Steelcase

Steelcase Inc.

Type	Public
Traded as	NYSE: SCS
Industry	Furniture
Founded	March 16, 1912
Headquarters	Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Products	Comprehensive portfolio of products and services for workplaces
Website	steelcase.com

Steelcase Inc. is a global company headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States that develops and manufactures furniture products and services for workplaces. With more than 50 locations in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, Steelcase specializes in furniture, interior architecture and technology products and services for corporate offices. Through its brands, it also has products for small businesses, healthcare, higher education, and environments for mobile workers.

The company markets it products and services worldwide primarily through approximately 650 independent and company-owned dealers, and markets through a few retail and web-based channels. The company has approximately 11,000 employees worldwide.

Steelcase has been recognized for its future-focused research into work, workers and workplaces. It is also credited with breakthroughs as a sustainability leader: In 2001, Steelcase’s wood furniture factory became the world’s first manufacturing plant to receive LEED Certification for Environmental Excellence by the U.S. Green Building Council and Steelcase has the largest portfolio of products to receive McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry’s Cradle-to-Cradle certification for sustainable products. In 2012 Steelcase Inc. was recognized as one of FORTUNE magazine's "Most Admired Companies."

James P. Hackett has been president and CEO since 1994. He joined the company in 1981.

The pyramid-shaped Steelcase Corporate Development Center near Grand Rapids, Michigan opened in 1989. Coord.: 42.852184°N 85.560107°W / 42.852184; -85.560107

Company History

Steelcase was founded on March 16, 1912 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as The Metal Office Furniture Company, specializing in file cabinets and safes. In 1914 The Metal Office Furniture Company received its first patent for a fireproof steel wastebasket. Since then, the company has been granted more than 1,300 patents for workplace innovations. In 1954 The Metal Office Furniture Company changed its name to Steelcase. Steelcase has been publicly held company since 1998, with a large portion of its stock held by members of three founding families: the families of Peter M. Wege, Walter D. Idema and David D. Hunting.

Innovations

• In the 1930s the company partnered with Frank Lloyd Wright to create task-oriented office furniture for the SC Johnson Wax building. The collection includes several desk variations to accommodate different tasks, and is still in use today.

• In 1953 Steelcase introduced color to office furniture to make offices more inspiring. Before then, office furniture traditionally came in military colors such as battleship grey.

• One of the first ergonomically designed chairs – "Sensor" – was a Steelcase innovation in 1986, available in three sizes to support different body types.

• In 1999 "Leap seating" was introduced with patented "LiveBack" technology that incorporated biomimicry of the human spine for superior support.

• In 2004 Steelcase introduced the "Think" chair, the first product to receive Cradle to Cradle Certification^CM from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC)

Company Milestones

March 16, 2012 - Steelcase launches a yearlong 100th anniversary celebration centered on a project called “100 Dreams. 100 Minds. 100 Years.” Hopes and ideas about the future were collected from people around the world, including children and leading thinkers from business, technology, healthcare, education, the arts, and philanthropy. All submissions are on an anniversary website.

2011 - The WorkCafé at Steelcase Global Headquarters opens, an innovative “third place” work-and-eat setting that replaces a former cafeteria and gains attention as an innovative space displaying the company’s latest insights about changing work patterns.

2008 – Responding to blurring distinctions between office and home as places for work, Steelcase launches Coalesse, a new premium brand. It’s a merger of three Steelcase-owned companies: Brayton, Metro and Vecta.

2008 - Steelcase announces a long-term financial commitment to a U.S. wind farm, including the purchase of all power produced for at least the first five years—the first time a corporation has made an up-front commitment to purchase all renewable energy credits from a U.S. wind farm in the financing stage. Experts believe that Steelcase's commitment shows how companies can leverage their environmental commitments to effect a massive change.

2007 – Steelcase acquires the Ultra Group, one of the leading furniture manufacturers in China.

2006 – Steelcase launches Nurture, a new organization focused on insight-based products and solutions for healthcare environments.

2003 - The Steelcase WorkSpace Futures group is formed to intensify research into various types of work settings.

2001 - Steelcase’s wood furniture factory in Caledonia, Michigan, USA, becomes the world’s first manufacturing plant to receive LEED Certification for Environmental Excellence by the U.S. Green Building Council.

2001 - Steelcase acquires PolyVision®, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, setting the stage for the development of user-centered technology offerings that integrate with architecture and furniture.

2000 - E-commerce sales of select products are offered through a website.

1999 - Steelcase acquires 100% of Steelcase/ Strafor S.A. Coupled with the recent acquisition of Germany's second largest wood office furniture manufacturer, the stage is set for the formation of Steelcase International in 2000.

February 18, 1998 - Steelcase becomes a publicly traded company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SCS.

1996 - Steelcase makes an equity investment in IDEO, a design and innovation consulting firm in Palo Alto, California, USA, noted for its human-centered, design-based approach to product development. A buy-back program was completed in 2010.

1996 - The first Steelcase WorkLife opens in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, USA. The space is designed to display workplace insights and solutions, not just products. Subsequent WorkLife spaces open around the world.

1993 - Turnstone® is founded as a subsidiary of Steelcase to meet the needs of small business and home office workers.

1987 - The Steelcase Design Partnership® is formed, comprising acquisitions that give Steelcase a broader product portfolio. Member companies include: Atelier International, Brayton International, DesignTex® Fabrics, Details®, Metropolitan Furniture Corp., Stow & Davis Furniture Co. and Vecta Contract.

1978 - The Steelcase spectrum logo is introduced. The rainbow of letters in modern styling represents the wide range of colors offered in Steelcase furniture.

1974 – In a 50% joint venture agreement with Strafor-Facom, Steelcase forms Steelcase/ Strafor S.A. The agreement includes manufacturing facilities and provides access to European and North African markets.

1973 – Steelcase enters the Asian Market in a joint venture with Kurogane Kosakusho that includes manufacturing facilities and marketing facilities in Tokyo and Osaka.

1973 - Steelcase fills the largest single order in the industry : 43,565 pieces of furniture in 400 truckloads for Chicago's Sears Tower (now Willis Tower).

1954 - Steelcase Canada Ltd. is founded, the first Steelcase operation outside the United States.

1954 - Steelcase Inc. becomes the company’s official name.

1928 - The Steelcase trademark makes its entry in an international market, with brochures for printed in Spanish for customers in Argentina.

1921 – The Steelcase brand is born when Turner Advertising in Chicago promotes the Steelcase® trademark to emphasize the durability Metal Office Furniture products and adds the advertising tagline, “Found Where Business Succeeds.”

March 16, 1912 - The Metal Office Furniture Co. is incorporated.