There are many furniture companies to choose from, however not many of them are sustainable or “green” companies. In the public sector, chairs and desks are often mass produced in ways that are not environmentally sound, however one prominent furniture company is changing that notion, and the industry as a whole.
Herman Miller is a well known furniture company that has a rich history. The American company operates out of Zeeland, Michigan and produces a wide range of furniture however their specialty is chairs, namely office chairs. The company first formed on 1905 and set out to produce high-quality wooden furniture. In the 1930’s and the results of the Great Depression, the company had to use other materials that were more affordable. They brought on Gilbert Rohde as a lead designer to produce furniture that would use “alternative materials”. What they did not know at the time is that this move would set them on track to become one of the most influential furniture companies in the world. Herman Miller today is well known to have pioneered modernist design in furniture which are now considered icons of not only industrial design, but a new wave movement in furniture.
Additionally the company is extremely environmentally conscious. After criticisms in the 1970’s over their pieces using harmful products, Herman Miller pledge to change. Today nearly all of their products are recyclable and are produced in “green factories”. From their top of the line chairs that cost over $2,000 dollar a piece, to their cheap chairs, all of them are produced with the environment in mind. Recently the company has made more progresses in terms of its sustainable efforts with their Eames Fiberglass shell chairs. These chairs were used in classrooms and offices in the 1970’s because they were functional and could be mass produced cheaply. The company had to pull the chairs off the market as many harmful chemicals were used to produce them. Now Herman Miller has reintroduced the chairs and they were made with no harmful emissions and are completely recyclable.
So not only are the products from Herman Miller class leading and superior than those from competitors, they are also extremely safe for the environment and are produced in sustainable ways. If those things are important for your business or company, and you need to outfit your offices with high-quality chairs and desks, Herman Miller is the best way to go.
Photo from Herman Miller
