With a fiscal 2011 revenue of 2.4 billion dollars and nearly 10,000 employees around the world, Steelcase is one of the world’s most renowned contract manufacturers. Together with its core brands—Turner and Coalesse—as well as its healthcare sub division brand, Nurture, Steelcase has consistently been at the forefront of innovations in contract environments. The company is especially known for breakthroughs in ergonomic office seating, as seen in the successive achievements of the Sensor, Leap, and Think task chairs.
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Architectural Solutions—
Time and time again, Steelcase has redefined the look and function of interior office space. The company’s basic blueprint for an efficient and enduring workspace includes “modular infrastructure, technologically advanced building systems, and designed-in flexibility.” Steelcase offers architectural walls such as the classic Privacy Wall GS, a modular partition wall made of solid stainless steel and containing 30% recycled content; low-profile raised floors for seamless integration and easy maintenance of electrical infrastructure; and acoustical solutions like Confidante—an in-ceiling audio system with excellent quality and uniform sound distribution throughout the workspace.
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Office Furniture—
From the company’s prototypes of metal desks first introduced in 1915, to the iconic oval-shaped metal desks designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1937, to today’s extensive portfolio of traditional and height adjustable desks, conference, low and multi-use tables, Steelcase has always provided extensive options for worksurfaces in the office space. Beyond desks and tables, Steelcase offers an unparalleled number of options in seating and storage. The company’s seating line is headlined by acclaimed Task chairs like Leap and Think; compelling and iconic lounge seating such as Hans Wegner’s Wing and Shell Chairs; and the lightweight, flexible versatility of multi-purpose stackers such as Cachet and the Enea Lotus Side Chair.
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Integrated Technologies—
Steelcase has always been on the leading edge of integrating new technologies into office environments. The company’s philosophy of collaborative solutions intends to “help people connect and collaborate more effectively at the intersection of physical and digital space.” media: scape is an HD Video Conferencing Platform designed for the ease of a “walk-up and connect” interface: Media wells inset into conferencing tables facilitate rapid connections of user’s laptops, tablets, and smart phones, enabling collaborative conferencing on large flat panel monitors. Room Wizard II is a web-based scheduling system that integrates with various calendar applications (such as Microsoft, Outlook, and Lotus Notes) to streamline workplace meetings: “RoomWizard even keeps track of space utilization with a database that measures and reports reservation patterns.”
Steelcase’s future outlook is strongly informed by an environmental mandate. “Sustainability is one of today’s fundamental business challenges—and our inspiration. Everyday our team works to create maximum value from our available assets and be catalysts for good.” The company’s commitment to conserving resources and minimizing toxic emissions extends to a comprehensive materials chemistry protocol, in which Steelcase scientists examine the chemical makeup of products up to 100 parts per million against 19 human and environmental health criteria: “If we find materials of concern, we work to eliminate them.” In addition, Steelcase strives to partner only with suppliers who share the company’s environmental ethos: “Because we're so fussy, we're able to offer more Cradle to Cradle certified products than any other company globally—giving our customers greater assurance and choice.”
