HAWORTH ENERGIZES NEOCON’S THIRD FLOOR

HOLLAND, MI – June 15, 2009 – For the sixth year in a row, Haworth Inc. unveiled a new showroom for NeoCon 2009.  Showcasing new product, enhanced products and knowledge of workplace cultures, the space brings a deeper understanding of user focused applications and intuitive space planning.  It also reflects Haworth’s organic workspaces around the world, including new global headquarters and beautiful showrooms around the world.  Visitors are encouraged to be energized by the yellow punch of color, take a spin in chairs and relax by the pool.

Haworth’s 23,000 square foot space on the third floor of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago was designed by Haworth’s internal design team and Perkins + Will | Eva Maddox Branded Environments.  The showroom has a new look each year without any changes to the architectural platform – the different designs are achieved with Haworth moveable walls, raised access floors, modular systems products and interior architecture collections.

The Haworth showroom is designed to feature two of four very specific business cultures as described by Competing Values Framework from the University of Michigan Business School.  The first culture type is Compete and reflects workspace attributes of an organization that relies on the ability to compete effectively in the marketplace to add value.  The second culture type is Collaborate and reflects workspace attributes of an organization that relies on the ability to work and grow together cohesively to ensure long-term competitive advantage.

In 2004, Haworth began to look at the Chicago showroom with a different vision.  That year, the space was renovated with the intent to evolve from representing an individual workstation provider to showcasing Haworth as a holistic solution provider of beautiful, effective and adaptable workspaces.  The space was stripped down to the shell and transformed into a beautiful, effective, adaptable space using the full range of Haworth products – raised access floors, moveable walls, systems, casegoods and seating.  The addition of a reflection pool highlighted design and demonstrated the versatility of raised access flooring.  The success of the renovation was made clear when the Haworth showroom earned gold-level LEED-CI certification and won the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) 2004 NeoCon Best Large Showroom and Best of Show awards.

For 2005, Haworth built on the successful debut of the award-winning space with the introduction of Zody, Enclose and Compose.  Continuing into 2006, the showroom highlighted the link between architecture and furniture, with a focus on sustainability, with the introduction of Patterns.  For the second time, the Haworth showroom was awarded the IIDA NeoCon Best Large Showroom award.

In 2007, the showroom seamlessly integrated Compose, Enclose and Patterns with the new Planes table and Candor seating products.  The showroom also highlighted lighting with the introduction of BRAZO – this task lamp also took home Best of Show honors.  Also during the year, the Haworth Chicago showroom was awarded the American Institute of Architects Honor award.  For 2008, the showroom displayed elements of Haworth’s newly redesigned headquarters.  By combining workplace knowledge, Haworth’s design point of view and a deep commitment to sustainability, the showroom redefined traditional planning paradigms.  For an unprecedented third time, Haworth was awarded the IIDA Best Large Showroom award.

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Haworth, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of office furniture and organic workspaces, including raised access floors, moveable walls, systems furniture, seating, storage and wood casegoods.  Family-owned and privately held, Haworth is headquartered in Holland, Michigan, and serves markets in more than 120 countries through a global network of 600 dealers. The company had net sales of US $1.65 billion in 2008.  www.haworth.com & www.organicworkspaces.com