can use a slightly damp cloth.
  • Try using a genuine rubber gum eraser (available from art supply stores) to remove dirt with a gentle rubbing motion.
  • You can use a olive oil based soap diluted in water to wipe down leather that has been pre-treated with a protective coating.
  • To increase stain resistance, you may wish to treat your leather office furniture with a protective spray.

Check out this helpful chart from Lazy Leather to figure out what type of leather your chair is covered with and what products are designed for that material.

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Commercial Office Furniture: San Diego Businesses Need Specialized Furnishings

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

commercial office furniture San DiegoEven if you are only furnishing a small office space for a dozen employees, you should avoid buying office furniture that is designed for home use. That’s because there are important differences between residential and commercial office furniture. San Diego companies that make the mistake of purchasing home office furnishings will find themselves facing issues as their business expands.

Commercial office furniture is built with maximum adjustability in mind. An individual who is shopping for his/her own desk and chair will be able to try multiple models and find just the right fit. Your employees have to make do with whatever you pick out for them. This means you need the most ergonomic options that will adjust to suit a wide range of workers. High quality business furniture does usually cost more than what you might find at the local Office Depot, but productivity and employee satisfaction may balance out this initial investment.

Workstations that are designed for a commercial environment have features not found in home office desks. For example, panel systems have cable and wire management systems that are designed to reduce costs for delivering power and data to each cubicle. They are also intended for making maximum use of office space by interlocking in various configurations. In contrast, home furnishings are often designed to function as the only workspace in a room and can sometimes be more decorative than functional. A beautiful antique desk may be suitable for an executive office, but it isn’t well suited to a busy work environment that hosts multiple employees.

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About Office Furniture Leasing

Monday, August 9th, 2010

office furniture leasingOffice furniture leasing is an option that makes a lot of sense to some business owners. The ideal candidates for this arrangement often fall into one or more of the following categories:

  • They are a small business with little working capital or credit to invest in a bulk furniture purchase
  • They prefer to have a fixed monthly operating cost (note: equipment leasing payments are often tax deductible).
  • They are setting up a new office and need immediate setup with no wait time for furniture to be manufactured and shipped.
  • They are in a temporary office space and may be moving soon so they want to avoid having to pack up and ship office furniture to their next location.
  • They are unsure which type of workstations will best suit their needs and want to try one or more brands in a real life setting before making a final decision on a permanent purchase.

Should You Rent Fully Furnished Offices?

There are two ways to go about leasing office furniture. One is to lease office space that comes fully furnished. This is simple since you don’t have to specify any components or wait for delivery and installation. However, it does not allow you to select the cubicles and other items that you really want. You are pretty much stuck with whatever is in the space already. With items that have been used by multiple companies in the past, there may be dirt, wear and tear, or malfunctioning pieces to deal with.

Your other option is to rent equipment from an office furniture supply company separately from the leasing of your office space. In these cases, you can select from a broader range of office cubicles for rent that are included in the supplier’s leasing program. You can also choose between new and used furniture in many cases – giving you further control over your costs.

Having choices is always a good thing in a leasing negotiation. Look for a company that will allow you to select the term of your loan and the option of renting to own. This ensures that you can make a true comparison between the advantages of paying in full up front or using a payment plan.

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Initiate – HON Cubicles Overview

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

HON cubiclesBased in Iowa, HON is an office furniture company with several manufacturing sites throughout the U.S. The HON cubicles line includes several workstation series including Abound and Simplicity. The Initiate® collection is a higher end HON product that is designed for ease of specification and installation. Think of it as a cubicle collection for first time office furniture buyers – but with the quality an experienced buyer would expect given the price point of the product. Here are some of the features that make Initiate a choice to consider for your next office design project:

Less Assembly = Time Efficiency

HarvestPanelInitiate office cubicles are crafted with steel frames that lock together firmly for structural stability. This metal on metal connectivity ensures there are no gaps between the panels and that components will remain in good condition through multiple reconfiguring events. The universal connector from HON permits attachment of panels in X, L, and T right angle options. So, you don’t have to purchase or stock extra connector parts if you want to eventually change the layout of your office space.

The panels arrive with integrated trim already in place and overheads are shipped pre-assembled for swift installation. You can specify as many as 3 different segment styles on each panel from the factory. This is in contrast to cubicles that have tile segments that are slotted into the cubicle panels on-site. Some users may prefer the freedom that comes with being able to switch out the tiles every couple of years; but the Initiate collection is a fine option if you plan to stick with a single color scheme and motif for the foreseeable future.

Sustainability in Material Choices

These HON cubicles offer a number of perks for companies that want “green” office furniture. Here are a few of the ways this manufacturer makes their products eco-friendly:

  • Particle board worksurfaces are constructed of 100% post-consumer content
  • Adhesives used are low-emitting and don’t pollute the indoor air in your office
  • Cradle to Cradle Gold certified panel fabrics are available
  • Initiate meets the BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard
  • This cubicle collection may qualify for LEED credits

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