The Trend Report - Insights on Office Furniture, Contract Interiors & Workplace Design

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Quick question, would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert? Did you know that the typical office space was specifically designed for the extroverted mind? For David O’Coimin this was always an issue and he designed the Nook Pod specifically for those neuro-diverse individuals who need time away from the hustle of the office. 

David comes from a long line of engineers in Ireland. In fact, that’s what he went to school for as well. It wasn’t until he found design however that he felt truly fulfilled and passionate. He even won a fairly large award for one of his design projects that made it into manufacturing and production. 

One of his big passions has always been creating designs that support a neuro-diverse workforce. He himself is an ambivert that is crippled at the thought of being on phone calls. It didn’t help that every workplace was designed with huge open spaces that kept him from being able to “get away” within the space.

This was when he decided to create the Nook Pod. His very first iteration of the Nook Pod was installed in his house and he invited friends and family over to review it. Needless to say, it was a hit. 

Listen as he shares more about his background and why designing for the many is number one on his list of passions. He also digs deeper into the purpose and creation of the Nook Pod and why he thinks all workspaces need them. 

In this episode: 

[03:49] Welcome to the show, David!

[04:53] David shares his background and what he is doing today.

[06:38] The first product he ever designed.

[09:21] Listen as David discusses his organization and how Nook came about.

[13:25] Where he came up with the design for Nook.

[16:01] David designed the Nook on a napkin in 2016 and has it framed.

[19:09] He went full production in Sept of 2016 and cash positive in a couple of months.

[20:07] Neurodiversity and the workplace.

[27:15] Listen as David describes his statement that he designs for the many.

[29:42] What he would like to see in the workplace in the future.

[32:22] David speaks about some amazing research that was done in the 70s about cubicles.

[35:12] David designed the Nook to be a hackable space.

[38:48] Learn about The Spring Breakout, a roadshow sponsored by The Business of Furniture.

[40:31] David talks about a seal he made for a colostomy bag because they couldn’t get the design right.

[45:27] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources: 

Alan Turing: Creator of Modern Computing

Connect with David:

Nook

LinkedIn | Email

Connect with Sid:

www.sidmeadows.com
Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report is proudly sponsored by INDEAL.  Partners in progress in the commercial interiors industry.  To learn mover about INDEAL, please visit their website at https://www.indeal.org/

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License:

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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What does the future of the workspace look like? Per Jonathan Webb, KI customers are preparing to go back to business as normal once the COVID scare is over. What does that mean for everyone getting back to work? Listen in to hear all about return to work strategies you’ll want to implement as we make our way back to normal life. 

Jonathan’s role at KI is to study workplace trends, uncover product gaps, and then develop solutions with the KI team. Which means that he has spent many hours gathering information and data regarding actual end-user thought processes and ideas. 

Which is why when he starts talking about a return to pre-Covid workplaces, I get excited. The biggest concern has been whether or not we’d see a permanent shift in remote work, but that does not seem to be the case overall.

How are workplaces changing though? Per Jonathan, the flexibility of the overall design is being changed. Instead of static workstations and defined work areas, new areas for collaboration, ideation, and detailed work are being designed and imagined. 

Listen in as Jonathan shares ways that consumers can start to return to work, our discussion on how educational practices will affect return to work, and what you can start doing to prepare. The amount of research and data Jonathan has amassed over the years is amazing and hearing his thoughts on the future of the “office” are absolutely informative.

In this episode: 

[02:48] Welcome to the show, Jonathan!

[02:58] Jonathan shares his title and his background with KI.

[05:22] Listen as Jonathan talks about what KI is doing today.

[08:05] Jonathan discusses some research KI has done and the key takeaways he has found.

[10:05] He gives examples of enhanced degree of flexibility.

[13:10] Jonathan believes that recovery will be geography dependent.

[16:11] Some companies are focused on bringing employees back to the office.

[18:25] Jonathan shares some strategies for helping customers return to work.

[22:02] It can’t be understated that the way education in communities moves forward will dictate who returns to work.

[25:18] Jonathan discusses some things dealers can do to help them be more successful.

[29:47] Everyone needs a brand and needs to focus on individual brand development.

[30:43] Jonathan talks about the specifier community and how they can embrace what is being shared with them.

[34:03] Our industry needs to lead by example and get back into the office.

[34:59] Listen as Jonathan shares what KI is working on for the upcoming conference.

[37:42] Getting to meet people face to face is something they are looking forward to.

[39:25] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources: 

Connect with Jonathan:

Jonathan Webb

KI

LinkedIn

Connect with Sid:

www.sidmeadows.com
Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Why don’t we as an industry offer more financing options for our furniture? Per Jim Wall, there is a certain element of risk, but in times like these offering financing options could be a game changer for your business. Listen as we talk about all things financing and contract interiors. 

Jim is a strategic account manager at Marlin Capital Solutions and has been working to help our industry better understand the ways they can and should use financing in their business. Rather than fear the unknown, Jim helps dealers and brokers better understand the benefits in financing both to their customers and to their bottom line. 

For instance, did you know that offering financing options can actually equal tax benefits for your customers. Listen in to learn the basics on this. 

Plus, offering a financing option can seriously reduce overall sticker shock for your customers. Instead of looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars for furniture and other office materials, you could be showing them a sticker for a few thousand dollars over time. 

You customers need your solutions regardless. The worst that can happen is that you continue to make as many cash sales as you currently do, but by offering financing you could bring in even more business. 

Listen as we discuss the pros and cons of financing and why now really is the time to start offering this solution.

In this episode:

[02:26] Welcome to the show, Jim!

[02:53] Learn about his background, his business, and his journey in the industry.

[05:25] Why the furniture industry has never really embraced financing.

[08:32] My views on the lack of financing in the industry.

[10:53] Did you know that financing also provides tax benefits to your customer?

[14:07] How financing can alleviate sticker shock.

[16:16] Listen, as Jim tells us why it’s never a bad time to have a financing conversation.

[19:36] Jim wants you to ask the tough questions up front and then be ready with a solution.

[22:32] Fear of the unknown is why Jim believes companies aren’t offering financing more often.

[25:12] The customer says no thank you, I’ll pay cash is the worst thing that could happen if you suggest financing.

[27:10] The take away from this episode is that the dealer needs to find ways to increase sales and be positioned to offer solutions.

[28:37] Jim shares some next steps for dealers.

[30:56] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources: 

Connect with Jim:

Jim Wall Email

Horizon Keystone

Email

LinkedIn

Connect with Sid:

www.sidmeadows.com

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Your customers are online. Period. The shift was happening before Covid hit, but since Covid the rapid expansion of online shopping and buying has been exponential. Abby Murray, CEO and founder of Mortarr, joins me to chat about how consumer habits are changing and our sustainability responsibility. 

Mortarr is an online platform designed to bring the commercial construction and design industry together with the ideas and resources needed to get projects off the ground. Essentially they are an online source for commercial project inspiration, products, and professionals. 

Abby started the company off as a branding and design firm but quickly realized that there was a need for a more collaborative and inspirational space to source ideas from. She went to work, with her team, to create Mortarr and they now have a mobile app as well. 

As the world shut down, the need for inspirational content soared. Abby met that need. 

Listen as we talk about the need within the industry to move the buying, selling, and design process online and meet customers and consumers where they are. We also chat about sustainability and the growing responsibility of manufacturers and dealers to responsibly source and dispose of products and materials. 

Abby has so many amazing ideas for the industry and is leading the charge into the future of the post-Covid contract interiors world. Listen to learn more.

In this episode:

[02:20] Welcome to the show, Abby!

[02:40] Abby shares a little about herself.

[03:17] Listen as Abby discusses what her company Mortarr is all about.

[05:36] Abby speaks about the journey from the idea of Mortarr to the launch.

[07:35] Abby shares what it was like to build a technology platform.

[10:28] Mortarr is a B2B platform, and most of their traffic comes from a desktop.

[14:15] Abby discusses the pro section and brand sections of their website.

[17:20] Mortarr now has green dots to designate the green products.

[20:53] They wanted to make sure their platform was inclusive and not just targeted toward the large companies.

[24:22] Listen as Abby speaks about how consumer habits are changing.

[29:29] Being on social media and having a website does not equal a digital marketing strategy.

[32:36] Abby discusses the shift in accessibility that the new decision makers expect.

[35:53] Abby shares how important she believes sustainability is in the industry.

[39:12] Abby speaks about Mortarr is doing for the dealer community.

[42:55] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Connect with Abby:
Mortarr

LinkedIn

Connect with Sid:
www.sidmeadows.com

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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All industries need regulation and compliance standards. For the office furniture industry, that organization is BIFMA. BIFMA stands for the Business + Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association and they are a non-profit membership community designed to help standardize processes throughout the industry. 

Jennifer Wammack and David Panning from BIFMA join me today to chat about what they do, who their members are, and why their organization is a huge player in the industry. 

While BIFMA doesn’t do the actual testing of furniture and equipment, they do write the standards that the products should adhere to. There are differences between standards and the guides that are published by BIFMA. Listen in to hear David discuss them and what they both mean for manufacturers.

Becoming a BIFMA member is certainly not a requirement but it does lend a strong sense of credibility to the overall business of manufacturing in the industry. Listen as Jennifer shares more about their new program called BIFMA Compliant and how it could possibly benefit your business. Once testing is complete and a company participates in BIFMA Compliant, the conformance of their products must be verified by BIFMA and then they can use the registered trademark.  Once product testing is complete and,  a company participates in BIFMA Compliant, the conformance of their products must be verified by BIFMA and then they can use the registered trademark.  

This was a fantastic conversation. Look out for more from Jennifer and David on the podcast in the future as we continue the conversation about responsible manufacturing and disposal within the industry.  

This was a fantastic conversation.  Don't forget to tune in next week! 

In this episode:

[03:06] Welcome to the show, Jennifer and David!

[03:27] Jennifer shares who she is and what she does at BIFMA.

[04:01] David talks about who he is and what he does at BIFMA.

[04:37] Listen as they discuss who BIFMA is and what they do.

[08:09] David explains what BIFMA standards are.

[09:04] David shares the difference between the standards and the guide.

[11:10] Jennifer speaks about why they have guides instead of standards for every product.

[13:04] After touring a testing facility, I realized how fascinating the process is.

[15:25] They discuss the pros of being a member of BIFMA and why a company might not want to be.

[19:35] Jennifer highlights their Level program, what it is, and what it does.

[24:26] Jennifer talks about their new program called BIFMA Compliant, an industry wide registery.

[28:26] David speaks about the key elements of the BIFMA Compliant program.

[33:23] Jennifer shares how people can find out what products are BIFMA Compliant.

[36:06] Listen as Jennifer discusses the 2021 BIFMA 360 Conference.

[39:45] The two key things I loved about the 2019 BIFMA Conference.

[43:19] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources: 

Connect with BIFMA

BIFMA

Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

Connect with Jennifer Wammack

Email

LinkedIn

Connect with David Panning

Email

LinkedIn

Connect with Sid:

www.sidmeadows.com

Embark CCT

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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You’ve likely heard of virtual reality, but what do you know about augmented reality? Boaz Ashkenazy of Simply Augmented is helping dealers and brokers to showcase their products to customers using the interactive tool of augmented reality, and he’s sharing all about it. 

So what is augmented reality? It is an interactive experience of a real-world environment. Why would this be important to the contract interiors industry? Think of creating entire virtual showrooms. Creating scale models of interiors in which customers can change the layout and materials used in the space. 

There are so many applications for our industry that would help facilitate a smoother buyer’s journey and experience. 

Listen as Boaz chats about ways his company Simply Augmented has helped companies in the contract interiors space to streamline their showrooms and sell despite the effects of Covid. We tend to be late adapters of new technology, but with the changes in our society and the world, this is one time that we need to be ahead of the game. 

The uses are endless and the need is great. Along with creating a solid eCommerce platform, start looking into added AR to your marketing and sales processes.

In this episode:

[01:18] Shout out to JCWall7 for the five star review!

[02:44] Welcome to the show, Boaz!

[02:53] Boaz shares his background and the company that he leads.

[03:58] Listen, as Boaz describes the difference between augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

[05:48] Boaz discusses how he went from being an architect to working with AR.

[08:42] Why AR is important in the contract interiors industry specifically.

[11:39] Per Boaz, and me, eCommerce suites are the way of the future.

[14:20] How AR can enhance the customer’s journey.

[16:36] Boaz shares the feedback they have had from the dealer community.

[17:43] Another game changer for the industry is removing the cost of physical mock ups.

[23:06] Go to the Nook website if you want to see the work Simply Augmented does.

[25:46] Listen as Boaz shares why he uses the term “content” when discussing AR.

[28:09] What he would say to anyone on the fence about using AR.

[30:11] How AR allows for interactive showroom tours for potential buyers.

[35:20] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources: 

Connect with Boaz Ashkenazy:

Simply Augmented

Nook Pod

O.W. Lee

Linkroom

Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Email

Connect with Sid:

www.sidmeadows.com

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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In a world inundated with chairs, Tony Mazlish set out to truly build a brand around the X-Chair. He was tired of seeing comfort and style compete for importance with his purchasers, so he created a chair that merged both. 

But it’s the way he’s brought the X-Chair to market that has truly helped him to make it a “household” name in the industry. Rather than immediately selling to furniture dealers, they instead went straight to consumer. 

They have now further built out their SPEQC quality model and are available from dealers as well, but they wanted to be very protective of their dealers. They have a set minimum price that they only reduce during Black Friday. Which means their dealers will never see the price lower than what they purchase for. 

Tony’s innovative design and approach to marketing this chair are truly spectacular. If you’ve been considering launching a new and improved piece of furniture, then you’ll want to listen in to learn the best way to approach your sales and marketing. 

You won’t want to miss this one! 

In this episode:

[03:50] Welcome to the show, Tony!

[04:07] Listen, as Tony describes the XChair.

[05:01] Tony shares what it’s been like to create a brand in the world of seating.

[06:03] They wanted to be the first in the industry to create a chair that has style, price, ergonomics, quality and comfort.

[08:33] XChair is all about advertising directly to the consumer.

[11:45] Tony shares the benefits to dealers when partnering with the XChair company.

[15:01] The real question dealers should be asking.

[18:10] Ways they protect the dealer when it comes to pricing.

[22:27] How they manage the data they receive from digital marketing is what Tony calls their special sauce.

[24:23] It’s not about how much you do right, it’s about how much you do wrong and learn from mistakes.

[27:14] Tony shares what besides marketing has propelled them to where they are today.

[30:40] Thank you for being here today!

Links and Resources: 

Connect with Tony Mazlish

XChair

Email

Connect with Sid:

www.sidmeadows.com

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Covid has certainly rocked the contract interiors industry, but something that we ALL need to be thinking about regardless of how everything rebounds is sustainability. It took the downtime that Covid offered for Brandi Susewitz to do more research on the subject but when she did she was shocked.

More than 17,000,000,000 pounds of office furniture have been dumped into U.S. landfills. In fact it makes up about 25% of all materials in a landfill with another 25% consisting of construction materials. 

This is a shocking number and one that should be on the radar of every manufacturer, dealer, designer, and broker. Unfortunately however, it’s not. So Brandi set out to do something about it. 

She has created the very first online marketplace where people can buy and sell used office furniture. It’s called ClearOffice and their mission is to reduce the amount of materials going into the landfill each year. 

Other furniture manufacturers have done the same but the difference is the way office furniture is built versus big box and home furniture. Office furniture is built to last. That means that it’s much less likely to break down over time which keeps our landfills full and represents an untapped source of reusable materials. 

Listen in to learn more about how you can become a part of the sustainability conversation and why it is increasingly becoming an important topic in our industry.

In this episode:

[03:31] Welcome to the show, Brandi!

[03:46] Brandi shares her background in the industry, meeting her husband and starting their first business together.

[07:52] She noticed that the used furniture system is broken.

[08:50] Listen as Brandi discusses what happened when COVID hit and the depression she went through.

[11:20] She took the downtime to revisit her idea of repurposing used furniture that usually ended up in a landfill.

[14:12] Her new company ClearOffice is the first online marketplace where people can buy and sell their used office furniture.

[16:25] The ClearOffice site was launched on October 5, 2020, and she immediately knew that they had something special.

[17:21] Brandi discusses how both buyers and sellers can use their website.

[22:15] Ikea has launched a used furniture division of their company to be more sustainable.

[23:12] How people can use their platform to see and design their offices with used office furniture.

[27:07] Times like this is when the greatest companies are born.

[31:04] Brandi, thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources: 

Connect with Brandi Susewitz

ClearOffice

Email

Connect with Sid:

www.sidmeadows.com

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram


The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
Sid on Instagram
Sid on YouTube

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Paul Holland is going on 37 years in the furniture industry and he has no concerns about whether or not it will continue. The past year has definitely been rocky and numbers are certainly down, but let’s remember that 2019 was a record breaking year for many. 

He’s here to chat about changes in the industry as well as how all the players in the furniture business can and will grow in the coming months. 

Here’s the thing, you have to look at our industry, and really any industry, with a positive outlook. Are we down right now, yes, but that doesn’t mean that our landscape will look the same next week, next month, or next year. 

So, what can you do right now to stay afloat? Paul says it’s all about adaptation and creating a wonderful experience for your current customers. (I even share a bit about why I will always be a Sewell man when it comes to purchasing vehicles, and it’s all about the experience.) 

This was a fantastic episode full of hope and advice for everyone in the furniture industry from manufacturers, to dealers, to retailers and more. Listen in to learn the most important part of thriving in a turbulent market. 

In this episode:

[02:12] Welcome to the show, Paul!

[02:48] Paul shares his background in the furniture industry.

[05:45] Paul discusses the recent research he has done on the industry.

[09:21] Listen as Paul shares what people in the industry need to focus on in 2021.

[12:17] Paul believes you have to look at the industry with a positive outlook.

[15:51] Growth happens when you are uncomfortable.

[19:41] Paul says the challenge for manufacturers and the dealers is how they adapt to the new environment.

[22:11] More about the changes he sees in e-commerce and digital strategies.

[27:04] What he hopes the industry will see with the distribution sector of the industry.

[31:35] Floor coverings and architectural products are outgrowing furniture.

[34:27] Retail is transforming, but that it will evolve and be about the customer experience.

[40:33] Paul speaks about finding out what the client wants.

[41:06] The future is bright in the office furniture industry.

[43:55] Thank you for being on the show!

Links and Resources: 

Episode 37

BIFMA

Customer For Life: How To Turn the One-Time Buyer Into A Lifetime Customer by Carl Sewell

Connect with Paul Holland

Email

LInkedIn

Connect with Sid:

www.sidmeadows.com

Embark CCT on Facebook
Sid on LinkedIn

Sid on Instagram

The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

Sid on LinkedIn
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The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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For many of us in the office furniture industry, we didn’t plan to be here. Instead we found our way here by accident and never left. The same is true for Bruce Platzman, CEO and president of AIS. After finishing college at a prestigious business school, he had an interview with an office furniture company and never looked back. 

About ten years into his career, he founded AIS and has since helped to build it into one of the leading furniture companies in the industry. He’s sharing how the company has evolved over the years and what they’ve done to stay relevant in a constantly changing market.

One of the things that really sets AIS apart is their willingness to adapt. When something stops working they’re quick to innovate and look at ways to change what they’re already doing to better fit the market. One of the most evident examples is their shift into mask making in 2020. 

They’ve now been declared an essential business and have not had to shut down at all during the pandemic. In a year of decline, they’ve actually continued to see growth while at the same time creating a huge impact for our nation. 

Listen as Bruce talks about the changes the pandemic has wrought on the nation, his projections for the future of the industry, and why giving back means so much to him and the company. 

This is truly an amazing conversation with someone who has been in this industry for over 40 years. You won’t want to miss out on his insights and his wealth of knowledge. 

In this episode:

[02:05] Welcome to the show, Bruce!

[02:30] Bruce shares his journey in the office furniture industry.

[04:13] Listen, as Bruce gives a brief overview of AIS and what they do today.

[08:23] Bruce discusses how AIS has evolved over the years.

[09:42] Bruce speaks about what has fueled the significant growth of the company.

[12:04] A quick story from when I worked for Bruce at AIS.

[13:55] Bruce talks about what he believes sets AIS apart from other companies in the industry.

[15:35] AIS is considered an essential business, so they haven’t had to close down during COVID.

[19:23] Bruce shares that they have continued to push forward with plans they had before the pandemic.

[20:56] Bruce speaks about how they have been able to support their customers and employees while they work from home.

[25:59] Bruce shares an idea on how to reduce cars on the road by offering incentives for allowing employees to work from home one day a week post pandemic.

[27:31] Listen as Bruce speaks about the philanthropic programs they are involved in.

[33:24] Learn about the two awards AIS won in 2020.

[35:40] Bruce shares some final thoughts about the industry.

[39:12] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources: 

Connect with Bruce Platzman

AIS

LinkedIn

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The Trend Report introduction music is provided by: Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Trend Report is your inside look at the people, products and ideas shaping the future of workplace design.  We explore the evolving world of contract interiors, office furniture, and workplace design. From the interior design industry to commercial furniture and the future of work, we share insights, trends, and strategies that keep the office furniture industry and the interior design community informed and inspired.

Connect with Sid:

Home Page: www.sidmeadows.com
Podcast Website:  https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast

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The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/