Chicago, IL - June 14, 2004 - The Steelcase family of companies were honored with seven Best of NeoCon 2004 awards, including the Best of Competition award and an Editor's Choice award. Products recognized range from a flexible furniture system and occasional tables to a variety of task and stackable seating currently exhibited at this year's NeoCon 2004 World's Trade Fair for Interior Design in Chicago.
"We are pleased to be recognized with these distinguished industry awards," said Jim Hackett, president and CEO of Steelcase Inc. "It affirms our goal to launch products that demonstrate our commitment to developing environmentally-sensitive designs and flexible solutions that adapt to an individual's changing needs throughout the day."
Best of NeoCon 2004
The Best of NeoCon Awards recognize innovative and functional products that enhance the quality of life in the workplace. Contract Magazine, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., The International Interior Design Association (IIDA), The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and McMorrow Report.com sponsor the awards. Steelcase Inc. received a total of seven Best of NeoCon Awards, taking home the Best of Competition award, an Editor's Choice award, two Gold awards, and three Silver awards.
Metro secured both the Best of Competition award and a Gold award in the Alternative Office category for Topo™, a flexible furniture system that easily fits both individual and team workspaces. The Topo collection incorporates freestanding storage, worksurface components and lounge seating in open plan and private office applications to simplify inventory management and create visual compatibility between workspaces.
Four Editor's Choice awards are granted across all award categories. Steelcase received an Editor's Choice award for its Think™ chair, a smart, simple and environmentally sustainable seating product. The chair addresses the growing need for mid-priced ergonomic seating with a breakthrough for the planet, raising the bar in cradle-to-cradle design and life-cycle thinking, and conforming to the highest environmental standards; the Think chair is comprised of 99% recyclable content and can be made of up to 41% recycled material.
Gold and Silver Winners
In addition to Metro's Topo, Brayton International was also awarded a Gold Best of NeoCon for its Calm tables in the Tables - Occasional category. Calm tables, designed by Pamela Light, FIIDA, compliment a wide range of lounge styles by offering square, rectangle, or oval top shapes. The tables demand minimal space, and can easily adjust from an end table to a coffee table.
Two Silver awards were presented for products in the Seating - Stacking category: Vecta for its Rocky seating and Turnstone for its PET™ Lounge. The Rocky collection is comprised of minimalist and high-tech seating options for progressive and fast-paced office environments. The seating is ideal for use in meeting spaces, reception areas, cafeterias, training rooms and call centers.
Turnstone's PET Lounge seating fuses contemporary design with an environmentally friendly material that is new to the contract furniture market - recycled plastic bottles. PET, named for the polyethylene terepthalate that it's constructed of, keeps the equivalent of up to 35 one-liter plastic bottles out of the landfill. Designed by Brian Kane, the PET Lounge is a perfect option for design-savvy and environmentally sensitive companies.
Designtex was also honored with a Silver award for the Visser collection in the Textiles - Upholstery category.
Steelcase Inc. products recognized with Best of NeoCon awards were chosen from among 325 products that were entered in 26 product and furnishings categories. Each of these products demonstrates Steelcase's ability to set the bar in aesthetics, form and function for the contract furniture market.
