GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – June 4, 2013 – In the office furniture world, it is quite obvious that the way office environments are designed has changed. Three big factors impacting how these spaces are planned are 1) the tough economic climate, 2) individual and group communication and 3) the use of technology. Kentwood Office Furniture (KOF) today announces new remanufactured product solutions that keep pace with these emerging requirements.
For several years, manufacturers have focused their development efforts on products that provide more flexible open spaces, where communication and connectivity can happen. A more recent trend is the scramble to drastically reduce the purchase prices. The budget conscious customer, previously not a primary focus, has now become a main target for many of the larger office furniture manufacturers. Price points have come down, but obtaining an affordable environment that supports new modes of work can still be out of reach. The answer for many can be found by looking in the direction of remanufactured furniture solutions.
For years, remanufactured furniture products have provided customers with a more affordable solution for their office environments. Kentwood Office Furniture announces today a major amplification of their fundamentals remanufactured furniture program. This new expansion, fundamentals 2.0, increases the number of panel fabric choices from 4 to 58, and the number of laminate choices from 4 to nearly 100. The breadth of fabric and finish options allows organizations to create the office environment that meets the dynamic needs of today’s work at an extremely affordable price.
In addition to the expansion of the fabrics and finishes, components have been added to the statement of line. These line extensions allow organizations to create efficient open plan benching environments with current, fresh aesthetics.
Kentwood Office Furniture has grown beyond the initial 130,000 square foot headquarters facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan to nearly 500,000 square feet of space, including a remanufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, and showrooms in Jackson, Michigan; Novi, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; and Indianapolis, Indiana. “We have been able to leverage our strong regional presence to work with our supply base on aggressive pricing and discounting,” says Laura Hopson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Kentwood Office Furniture. “These supplier relationships, along with an experienced operations team, have allowed us to develop these programs and services at fantastic prices.” In addition to product, Kentwood also offers a full range of project management and design services.
Validation in the movement towards more affordable office furniture solutions can be found by taking a peek at the growth of some of the known mid market furniture providers – both new product manufacturers and remanufacturers. This growth continues to outpace the industry numbers. Kentwood Office Furniture has seen growth in excess of 20% for two years in a row. According to BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association) the office furniture industry as a whole only grew 12.7% in 2011 and 1.4% in 2012. In 2013, Kentwood Office Furniture is again on track to surpass BIFMA’s industry projections.
