Momentum Group Acquires Sina Pearson Textiles

08.01.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS

CITED:“OUR LIVES ARE DEFINED BY OPPORTUNITIES, EVEN THE ONES WE MISS.” —BENJAMIN BUTTON, IN THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Momentum Group Acquires Sina Pearson Textiles

The Momentum Group has long enjoyed a stellar reputation for its operational excellence and dedication to sustainability. In recent years it has been steadily upping its game in the design end of the contract textile space through collaboration with extremely talented designers. Today the Momentum Group announces it has acquired Sina Pearson Textiles and will operate it as its fourth brand alongside Momentum Textiles, Loomsource and Textus.

FULL STORY ON PAGE 3…

Better Signage, Better Cities

Good signage is critical to doing good business. Signage can positively or negatively affect a city’s appeal, consumer and visitor behaviors, and overall local branding and ambience. Joshua Zinder, founding principal of Princeton, NJ-based architectural and design firm JZA+D, shares his insights about signage challenges and the solutions architects and designers can use to create effective signage designs.


Concurrents – Environmental Psychology: Green is Good for the Planet And…

The health of our planet is clearly important – but there are reasons other than the earth’s wellbeing to build and work green. Allen, MacNaughton, Satish, Santanam, Vallarino and Spengler (results published in Environmental Health Perspectives), studied people who worked in a green environment and found that their higher order cognitive function was enhanced there.


08.01.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 2 OF 32

NeoCon Space 1159 www.tuohyfurniture.comTryg Tables

http://bit.ly/1iqB2Hx


companies

Momentum Group continues to build Momentum as today it announces its acquisition of Sina Pearson Textiles, which it will operate as its fourth brand along with Momentum Textiles, Loom-Source, and Textus.

The Momentum Group has long enjoyed a stellar reputation for its operational excellence and dedication to sustainability. In recent years it has been steadily upping its game in the design end of the contract textile space through collaboration with extremely talented designers – Sheila Hicks, Hazel Siegel and Carl Magnusson and Emanuela Frattini Magnusson to name a few. Emanuela Magnusson says, “Working with the design team at Momentum is a joy. They are wonder-ful to work with – extremely respectful of our design intent and interested in our process and in bringing their knowledge to bear in areas of sustain-ability and manufacturing.”

Thus it seems the acquisition of Sina Pearson Textiles fits extraordinarily well with the strategic direction of the Momentum Group. And selling her company at this stage in her career seems a well-earned reward for Sina Pearson’s years of hard work and dedi-cation. Plus, the new relationship bodes well for Ms. Pearson to continue to exercise her talent in bringing inspired and inspiring designs to the market.

Of that, Roger Arciniega, President/CEO of the Momentum Group said, “With Momentum Group, Sina Pearson will continue to design many more extraordinary fabrics. Now unencum-bered by the daily task of running a business, she will be able to focus 100% of her efforts on designing beautiful products for our customers.”

Very briefly, the backstory of Sina Pearson’s professional life is one of continuous success. In the 1980s as President and Design Director of Unika Vaev she propelled it into the forefront of contract textile companies. And along the way she earned herself

a sterling reputation as one of the industry’s foremost textile designers.

She believed that the contract textile industry needed an organization to advocate for standards of performance and to disseminate information about contract textiles to interior design-ers and others at a more objective, industry-wide level rather than relying on the individual companies to do so at a more self-interest level. So in 1985 she co-founded the Association for Contract Textiles, ACT. And up to the present time she continues to travel the country speaking on behalf of ACT and teaching CEU courses about tex-tile standards and sustainability.

Ms. Pearson struck out on her own, forming Sina Pearson Textiles in 1990. And through her talent for design, technical knowledge of textiles and weaving and strong business acumen she has built Sina Pearson Textiles into an award winning and highly regarded presence in the industry. Her work is generally acclaimed for her exceptional color sense and for rich texture. And

Momentum Group Acquires Sina Pearson TextilesBy Bob Beck

Sina Pearson. Photo by Linda Jaquez. Sina Pearson in her warehouse, now unencumbered by the day to day pressure of running a company. Photography courtesy Sina Pearson.


companies

an overview of her numerous patterns reveals more than a few stripes – they seem to be a hallmark of her style.

In terms of the fit within the Mo-

mentum Group where sustainability is a core value, Ms. Pearson says, “I believe in wasting less, using what we have more economically and leav-

ing more for future generations. Each of us should make a commitment in our own way to preserve our precious environment.”

Examples of Ms. Pearson’s use of color and texture

The All Spaces Collection, 2014 Interior Design magazine Best of Year (BOY) Award winner. Photography courtesy Momentum Group.


companies

The Nordic Collection 2015 BOY Award winner

Iceland, inspiration for the award winning Nordic Collection


companies

The March 2016 “Color Story,” exemplifying Sina Pearson’s color sense across product linesColores de Mexico is an outdoor textile col-lection of Sunbrella acrylic fibers providing resistance to mildew, sun, and chlorine


companiesAs you might expect, the internal

design team at Momentum is eager to begin work with Ms. Pearson. Shantel McGowan, Vice President of Design said, “A design team is most innova-tive when collectively tapping into the experiences and talents of the group members. With the addition of Sina we add a new creative perspective. We welcome her to the Momentum Group design team.”

From an industry access stand-point, Sina Pearson fabrics should benefit greatly from the operational excellence and the sales and market-ing strength of Momentum. Rosanne Veljkovic, VP of Marketing at Momen-tum said, “The Sina Pearson products will have exponentially more exposure through our sales team of over 60 rep-resentatives across North America.”

She went on to excitedly welcome the acquisition saying, “Each Momentum Group brand has the same creative soul – textiles that inspire our custom-ers, core values that anchor our busi-ness decisions and a commitment to the world around us. Sina Pearson is the perfect addition to Momentum Group as the fourth distinct brand. She is a kindred spirit with a personal style that is all her own.”

The stars seem to be aligned to make this acquisition a good one for all parties, including the textile speci-fying community. Momentum gets an incredible collection of established, multi-award winning fabrics and the addition of Ms. Pearson to its stable of design talent.

Sina Pearson gets to off-load the stress of running a company and fo-

cus on her love for designing textiles, and the specifying community gets even more of Ms. Pearson’s designs backed by the operational excellence and larger sales force of Momentum.

I can’t say this is a sure thing be-cause I’ve seen too many acquisitions that seemed like a sure thing lead to the demise of the acquired brand. But at this point this one seems to be as close as you could get to a sure thing. I hope it turns out that way. n

(Note: As an aside concerning typical Momentum uber-organized ways, I wanted to go the Sina Pear-son website today for some images of products. But it’s gone! Yep! Type www.sinapearson.com into your browser and you are redirected to the Momentum website. Now that’s a transition!)

The Fast track Collection inspired by the colors and motifs of competitive sports

http://www.sinapearson.com


ADVE

RTIS

EMEN

T

http://bit.ly/1JSD00j


a&d

A city’s ‘Main Street,’ and the businesses that call Main Street home, can include countless types of signage. Photography: courtesy of JZA+D

Many of us have had the experience of walking past a hidden gem in our neighborhood – be it a restaurant, boutique, law office or something else – simply because the establishment’s signage was awful.

Good signage is critical to doing good business. Signage can positively or negatively affect a city’s appeal, con-sumer and visitor behaviors, and overall local branding and ambience.

But for those businesses and organizations that don’t have snazzy marketing teams to dream up the perfect brand logo and signage materials, and for companies who have perhaps too many options at their disposal, a solid plan for signage can get lost amidst limiting municipal signage ordinances, competing priorities and flashy tech features.

We spoke to Joshua Zinder, founding principal of Princeton, NJ-based architectural and design firm JZA+D, to find out more about signage challenges and the solu-tions architects and designers can use to create effective signage designs.

“As much as good signage can help your business, bad signage can hurt your business,” said Mr. Zinder. “Many businesses, especially young ones, choose a cost-saving solution. And by doing so, they often slight themselves be-cause while it may be cost-effective, the signage doesn’t accomplish what they intended it to.”

One of the major challenges designers and business owners face is the clash of new technology and innovative signage strategies against historical preservation limits and other stringent city regulations.

People within the same community often have differing opinions on how their town should look.

Better Signage, Better Citiesby Mallory Jindra

Joshua Zinder, founding principal of JZA+D


a&dFor example, some people have

been using the same signs to promote their business for years, but others in the same community – people seeking a ‘pristine hamlet’ – find those same signs to be a nuisance, something that clutters the city. The end result of many of these types of conflicts can lead to a lot of tension between residents and merchants.

There are often great reasons behind many city signage regulations, but new nuances in signage design – that haven’t been accounted for or currently aren’t allowed in many com-munities – can also do their part to improve communities and commerce.

“There’s a notion that the ordi-nances of many communities are too restricting and outdated,” said Mr. Zinder. “New signage can help denote the character of a community, rather than take away from it.”

Mr. Zinder noted three general guid-ing solutions architects and designers can use to help clients with signage:

>Carefully pre-plan interviews to identify target markets.

>Consider traffic flow.>Understand the client’s brand.Signage regulations can include

guidelines for everything from size and location to shape, illumination and more.

“From our point of view, you can almost always design something great within the parameters of these regula-tions,” said Mr. Zinder.

Clear and open communication between architects and designers, clients, and city regulation groups is ideal in most projects, and the subject of signage is no different. Mr. Zinder noted that more often than not, clients do not have a clear picture of what

they’re allowed and not allowed to do. Architects and designers have the ability, and responsibility, to be the go-between for clients and city regulators.

“It’s important to encourage munici-palities to establish very clear, graphic guidelines for their cities. This helps architects create successful designs that comply with the regulations on the first run through.”

Signage denoting a commercial office building complex’s address at 1 Independence Way and 5 Independence Way in Princeton, NJ

Sign Overload


ADVE

RTIS

EMEN

T

v

HAL Chair Core Portfolio www.vitra.com/HALDeveloped by Vitra in Switzerland, Design: Jasper Morrison

One chair family, endless uses - now available at a more competitive price.Starting at $365 list. Ships within 2 weeks on Quick-Ship. Contact us for more information and request a chair sample:[email protected] or +1 212.463.5700

http://bit.ly/2ajO7QI


a&dMr. Zinder says that most commu-

nities have guidelines about signage in place, but the detail and degree to which they communicate those guidelines varies.

“There’s often a disconnect; it leaves a vague meaning that ar-chitects can interpret one way or another. Sometimes they interpret it in the ‘right’ way, and sometimes they don’t.

“And if those guidelines are not in place, or they’re not sufficient, archi-tects have that ability to convey things graphically to clients and to the city.”

When cities have a historic district of some form, the historic district typi-cally has additional regulations that stack atop the base municipal regula-tions. These can include size of the signage, how the sign can be framed, and approved lettering and fonts.

Clients and architects do have the option of applying for a variance, which would allow them to design and use a sign that does not comply with the normal regulations.

“The point of applying for a vari-ance is that there’s a hardship for the person or business applying,” said Mr. Zinder. “But signage is rarely seen as creating a hardship. Bad signage because of limitations does not impede your business enough, so they’re not often granted.”

Countless types of signage popu-late our cities, and they’re each used for various specific functional and aesthetic reasons.

Noted below are several sign types designers should be familiar with:

>Blade signs: Signs that hang perpendicular to the line of traffic. Often used by businesses located on a secondary street, as opposed to the main drag, to create more visibility for passersby.

>Façade signage: Signage that lays flat on the wall/building, as opposed to blade signs.

Façade signage and gooseneck lighting

Blade Signage


a&d>Sandwich boards: “Easel” signs

propped up on the sidewalk outside a business, often used to advertise special sales and other messages to passersby.

>Illuminated signs: A sign with a lighting component. Designers can use lighting to create many effects, includ-ing soft glow capabilities and backlit effects behind a sign. Other options include gooseneck lighting (a light protruding out in front of the building

and directed to shine back onto a sign/building), backlit awnings, neon signs, cove lighting, lightbox signs, and halo lit signs. “The lighting of signage has been completely transformed with the advent of LED lights,” noted Mr. Zinder.

>Directional and wayfinding signs: Signs that direct people toward spe-cific areas. Often used on campuses or in other city areas where people might need additional information to find their destination.

2016 0801 Signage8 Sandwich Board Signage JPGcaption

Illuminated Signage Illuminated signage: backlit LED lighting

Façade and awning signage accompanied by gooseneck lighting

Directional/wayfinding signage


a&d>Digital systems: There are many

different forms including fiber optic signs placed in window.

>Awnings: Any sign content that appears on the actual awning, typically placed over a window or entryway.

>Banners: Placed on light poles, and often related to the seasons, large community events, or neighborhood districts.

>Glazing signage: Includes any graphic sign designs that are glazed or otherwise applied to glass

>Freestanding signs: Signs not con-nected to a building, can take numer-ous forms. Examples include many iterations of pylons, as well as large signs that advertise all businesses in a commercial area (for instance, a strip mall). n

Digital systems signage is a broad category that includes fiber optic signs often placed in windows.

Banner signage

Awning signage

Glazing signage

Freestanding signage


ADVE

RTIS

EMEN

T

an OFS Brands™ company | ofs.com

Slate® Private Office

http://bit.ly/1b0SuJA


concurrents

The team shares details of their process: study participants “on different days…were exposed to IEQ conditions repre-sentative of Conventional (high volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration) and Green (low VOC concentration) office buildings in the U.S. Additional conditions simulated a Green building with a high outdoor air ventilation rate (la-beled Green+) and artificially elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) levels independent of ventilation.”

In 2007, Leaman and Bordass surveyed people across the United Kingdom and found that people working in environ-mentally responsible buildings felt better about the image presented by their building and the way the building met their needs than people who were working in conventional buildings. They were also more tolerant of comfort-related problems (e.g., temperature, ventilation, noise, lighting) in green buildings than workers in conventional buildings were of similar issues.

Green is Good for the Planet And…by Sally Augustin, Ph.D.

The health of our planet is clearly important – but there are reasons other than the earth’s wellbeing to build and work green.

Allen, MacNaughton, Satish, Santanam, Vallarino and Spengler (results published in Environmental Health Per-spectives), studied people who worked in a green environ-ment and found that their higher-order cognitive function was enhanced there.

More specifically: “On average, cognitive scores were 61% higher on the Green building day and 101% higher on the two Green+ building days than on the Conventional building day…VOCs and CO2 were independently associated with cognitive scores… Cognitive function scores were significant-ly better in Green+ building conditions compared to the Con-ventional building conditions for all nine functional domains.” Examples of the cognitive functions tested include: decision making, developing strategies and responding to crises.


concurrentsNewsham, Birt, Arsenault, Thomp-

son, Veitch, Mancini, Galasiu, Gover, Macdonald and Burns (2013) conduct-ed a post-occupancy review of 12 green buildings in Canada and the northern United States, and found that, “Green buildings exhibited superior perfor-mance compared with similar con-ventional buildings. Better outcomes included: environmental satisfaction, satisfaction with thermal conditions, satisfaction with the view to the outside, aesthetic appearance, less disturbance from heating, ventilation and air condi-tioning (HVAC) noise, workplace image, night-time sleep quality, mood, physical symptoms, and reduced number of airborne particulates.”

Galen Cranz and her team at the University of California, Berkeley, conducted a post-occupancy evalua-tion of a new green office building (the David Brower Center, Berkeley, CA; 50,000 square feet; LEED Platinum; Cranz, Lindsey, Morhayim, and Lin, 2014). They share that “Even though prior research shows that user reaction to specific features of green buildings is negative or mixed (lighting and thermal comfort varies across green buildings, and acoustics are negatively rated in most cases), overall building satisfac-tion is high…This is probably because of the buildings’ green label: It seems that people feel good about being affili-ated with a green building.”

Finally, the GSA conducted a post-occupancy evaluation of 12 environ-mentally responsible buildings in its portfolio (2008). The GSA study was unusual because it assessed the envi-

ronmental, financial and psychological implications of building design features simultaneously. The buildings assessed scored above average on polls of oc-cupant satisfaction:

“The study provides important new evidence that occupant satisfaction is higher in sustainably designed build-ings. Occupant satisfaction is important because it correlates with personal and team performance. That often means higher productivity and creativity for an organization.”

In buildings that had lower levels of occupant satisfaction, “The (GSA) study found that occupant satisfac-tion is undermined by poor acoustics, lighting, and maintenance problems. A low level of ambient noise, a lack of sound masking, and a perceived lack of privacy make acoustic quality worse.”

Green building is good for the earth and the performance of the organiza-tions that cover it. n

Joseph Allen, Piers MacNaughton Usha Satish, Suresh Santanam, Jose Vallarino, and John Spengler. 2016. “As-sociations of Cognitive Function Scores with Carbon Dioxide, Ventilation, and Volatile Organic Compound Exposures in Office Workers: A Controlled Exposure Study of Green and Conventional Office Environments.” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 124, no. 6, http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/15-10037/.

Galen Cranz, Georgia Lindsey, Lusi Morhayim, and Annie Lin. 2014. “Com-municating Sustainability: A Postoc-cupancy Evaluation of the David Brower Center.” Environment and Behavior, vol. 46, no. 7, pp. 826-847.

General Services Administration Public Buildings Service, Office of Ap-plied Science. 2008. “Assessing Green Building Performance: A Post Occu-pancy Evaluation of 12 GSA Buildings.”

Adrian Leaman and Bill Bordass. 2007. “Are Users More Tolerant of ‘Green’ Buildings.” Building Research and Information, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 662–673.

Guy Newsham, Benjamin Birt, Chan-tal Arsenault, Alexandra Thompson, Jennifer Veitch, Sandra Mancini, Anca Galasiu, Bradford Gover, Iain Macdon-ald, and Gregory Burns. 2013. “Do ‘Green’ Buildings Have Better Indoor Environments? New Evidence.” Build-ing Research and Information, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 415-434.

Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive sci-entist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesigncon-nections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Archi-tecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.design-withscience.com) and can be reached at [email protected].

http://www.researchdesignconnections.com

http://www.researchdesignconnections.com

http://www.designwithscience.com

http://www.designwithscience.com

mailto:[email protected]


r-d connectionRESEARCH-DESIGN CONNECTIONUsing the Right Numbersby Sally Augustin, Ph.D.

Numbers have a gender, and it’s a good idea to align numbers used to describe something with its perceived gender. Yan reports that, “Market-ing communications often contain

numerical information that can be expressed more or less precisely…precise numbers [are] seen as more masculine relative to round ones…marketing communications using precise (round) numbers lead to more favorable evaluations when the products or attributes are positioned as masculine (feminine).” n

Dengfeng Yan. “Numbers Are Gen-dered: The Role of Numerical Preci-sion.” Journal of Consumer Research, in press.

Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive sci-entist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesigncon-nections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where

recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest re-search findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psycho-logical Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychol-ogy for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwith-science.com) and can be reached at [email protected].

SUDOKU

Fill in the empty cells so that every row, column and cube contains a digit from 1-9, without duplication. (Level: Medium)

5 4 8 27 1

7 6 5 96 4 5

1 8

1 2 4 98 6 42 9 8

Grid n°1586090169 medium

We have all the free sudokus you need! 400 new sudokus every week.

Make your own free printable sudoku at www.PrintMySudoku.com


officenewswirePRODUCT INTROS>Baresque announced the North American launch of Zintra™ Acoustic Concertina and Zintra on Zintra® Tiles, both for office environments. The two products respec-tively offer sound-reduction in combination with office space division and freeform aesthetic sound abatement for walls. Zintra Acoustic Concertina screens are a new take on Baresque’s Zintra ½” Acoustic Panel. Concer-tina employs plain or Zintra

on Zintra panels connected with flexible straps to form a lightweight, portable parti-tion. Also available with a stand, Concertina requires no assembly and can be folded up for storage. The panels are available in 16 standard colors. Zintra on Zintra Tiles provide an interior designer with limitless creative options for both wall décor and sound abatement. These surface-mountable tiles provide free-form acoustic and aesthetic solutions for walls, ceilings and glass partitions, and can

be arranged as individual shapes, clusters or arrays. The tiles, which are shipped in groups of eight, are easily installed onto a variety of sub-strates with adhesive and can also be affixed with magnets and suction cups for easy removal and redesign. Zintra on Zintra Tiles are available in seven standard designs in nominal sizes of 24”x24”x1” (with 4”x4” magnet wall plate, if specified). Read More

>Gunlocke’s new Metta side chair evolved from a sketch of a steam-bent wood chair into an upscale, mixed-mate-rial seating option. Designed by Alyssa Coletti of Nonfiction Creative, Metta combines a slim metal frame with wood and upholstery. Inspired by cupped hands, its supple seat is designed to hold the user with angled support for maximum comfort. Minimal, undulating lines provide a vi-sual cue as to how it supports

its users, artfully aligning form and function. Uphol-stery options include a fully upholstered seat and back; exposed plywood back and seat bottom with upholstered inside back and seat; and dual upholstery, allowing for different textiles or leathers on the inside and outside. All options feature upholstered side arms matching the in-ner fabric or leather. Veneer selections include quarter-cut walnut, cherry, maple or rift cut oak. Gunlocke’s full range of fabrics and leathers is available for upholstery. Read More

>Hokanson, a brand of Scott Group Studio, has unveiled Nascent – a new carpet collection that deconstructs elements found in nature to create bold and graphic tex-tures. A rich palette of dusty plum, deep mulberry, soft cream and warm sand tones comes together in six new

For complete releases, visit www.officeinsight.com/officenewswire.

Baresque Zintra Acoustic Concertina screens

Baresque Zintra on Zintra TilesGunlocke Metta

http://www.officenewswire.com/

http://www.officenewswire.com/index/rss

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/baresque-launches-portable-office-dividers-acoustical-wallceiling-tiles/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/new-metta-side-chair-gunlocke-mixes-form-function/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/new-metta-side-chair-gunlocke-mixes-form-function/

http://www.officeinsight.com/officenewswire


officenewswire

patterns that can be com-pletely customized to fit any space. A sophisticated blend of silk and ultra-fine worsted wool fibers is hand-tufted to craft a luxurious feeling underfoot. “The Nascent Col-lection explores how natural elements spring to life,” said Gabe Lanza, creative director. “We began by taking a micro look at elements and patterns in nature, such as butterfly wings and coral, and then gave them new life in the form of vivid patterns that are both dynamic and refined.” Read More

>J+J Flooring Group’s lead brand, Invision, introduced Etched, a new 18”x36” modular plank. It is reminis-cent of the art of etching, the medium that renders imagery of metal plates through en-

graved lines and acid washes. Flowing lines and graceful strokes deliver visual interest without overpowering. With flourishes of bronze, copper, cadmium, pewter and onyx flowing over dusky, neutral backgrounds, Etched features 12 colorways and a textured patterned loop construction. Installation methods include

Ashlar, Basketweave, Her-ringbone and Paquet. The color palette ranges from rich brown tones (Stipple) to subtle terra cotta-type hues (Emulsion). Etched is created using J+J Flooring Group’s 100% Encore® BCF nylon with ColorLoc® Plus stain re-sistant technology and comes standard with ProTex® Soil Release, a proprietary fluo-rochemical technology that impedes soiling and improves cleanability, and is available with J+J’s Nexus® modular backing. It is manufactured in an ISO 14001 certified facility and contributes to LEED by containing pre-consumer recycled content. Read More

>Mayline® expanded its TechWorks® Benching and Desking System product line. Appealing to a more industrial aesthetic and offering the flex-ibility to meet the demands of busy tech-intensive work en-vironments, the modular line now features a broader selec-tion of bench and organizer frame sizes, surface laminate choices, paint colors, storage components, and accesso-ries. It is designed to deliver the best balance of durability for tech-intensive tasks and flexibility for reconfiguration or future expansion. “As technol-ogy continues to evolve, we are seeing more TechWorks applications moving out of the traditional IT back room and into modern tech-intensive office environments,” stated Allan Klotsche, President and CEO of Mayline. “We under-stand the impact the constant state of technological change can have in a workplace, and your employees will appreciate the enhanced workflow efficiencies that our robust, yet flexible TechWorks solutions can provide so your workspaces can adapt to new technologies and grow with your teams.”

Hokanson: Nascent

Invision Etched

Mayline® Tech Works®


https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/hokanson-debuts-nascent-collection/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/etched-invision-mimics-art-engraved-imagery/


officenewswire‘Made in USA’ (Sheboygan, WI), TechWorks is on May-line’s GSA Federal Govern-ment Contract and TCPN/National IPA Cooperative Purchasing Network Contract for the vertical market public sector, as well as on several State and Local Contracts. Read More

>OFM has partnered with five leading fabric companies to dramatically expand its upholstery options. Under the renewed textile Grade-In & COM Program, clients can se-lect alternative textiles for all of OFM’s in-stock seating, choos-ing from a wide collection of fabrics by CF Stinson, Mo-mentum Group, Mayer Fab-rics, Culp Contract, and Dou-glass Industries. After making their selection, customers can use OFM’s purchase process to arrange to have the correct amount of fabric sent directly to OFM to be applied during the manufacturing process, allowing them to have just one purchase order for the entire transaction from the product choice to the textile upgrade. The average lead time is 10 to 12 weeks from the arrival

of the fabric at the factory. All patterns meet standards set by the Association for Contract Textiles and BIFMA. Pictured: CF Stinson’s Rolling Stones. Read More

>Pallas Textiles introduced the Trade Route™ Collec-tion. In ancient times, the Silk Road connected the Mediter-ranean with the Far East. This winding route was integral to sharing cultures, philosophies and hand-made goods – especially textiles. The Trade Route Collection re-interprets cultural influences into up-holsteries designed to look at home anywhere in the world. Each pattern is inspired by a geographic region and what it’s known for – the intricate embroidery detail and vibrant colors of Morocco, the hand-dyed effects of Japanese Shibori, the look and feel of Ireland’s Donegal tweed.

-Marrakesh Express, influ-enced by Moroccan textiles, uses a blend of natural yarns to breathe new life and dimension into this classic geometric pattern.

-Suji Stripe is an abstract interpretation of Shibori fea-turing a blend of natural yarns woven together with a tightly twisted iridescent thread to give a layered, organic look.

-West Bengal is a silky stripe reminiscent of the linear pat-terns of mulberry silk woven on Indian looms. The rayon is woven in a way to lift it from the field yarns, providing a dimensional, serrated look.

-Patagonia draws inspiration for the complex spinning and weaving techniques and designs indigenous to the Mapuche people of South America. It takes the classic herringbone to a new level, using yarns of varying thick-ness to create a layered look and homespun feel.

-Donegal Plain is inspired by Ireland’s plain-weave cloth of differently colored warp and weft flecked with various colors at irregular intervals to create a heathered look.

-Tatami explores the geo-metric subtleties of Asian architectural elements from traditional tatami matted floors to shoji partitions. This pattern of segmented linear elements uses a faux silk yarn to add sheen. Read More

>Plumen and Formaliz3d expanded the Kayan series of 3D printed shades with five new bold colors: Blue, Grey, Red, White and Yellow. Customers can now mix and

OFM CF Stinson’s Rolling Stones

Pallas Textiles: Trade Route


https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/mayline-announces-expansion-techworks-product-line/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/ofm-dramatically-expands-furniture-fabric-offerings-renewed-grade-com-program/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/pallas-textiles-introduces-trade-route-collection/


officenewswirematch two shade options and three bulb designs with six different shade and cable colors. With options ranging from dualtone shade and cable pairings to a checked effect, the new Kayans can be hung in regimented series or organic clusters to bring life and playfulness to any space. Through 3D modelling and 3D printing, the design teams were able to create a tailored shade design to complement the curved silhouettes of the Plumen bulbs; the gently sloping sides of the Kayan fol-low the organic outline of the bulbs. The Kayan’s punctured sides allow light to escape, creating intricate shadows. Read More

NOTEWORTHY>Josh Hall was promoted to Vice President – Manufactur-ing at J+J Flooring Group. Mr. Hall joined the com-pany in 2008 as a Manager – Process Engineering and has since capably served in a number of manufacturing leadership positions, includ-ing his most recent role as Senior Director – Manufactur-ing. In his new position, he will assume responsibility for

setting the overall framework and strategic goals for the manufacturing operations of the company. This includes the oversight of policies, per-sonnel, equipment, technol-ogy, safety, sustainability and manufacturing processes for all products from J+J’s Invi-sion and Kinetex brands. As part of the promotion, he joins the company’s senior leader-ship team and is reporting to David Jolly, J+J Flooring Group President. Read More

>Christopher Guy celebrated the official grand opening of its new Chicago showroom on Jul. 28. More than 300 guests attended the lavish event held in the 16,000sf space, located in the Chicago Luxury Furniture Centre in downtown Chicago. The CG showroom encompasses three floors in the 40,000sf, six-story building personally redesigned and owned by Midwest design entrepreneur Jim Denos. Other brands at

the same address include Atelier and Clive Christian. At CG’s grand opening, guests enjoyed a red carpet welcome, ribbon cutting ceremony with Mr. Denos and CG brand creator Christopher Guy Harrison, and a cham-pagne toast, before celebrat-ing beautiful designs and CG pieces in the newly renovated showroom. Pieces from the 2016 CG Collection were premiered alongside other designs that have featured in major Hollywood motion pictures and television series. Read More

>IDLNY extended a heart-felt thank you to all those who were able to attend and show their support at the Gala Celebration hosted at the Intrepid on Jun. 29. The event celebrated the efforts of IDLNY’s representatives and volunteers who support the design community through advocacy and legislation, as well as serving as a major Josh Hall Jim Denos and Christopher Guy Harrison cut the ribbon

IDLNY Gala Celebration on the Intrepid


https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/new-3d-printed-shades-plumen/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/jj-flooring-group-appoints-josh-hall-vp-manufacturing/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/luxury-brand-christopher-guy-launches-expanded-partnership-chicago-entrepreneurial-family/


officenewswirefundraiser to bolster the coalition for further advocacy to elevate the interior design profession in New York State. Read More

>IIDA New York Chapter on Jul. 20 held its annual icon-nect event, featuring a can-did panel discussion on the generation gap in the design field. Laura Huggins, Contract Specialist, Shaw Contract Group, and Tayler Jones, De-signer, Gensler moderated the multi-generational panel in a discussion about everything from Blueprints to Revit, Pen-sion Plans to Napping Pods, and Corner Offices to Open Office. Speakers included Randy Fahey, Gensler; Barry Richards, Rockwell Group; Addy Madorsky, Switzer Group; Suraj Bhatia, HLW; Dehne Sibbernsen, HOK; and Christina Skowronski, Gensler. Read More

>Kimball International, Inc. received the ICMA Board of Regents Corporate Recogni-tion Award. ICMA® (Institute of Certified Management Ac-countants) is the certification

division of IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants). Accepting the award on Kimball International’s behalf at the IMA® Annual Confer-ence & Expo in Las Vegas last month was Jennifer Stemle, CMA, CPA, Director of Finan-cial Reporting. Said Dennis Whitney, CMA, ICMA Senior

Vice President of Certifica-tions, Exams, and Content Integration, “ICMA is pleased to recognize Kimball Interna-tional for their strong support of employees who seek to pursue the CMA certifica-tion. Currently, Kimball has about 25 active CMAs. These figures attest to Kimball’s sponsorship of in-house train-ing programs that help their employees achieve mastery of key accounting and finance skills.” Read More

>NewSchool of Architecture & Design launched a new, accelerated program which will allow students to pursue architectural licensure upon graduation. Located in down-

town San Diego, NewSchool is one of only 14 schools in the nation to be accepted by NCARB to participate in the Integrated Path to Architec-tural Licensure (IPAL). In addition, NewSchool is one of only two institutions in California to be approved to offer IPAL at the graduate level. This initiative aims to provide students an opportu-nity to complete the archi-tectural license requirements while earning their graduate architecture degree, therefore significantly reducing time to launch their careers as licensed architects. NewS-chool’s IPAL program, a four year graduate degree pro-gram, is set to launch in the fall of 2016. This rigorous ar-chitecture education program aims to combine all require-ments for architectural licen-sure, including professional experience and the Architec-tural Registration Examination (ARE). Upon the enactment of legislation currently pend-ing in California’s legislature and subsequent approval of new regulations from the state Board, this program could allow students to begin tak-ing the ARE tests during the second, third and fourth years – two test sections each year. The final (fourth) year of the program will consist of a full time practicum and final ARE tests. NewSchool is currently accepting applications for the program. Read More

IIDA NY iconnect event Photo © Steve Gardner

Kimball International receives IMCA Honor Jennifer Stemle, CMA, CPA of Kimball International and ICMA Senior Vice President Dennis Whitney


https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/idlny-thanks-support/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/icmy-iconnect-generation-gap/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/kimball-international-honored-icma-board-regents-corporate-recognition-award/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/newschool-architecture-design-launch-new-accelerated-program-allowing-students-earn-architecture-licensure-faster/


officenewswire

>Pella Corp. is acquiring Reilly Windows & Doors, a premier manufacturer and designer of custom window walls and doors. Taking effect Aug. 1, Reilly Windows & Doors will remain under the leadership of Michael Reilly and maintain its brand and focus on the luxury market-place. Over time, the brand will be integrated into the Pella Crafted Luxury collec-tion showcased in the 7,000sf showroom in LuxeHome® at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. The 180 employees at Reilly’s 192,000sf manufacturing facility in Calverton, NY, about 70 miles east of New York City on Long Island, will join the more than 7,500 Pella team members that build windows and doors throughout the United States. The terms of the sale will not be disclosed as Pella and Reilly Windows & Doors are both privately-held companies. Read More

RE-SITED>George Bandy Jr. joined Mohawk Group as its Vice President of Sustainability. Mr. Bandy has spent more than 22 years working in the sustainability field, and has amassed a rich experi-ence within the discipline’s concepts and practices as

they relate to positioning environmental, economic and socially responsible solutions for business. He comes to Mohawk Group following 16 years with Interface, where he most recently served as the flooring company’s VP of Sustainability, and was also a member of Interface’s Ameri-cas Sustainability Council. In his role at Interface, he trav-eled extensively as a highly sought after presenter on key topics including the business of sustainability, innovation in relation to nature, social sustainability and changing mindsets to a greener focus. Before working at Interface, he was employed as the Uni-versity Sustainability Officer for the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He is the immediate past board chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council and has also served on the

board for Second Nature, a non-profit that champions for higher education institu-tions to make the principles of sustainability fundamental to every aspect of learning. Read More

ENVIRONMENT>HDR launched a new well-ness dashboard tool and also won the Champion for Change Award at the recent CleanMed conference in Dallas. The new wellness dashboard tool measures wellness design cost benefits in the built environment by providing hard metrics for clients during the early design stages. It analyzes the physi-cal environment and overlays peer-reviewed research to determine the impact on an occupant’s stress, safety,

effectiveness, quality of work, and overall behavior. The dashboard captures infor-mation on the quality of air and water, connections to nature, beneficial acoustics, fitness and nourishment, for example.

“A typical design process results in the removal or value engineering of design ele-ments that benefit health and wellness even though they have a more immediate pay-back than utility savings from energy and water conserva-tion measures,” says Colin Rohlfing, director of sustain-able development for HDR’s architecture company. “This changes that.” Mr. Rohlf-ing helped launch the BETA version of this tool in June at London’s European Health-care Design conference.

The Champion for Change Award, presented at CleanMed, recognizes the company’s ongoing commit-ment to improving environ-mental performance. The winners of the award have achieved success in green-ing their own organizations, while also encouraging their

George Bandy

HDR Sustainable Team Healthand Wellness Tool


https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/pella-corporation-acquires-reilly-windows-doors-calverton-ny/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/mohawk-group-hires-george-bandy-vp-sustainability/


officenewswirehealthcare clients to expand their sustainable practices and improve their facilities’ environmental performance. Read More

>National Office Furniture was recognized as a Gold-Level Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association. This is the third consecutive year that National has been recognized by the American Heart Association for helping employees eat better and move more. The Fit-Friendly Worksite program helps companies to encour-age their employees to make health and well-being a prior-ity. “At National, we value employee wellness,” said National’s Angie Kleinhelter, Director of Human Resourc-es. “By offering onsite health and wellness screenings, company sponsored yoga and exercise classes, and health club reimbursement programs, we incorporate wellness opportunities daily.” Read More

EVENTS>Casual Market Chicago, held at The Mart Sep. 20-23, will include numerous special events and presen-tations. Attendees will see 250+ leading manufacturers in the outdoor/casual furni-ture and accessories indus-tries in more than 350,000sf of exhibit space including more than 45 permanent showrooms on floors 14, 15, and 16 as well as temporary exhibitors located in the 7th Floor exhibition space. It’s

the first place to view the latest products, in a multitude of categories: Furnishings (including wrought iron/aluminum, cast metal/cast combination, rattan/wicker/woven materials, tubular materials, resin/fiberglass and wood), umbrellas, ham-mocks, grills, outdoor lighting, outdoor carpeting and rugs, garden accessories, tabletop, statues, fountains, outdoor bars, outdoor hearth and heating products, alternative tabletops, and pool and spa accessories. Special events include:

-The International Casual Furnishings Assn. (ICFA) will host its fourth annual Industry Roundtables from Noon-6:00 p.m. on Monday, Sep. 19, the day prior to the opening of Casual Market Chicago. Sponsors include Klaussner Outdoor, Glen Raven/Sunbrel-la and Treasure Garden. The event will include discussions of topics including: Market-ing to Younger Consumers Through Social Media, Un-derstanding Key Performance Indicators, Marketing/Selling on the Internet, Consumer Financing Opportunities, Special Events and Promo-

tions, Handling Transportation and Logistics, and Recruiting Great Sales Associates. Fol-lowing the afternoon program, Klaussner Outdoor will host a reception in its showroom.

-First-Time Attendee Gather-ing will be held Tuesday, Sep. 20 in the ICFA Lounge, 11:00 a.m.-Noon. Debra Egli, Casual Market Chicago Buyer Rela-tions Manager and ICFA staff will be on hand to personally introduce first-time attendees to Casual Market Chicago and provide handy tips and tricks for navigating the show.

-Opening Night Backyard BBQ Party Tuesday, Sep. 20 at theMART South Drive, 6:00 pm-7:30 pm, will again be a must attend networking event. It will feature BBQ-in-spired cuisine and cocktails, live music, and well-curated furniture displays.

-ICFA Annual Meeting, Wednesday, Sep. 21, 7:30-8:30 a.m., provides a forum for discussion of industry issues, election of Association officers and directors, and an update on ICFA activities and membership benefits. All ICFA members and interested prospective members are invited.

-2016 ICFA Awards Gala, Thursday, Sep. 22, 6:30-10:00 p.m., celebrates the casual industry’s great achievements. The Apollo Awards celebrate the top retailers in single and multi-store categories. The 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees will be recognized and awards will also be presented for the Lillian B.


https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/hdr-launches-new-wellness-tool-wins-champion-change-award/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/national-office-furniture-recognized-american-heart-association-fit-friendly-worksite/


officenewswireWinchester “Best of Show” recipient, Sales Representa-tive of the Year and the Manu-facturer of the Year. Featured during the 2016 ICFA Awards Gala will be fabric fashion show presented by Casual Living. Read More

>IIDA will return to the Or-gatec Trade Fair, Oct. 25-29, 2016 in Cologne, Germany, to present an engaging panel discussion. The program, “People. Place. Performance. Defining Global Workplace Culture,” will offer attendees a dynamic and informative ex-amination on the topic of the ever-evolving nature of work and how design can support effective work environments and cultures. Moderated by IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP, the panel discussion, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., will feature industry leaders and members of the IIDA International Board of Direc-tors Scott Hierlinger, FIIDA, LEED AP (Design Director and Co-Principal, NELSON); James Kerrigan, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C (Design Principal of Interiors, Jacobs); Marlene M. Liriano, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C (Managing Director, IA Inte-rior Architects); and Primo Orpilla, FIIDA (President and Co-founder, Studio O+A).

In addition, earlier this year, IIDA held its first-ever IIDA Student Booth Design Competition at Orgatec 2016, sponsored by Vitra, which gave students the opportunity to design a trade show booth.

The winning booth design concept, which features Vitra product, was created by Kelsey Ballast, Student IIDA, and will serve as a location for IIDA to greet interna-tional members and guests. “We are excited to have a strong presence at this year’s Orgatec Trade Fair,” said Ms. Durst. “Kelsey has created an IIDA booth that showcases the Association’s mission of connecting the design com-munity, and we look forward to featuring her design in the Orgatec exhibit hall.” Read More

>IIDA NY Buffalo City Center on Wednesday, Sep. 14 will present Buffcon 2016, an Interior Design Tradeshow. It will be held at Riverworks, 359 Ganson Street in Buffalo, 4:30-8:00 p.m. Local design-ers will have a chance to sample the newest trends in material and furniture design in a fun-filled atmosphere to review all the latest releases from Neocon 2016. Read More

>IIDA NY Rochester City Center will host the ROC & Rollin’ Pedal Tour on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 5:30-8:00 p.m. The event promises an exciting and engaging night of pedaling and pour-ing drinks with a group bike tour of Rochester’s historic architecture. Drinks and light refreshments will be provided with the tour beginning and ending at Marshall Street Bar and Grill, 81 Marshall Street in Rochester. Event Sponsors are ArcCom and J+J Flooring Group. Read More

IIDA NY Rochester City Center: ROC & Rollin’ Pedal Tour


https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/casual-market-chicago-announces-exciting-special-events/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/iida-present-orgatec-unveil-winning-student-booth-design/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/iida-present-orgatec-unveil-winning-student-booth-design/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/iida-ny-buffalo-city-center-buffcon-2016-interior-design-tradeshow-sep-14/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/iida-ny-buffalo-city-center-buffcon-2016-interior-design-tradeshow-sep-14/

https://officeinsight.com/officenewswire/iida-ny-rochester-city-center-roc-rollin-pedal-tour-aug-23/


businessRAYMOND JAMES BRIEF 7.27.16Knoll: Strong 2Q16 Sales Beat; GAAP EPS Beat Aided by Lower Tax Rate

Analysts: Budd Bugatch, Bobby Griffin, David Vargas

>After Wednesday’s market close, Knoll reported 2Q16 GAAP EPS of $0.44, above our $0.42 estimate (also consensus). Total sales increased 9.7% year-over-year to $295 million, also above our $283 million estimate and the $287 million consensus.

>At the operating line, GAAP operating income was in-line with our model, as higher than expected sales (~$0.02 benefit) were offset by lower-than-modeled gross margin (~$0.01 drag) and a higher-than-forecasted expense ratio (~$0.01 drag.) Gross margin improved ~100 basis points y/y to 38.7% from 37.7% last year. The year-over-year gross margin improvement was driven by primarily by Knoll’s office furniture segment as a result of improved operating performance and greater fixed cost leverage from higher volume.

>Consolidated SG&A increased from $72.9 million (27.2% of sales) last year to $80.6 million (27.3% of sales), versus our $76.9 million (27.1% of sales) estimate. The y/y increase in consolidated operating expenses was driven by increased sales and marketing investments as well as higher incentive accru-als. Recall, the NeoCon trade show occurs during the second quarter. The ~$26.1 million y/y consolidated revenue growth

yielded a 20% contribution margin. Below the line, a lower-than-forecasted tax rate (33.4% versus our 37.5% estimate) aided consolidated results.

>Impressively, office segment sales increased 11.4% year-over-year to $179.3 million, nicely above our $170.3 million estimate. The strong y/y sales growth was driven by continued growth in Knoll’s core systems portfolio as well as increases in the company’s “complementary products.” Office furniture op-erating income increased 49.4% year-over-year to $13.6 million, in line with our $13.7 million estimate, while operating margin expanded to 7.6% from 5.7% last year. The ~$18.4 million y/y revenue growth yielded a 24.5% contribution margin.

>Sales for Knoll’s Studio segment increased 13.9% y/y to $88.7 million, above our $82.4 million estimate. The increase was driven primarily by Europe and KnollStudio in North America. Studio operating income increased 16.5% y/y to $14.1 million (15.9% of sales), nicely above our $12.9 million estimate (15.7% of sales).

>Coverings segment sales decreased 10.4% y/y to $26.8 million, below our $30.5 million estimate. Year-over-year growth in Spinneybeck | FilzFelt sales were more than offset by weakness at KnollTextiles and Edelman. Segment operating income decreased 17.9% y/y to $5.8 million (21.7% of sales), below our $7.2 million (23.7% of sales) estimate.

>We will have additional comments and updated estimates fol-lowing management’s 10 a.m. (ET) conference call.

7.29.16 7.1.16 4.1.16 12.31.15 10.2.15 6.26.15 %frYrHi%fr50-DayMA

HMiller 32.8 30.0 30.4 28.7 29.2 30.5 -3.8% 4.7%

HNI 52.1 46.7 39.6 36.1 43.7 53.2 -1.5% 8.4%

Inscape 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.3 -8.3% -1.5%

Interface 17.9 15.4 18.2 19.1 22.5 25.2 -32.9% 10.3%

Kimball 11.4 11.4 11.4 9.8 9.9 11.9 -12.3% -0.3%

Knoll 25.3 24.2 21.9 18.8 21.9 25.9 -1.7% 2.8%

Leggett 52.6 50.8 48.5 42.0 42.1 49.7 -3.8% 2.2%

Mohawk 208.9 189.4 192.4 189.4 189.0 193.2 -1.5% 7.0%

Steelcase 14.5 13.6 14.9 14.9 18.6 19.7 -28.8% 0.7%

USG 28.2 27.2 25.1 24.3 27.4 28.5 -14.4% 1.5%

Virco 4.5 4.4 3.1 3.3 3.1 2.9 -8.3% 3.3%

SUM 451.1 416.4 408.6 389.4 410.3 443.8

DJIndust 18,432 17,949 17,793 17,425 16,472 17,947 -1.0%

Industry Stock Prices


businessRAYMOND JAMES BRIEF 7.29.16Knoll: Reaffirm Outperform After Strong 2Q Results

Analysts: Budd Bugatch, Bobby Griffin, David Vargas

>Recommendation: We are reaffirming our Outperform rating on KNL and nudging our 12-month price target to $27, fol-lowing Knoll’s 2Q16 results and conference call. This quarter Knoll delivered impressive top-line growth along with an EPS beat that was helped by a lower tax rate. Accordingly, our posi-tive thesis remains intact. We believe Knoll’s consolidated mar-gin still has room to improve over the intermediate term due to: (1) an “ok” office furniture environment mixed with Knoll’s drive to improve operating efficiency within its office furniture segment; (2) further diversification into the ultra-high end residential furniture segment; and (3) an increasing penetration of complementary and ancillary office furniture products that will support achieving high-single to low-double digit operating margins in the office segment. KNL now trades at 14.2x our next 12 month EPS estimate, below the 14.9x five-year median.

>2Q16 Recap: Knoll reported 2Q16 GAAP EPS of $0.44, above our $0.42 estimate (also consensus). Total sales in-creased 9.7% year-over-year to $295 million, above our $283 million estimate and the $287 million consensus. Operating EPS was in line with our model as higher than expected sales (~$0.02 benefit) were offset by lower-than-modeled gross margin (~$0.01 drag) and higher-than-forecasted expense ratio (~$0.01 drag).

>Office Furniture: The office furniture segment delivered impressive revenue growth of 11.4%, driven by strength in core system products and complementary product categories. The segment contribution margin of 24% was lower than our 48% estimate due to higher than usual incremental spend on NeoCon as well as increased incentive bonuses. Productivity improvements and foreign exchange rate movements befitted the segment gross margins. On the call CEO Andrew Cogan noted that the office furniture market is doing “ok” but that pricing has become more competitive recently, Texas remains weak, and the Northeast is not seeing as robust financial ser-vice related business as in the past; however, the West Coast remains strong and the company believes it has opportunities in the central part of the country where it has historically under-penetrated.

>Studio Segment Sales: Studio segment revenue grew 13.9% led by a rebound in Europe where the company saw strength in the contract and residential channels while the North American studio market benefitted from recent product introductions that are part of the company’s ancillary strategy. Holly Hunt saw con-tinued top-line growth and margin expansion; however, growth in the second quarter was spottier than previous quarters.

>Estimates: Our updated estimates reflect the strong top-line performance this quarter as well as our updated estimate of foreign exchange impact.

-2015 Non-GAAP EPS: Q1 $0.36A; Q2 $0.36A; Q3 $0.38A; Q4 $0.43A; Full Year $1.52A

-2015 GAAP EPS: Full Year $1.36A; Revenues (mil.) $1,104A

-2016 Non-GAAP EPS: Q1 $0.36A; Q2 $0.44A; Q3 $0.43; Q4 $0.47; Full Year $1.69

-2016 GAAP EPS: Full Year $1.69; Revenues (mil.) $1,178

-2017 Non-GAAP EPS: Q1 $0.42; Q2 $0.46; Q3 $0.47; Q4 $0.52; Full Year $1.88



>Valuation: Our $27 target price (up from $26) is based on our estimate of intrinsic value and equates to 14.4x our 2017E adjusted EPS estimate of $1.88.

BUSINESS AFFAIRS>The American Institute of Architects reported the June Architecture Billings Index score was 52.6, down from the mark of 53.1 in May. The new projects inquiry index was 58.6, down from 60.1 the previous month, and the design contracts index was 49.7, down from 52.8 in May.

“Demand for residential projects has surged this year, greatly exceeding the pace set in 2015. This suggests strong future growth for housing in the coming year,” said AIA Chief Econo-mist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, PhD. “While we expect to see momentum continue for the overall design and construction industry in the months ahead, the fact that the value of design contracts dipped into negative territory in June for the first time in more than two years is something of a concern.”

Regional three-month average ABI was highest in the South (55.5), followed by the West (54.1), Northeast (51.8), and Midwest (48.2). By sector, multi-family residential was stron-gest (57.9), followed by institutional (52.7), mixed practice (51.0), and commercial / industrial (50.3) http://new.aia.org/press-releases

>DIRTT Environmental Solutions Ltd. plans to release its fiscal 2016 second quarter financial results on Wednesday, Aug. 3, after markets close. President Scott Jenkins and CFO Derek Payne will host a conference call and webcast for the investment community on Thursday, Aug. 4, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (7:00 a.m. Mountain Time) to discuss the second

http://new.aia.org/press-releases

http://new.aia.org/press-releases


businessquarter results in greater detail. To access the conference call by telephone dial +1 647.427.7450 (Toronto and international callers) or 1.888.231.8191 (toll-free in North America). In addi-tion, a live webcast (listen only mode) of the conference call will be available at: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1225965&s=1&k=EAA0E2E4B1691E38955292BB4EE81543. Investors are invited to submit questions by email before and during the conference call. Please send them to [email protected]. A replay of the conference call will be available at +1 416.849.0833 or 1.855.859.2056 by entering the passcode 50378584, from noon (Eastern Time) Thursday, Aug. 4 to midnight (Eastern Time) Thursday, Aug. 11, through the webcast archives at www.newswire.ca, or on DIRTT’s website at www.dirtt.net/com-pany/investor.

>Interface, Inc.’s Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share, representing an increase in the regular quarterly dividend. It is payable Aug. 26 to shareholders of record as of Aug. 12. www.interfaceglobal.com/Investor-Relations.aspx

>Interface, Inc. on Jul. 27 announced its second-quarter fis-cal 2016 results (dollars in thousands except EPS):

3 Mos. Ended 7.3.16 7.5.15 %Ch.Net Sales $248,207 $263,637 -5.9%Gross Profit $99,126 $101,252 -2.1%SG&A $67,328 $68,033 -1.0%Op. Inc. $31,798 $33,219 -4.3%Net Inc. $20,657 $21,722 -4.9%EPS (dil) $0.32 $0.33 -3.0%Orders $258,700 $272,600 -5.1%

6 Mos. Ended 7.3.16 7.5.15 %Ch.Net Sales $470,761 $500,541 -5.9%Gross Profit $185,758 $186,684 -0.5%SG&A $132,933 $132,065 0.7%Op. Inc. $52,825 $54,619 -3.3%Net Inc. $33,551 $34,044 -1.4%EPS (dil) $0.51 $0.51 0.0%Orders $480,600 $529,500 -9.2%

“Our business regained some momentum in the second quar-ter following a slow start to the year, and our margins continued to climb,” said Interface Chairman and CEO Daniel T. Hendrix. “For the sixth quarter in a row, we posted a triple-digit year-over-year increase in gross margin, which was up 150 basis points to a quarterly record 39.9%. The improvement in gross margin offset nearly all of the 6% decline in revenue, and we kept SG&A expenses in check while continuing to invest in growth platforms such as market development and new product introductions. These dynamics drove our earnings per share to $0.32, just a penny shy of the quarterly record of $0.33 in the second quarter last year.”

Second quarter sales in Interface’s Americas business declined 6.0% compared with its all-time record high in the prior year period, with similar decreases in both the corporate office and non-office segments, although the hospitality sector was up 27%. Sales in the company’s core U.S. modular carpet busi-ness were up 1% in the quarter, but this was more than offset by a decline in its Interface Services business due to large retail projects that were delayed until the second half of the year, coupled with soft business conditions in Canada and Brazil as a result of the weakened oil and gas sector.

In local currency, sales in the company’s Europe business were down 9.3%, as performance was hampered by a confluence of geopolitical and economic developments, including uncertainty during the run-up to the Brexit vote, terrorist activities, and the refugee crisis. The U.K. accounted for most of the decline, with pockets of modest growth in Central and Eastern Europe.

Sales in the Asia-Pacific region in the second quarter of 2016 were down 2.4% compared with the prior year period, with a 5% gain in Asia more than offset by declines in Australia.

Second quarter 2016 operating income was 12.8% of sales, compared with 12.6% of sales in 2Q15. Gross profit margin was 39.9% in the second quarter of 2016, up 150 basis points compared with 38.4% in the prior year period. SG&A expenses were 27.1% of sales versus 25.8% of sales in 2Q15; Interface attributed this increase to the softer sales figure, noting that these expenses in absolute dollars dropped $0.7 million over the same period notwithstanding enhanced initiatives in the areas of market expansion and new product introduction.

“The second quarter was a continuation of the dynamics we’ve been seeing over the past few quarters, with softer sales offset by substantial improvements in gross margin driven by higher selling prices, lower input costs, better material usage and improved production efficiencies from our lean manufactur-ing processes,” said Senior Vice President and CFO Patrick C. Lynch. “We managed working capital well during the period, drawing down inventory levels with scaled back production, and we generated substantial cash from operating activities which allowed us to continue repaying debt and buying back stock. With gross margins lining up toward our near term tar-get of 40%, we can now focus even more attention on growing the top line.”

On a currency neutral basis, sales in the first half of 2016 were $475.1 million, down 5.1% compared with the first half of 2015. Operating income for the 2016 six-month period was 11.2% of sales versus 10.9% of sales in the first half of 2015. In the first six months of 2016, currency fluctuations had a negative impact of $0.3 million on operating income.

“Considering the slow order intake we experienced in the first

http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1225965&s=1&k=EAA0E2E4B1691E38955292BB4EE81543

http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1225965&s=1&k=EAA0E2E4B1691E38955292BB4EE81543


http://www.newswire.ca

http://www.dirtt.net/company/investor

http://www.dirtt.net/company/investor

http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Investor-Relations.aspx



businessquarter, I’m fairly pleased with where revenues ended up in the second quarter, said Mr. Hendrix. “I also couldn’t be hap-pier with our progress on gross margin, with each of our three operating regions posting substantial year over year gains. Due to the softer top line, SG&A expenses remain somewhat elevated as a percentage of sales, but the percentage increase represents the type of spending that we expect to yield future benefits in the form of higher sales. Our core U.S. modular business is healthy, and our Asia-Pacific business is exceeding expectations this year. I believe our biggest uncertainty lies in Europe, where the Brexit vote and recent terrorist activities are disrupting business conditions and impacting foreign currency values. Nevertheless, the second half of the year is typically better for us than the first half, and we expect that to be the case this year as sales and earnings continue to improve.”

The full text of Interface’s 2Q16 earnings release, including all tables, and an archived replay of the company’s Jul. 28 confer-ence call, are available at www.interfaceglobal.com/Investor-Relations.aspx.

>Knoll, Inc. released its second-quarter 2016 financial results on Jul. 27 (dollars in millions except EPS):

3 Mos Ended 6.30.16 6.30.15 %Ch.Net Sales $294.7 $268.6 9.7%Gross Profit $114.1 $101.2 12.7%Op. Exp. $80.6 $72.9 10.6%Op. Profit $33.5 $28.3 18.5%Net Inc. $21.3 $17.2 23.5%EPS (dil.) $0.44 $0.36 22.2%

6 Mos Ended 6.30.16 6.30.15 %Ch.Net Sales $579.3 $535.1 8.3%Gross Profit $221.8 $196.5 12.9%Op. Exp. $156.5 $145.9 7.3%Op. Profit $65.3 $50.6 29.1%Net Inc. $38.6 $34.7 11.2%EPS (dil.) $0.79 $0.72 9.7%

“We are pleased to be reporting better than industry growth and continued margin and operating profit expansion,” com-mented Andrew Cogan, CEO. “This past June’s NeoCon trade show was a particular highlight with the terrific response and industry awards for our Rockwell Unscripted product preview, which will amplify our efforts to gain share in under-penetrated areas of the workplace in the years ahead.”

During the second quarter 2016, gross margin improved to 38.7% from 37.7% in the second quarter of 2015. This im-provement was attributed mainly to the Office segment, where operating efficiencies and improved fixed-cost leverage from higher volumes were favorable.

Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2016 were 27.3% of net sales, compared 27.2% of net sales, for 2Q15.

This increase was attributed primarily to expanded sales and marketing investments as well as higher incentive accruals related to increased profitability.

During the second quarter of 2016 and 2015, cash provided by operations was $24.6 million and $33.5 million, respectively. Capital expenditures for 2Q16 totaled $8.0 million compared to $7.5 million in 2Q15. During the second quarter of 2016, the company paid a quarterly dividend of $7.2 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to a quarterly dividend of $5.7 million, or $0.12 per share, in the second quarter of 2015.

Business Segment Results (dollars in millions):

3 Mos Ended 6.30.16 6.30.15 %Ch.Office Net Sales $179.3 $160.9 11.4% Op. Profit $13.6 $9.1 49.5%Studio Net Sales $88.7 $77.9 13.9% Op. Profit $14.1 $12.1 16.5%Coverings Net Sales $26.8 $29.9 -10.4% Op. Profit $5.8 $7.1 -18.3%

6 Mos Ended 6.30.16 6.30.15 %Ch.Office Net Sales $364.7 $328.6 11.0% Op. Profit $30.2 $16.3 85.3%Studio Net Sales $160.2 148.1 8.2% Op. Profit $23.1 $21.1 9.5%Coverings Net Sales $54.6 $58.5 -6.7% Op. Profit $12.0 $13.2 -9.1%

(The Office segment serves corporate, government, healthcare, retail, and other customers in the U.S. and Canada providing a portfolio of office furnishing solutions including office systems, seating, storage, tables, desks, and KnollExtra® ergonomic ac-cessories. The Office segment also includes international sales of Knoll’s North American office products. The Studio segment includes KnollStudio®; Knoll Europe, which sells primarily Knoll Studio products, Richard Schultz® Design, and HOLLY HUNT®. The Coverings segment includes KnollTextiles®, Spinneybeck®, Edelman® Leather, and Filzfelt(TM). These businesses serve a wide range of customers offering high qual-ity textiles and leather.)

The increase in the Office segment was led by continued growth in Knoll’s core systems portfolio, as well as increases in complementary products.

The increase in the Studio segment was led by Europe and KnollStudio in North America; however, all of the company’s Studio segment businesses continued to grow in the second quarter of 2016.




businessIn the Coverings segment, continued year-over-year growth in Spinneybeck | FilzFelt sales was offset by weakness at Knoll-Textiles and Edelman.

The full text of Knoll’s 2Q16 earnings release, including all tables, and a webcast replay of the company’s Jul. 28 confer-ence call, including presentation slides, may be accessed at www.knoll.com; go to “About Knoll” and click on “Investor Relations.” In addition, a telephone replay of the call will be available through Aug. 4 at 855-859-2056 or 404-537-3406 (International); Passcode: 486 330 45. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66169&p=irol-irhome

>USG Corp. on Jul. 26 reported its 2016 second-quarter results (dollars in millions except EPS):

3 Mos. Ended 6.30.16 6.30.15 %Ch.Net Sales $1,002 $970 3.3%Gross Profit $212 $183 15.8%SG&A $79 $79 0.0%Op. Profit $133 $105 26.7%Net Income $74 $79 -6.3%EPS (dil.) $0.50 $0.54 -7.4%

6 Mos. Ended 6.30.16 6.30.15 %Ch.Net Sales $1,972 $1,879 4.9%Gross Profit $407 $336 21.1%SG&A $150 $156 -3.8%Op. Profit $260 $181 43.6%Net Income $141 $103 36.9%EPS (dil.) $0.95 $0.70 35.7%

“Our focus on operational execution in all of our businesses drove our improved second quarter results,” said James S. Metcalf, Chairman, President, and CEO. “Expanding operat-ing margins is a key priority for USG, and we delivered margin expansion in all of our businesses in the second quarter.”

Foreign currency unfavorably impacted net sales by $10 mil-lion in the second quarter of 2016. Adjusted operating profit increased to $138 million from $118 million in 2Q16 compared to 2Q15. On an adjusted basis, net income of $68 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.46 in 2Q16 decreased from $78 million and $0.53, respectively, in 2Q15. Net income and adjusted net income in the second quarter of 2016 include $38 million of tax expense compared to only $1 million in the second quarter of 2015. Foreign currency also unfavorably impacted net income and adjusted net income by $5 million in the second quarter of 2016.

The corporation’s Gypsum segment generated $113 million of operating profit in 2Q16. On an adjusted basis, operating profit of $102 million in the Gypsum segment improved by $5 million over 2Q15. Surfaces and substrates products drove $8 million of this improved profit. Wallboard volumes were up 3% while wallboard price was down roughly 1% from last year. On a sequential basis, wallboard price increased 1% from the first quarter of 2016.

The Ceilings segment earned $33 million of operating profit in 2Q16 compared to $25 million in 2Q15. Improved price and volume with strong cost control drove second quarter margins to a new quarterly record of 23.8% in the US Ceilings business.

The Distribution segment earned $15 million of operating profit in 2Q16 compared to $9 million in 2Q15. Operating margins improved 140 basis points to 3.9% in 2Q16, with same-store sales and wallboard volumes both increasing 8%.

The USG Boral business generated $16 million of equity meth-od income in 2Q16, up $3 million from 2Q15 on manufacturing efficiencies and improved plasterboard price and volume. The USG Boral business paid an $18 million cash dividend to USG Corporation during the second quarter of 2016.

“Delivering margin expansion in all of our businesses in the second quarter is a clear indication that our strategy is work-ing,” Mr. Metcalf said. “With a continued focus on keeping our break even low, I believe USG is well positioned to take advantage of our improving end markets.”

The full text of USG’s 2Q16 earnings release, including all tables, along with a replay of the company’s Jul. 26 webcast, is available on the USG website, www.usg.com, in the Investor Relations section. In addition, a telephonic replay of the call will be available until Thursday, Aug. 25, at 1-888-843-7419 (1-630-652-3042 for international callers); pass code 42891795. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=115117&p=irol-news&nyo=0

http://www.knoll.com/

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66169&p=irol-irhome

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66169&p=irol-irhome

http://www.usg.com/

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=115117&p=irol-news&nyo=0

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=115117&p=irol-news&nyo=0


JOB SITETo place ads or to get a price quote contact Bob Beck [email protected] 972 293 9186

Find all our ads all the time at www.officeinsight.com/careers.

PO Box 967Cedar Hill, TX 75106

Robert [email protected] 972 293 9186

Mallory [email protected] 219 263 9006

www.officeinsight.com© 2016 officeinsight,LLC

Bradford J. Powell, Hon. [email protected] 203 966 5008

Textile Designer - Orangeburg, NY

Arc-Com is a premier supplier of contract textiles and wallcovering.

The Arc-Com Design Team creates and introduces innovative and high performance textile products for the corporate, hospitality, healthcare and institutional markets. We are looking for a creative Designer to work on product development. We are located in Orangeburg, N.Y. (15 minutes North of the GW Bridge).

Position Requirements:

> Foundation knowledge of the contract industry

> Ability to create and modify artwork digitally is essential

> CAD experience, specifical-ly Photoshop & Illustrator.

> Excellent Pattern and De-velopment skills.

> Strong color sense. > Experience in woven textiles and fabric constructions.

> Knowledgeable with test requirements. Flammabil-ity, Crocking, Colorfastness, and Abrasion.

> Experience working with contract textile mills.

> Excellent follow-up and communication skills.

> Strong organizational and analytical abilities.

> Must have own transporta-tion.

Please email resume to [email protected]. Visit us at www.Arc-Com.com.

EOE M/F/D/V

Furniture Manufacturer Textile Sales Representative - Canada

Mayer Fabrics founded in 1897, is seeking an experienced and dynamic sales representative to develop business with furniture manufacturers and dealers in Toronto, Ontario. This is a tremendous opportunity to join Mayer Fabrics as we expand our employee sales force into Canada

Job Description

> Achieve annual sales ob-jectives assigned by Mayer Fabrics. Sales represen-tative is responsible for growing sales, increasing market penetration and establishing new business.

Required Skills and Experience

> Three to five years selling experience in the A & D and/or furniture business environment is preferred.

> Must have strong relation-ships with A & D, furniture manufacturers, dealerships and end users. Self-motivated, self directed, well organized and willing to accept responsibility for results.

> Strong communication skills with customers, as-sociates, managers and corporate office.

> Business/related degree or equivalent experience required.

Please submit resumes to Kim DiMarco at [email protected]

HBF | Textiles Sales Representative - NYC

Exploring your next creative challenge? Looking for an environment that is open and collaborative, as well as, fast-paced and energetic? Become a part of the HBF team as we continue to broaden and expand the textile sales in NYC.

In this role you will be responsible for achieving

HBF Textiles sales objectives, maximizing profitable growth, and client objectives for the HBF Textiles Brand. In addition, create, retain and service sales opportunities through the architectural and design communities and client end users.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All

qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status, or other status protected by law.

Please apply online at www.hnicareers.com

http://www.officeinsight.com/careers

http://www.officeinsight.com/careers

http://www.officesite.com/classifieds/



mailto:Niacovone%40arc-com.com?subject=

http://www.Arc-Com.com

Momentum Group Acquires Sina Pearson Textiles

Documents

Transcript of Momentum Group Acquires Sina Pearson Textiles