4.7.08 | The HON Company, one of HNI Corporation’'s big financial engines and a mid-market furniture powerhouse, continues to be a treasure house of surprises. Generally, most people are aware of its operational superiority, but few know what that means and how that translates to worker attitude, and a variety of other essential corporate attitude.  Recently, I met with HON'’s Don Mead, Vice President of Marketing, Jim Cahill, Vice President of Systems and Mindy Billingsley, Environmental Marketing Manager, along with several of their colleagues, who offered an excellent overview of HON’'s “green” initiatives, as well as some candid observations on how to effectively communicate the company’s environmental story to its mid-market customers.

4.7.08 | French architect Jean Nouvel is all over the map – both literally, with projects on four continents, and in terms of his design as well. Maybe the diversity of his work is why Pritzker Prize jurors have been slower in recognizing the 62-year-old Nouvel, the 2008 winner, than several of his peers. Unlike, say, previous winners Frank Gehry or Richard Meier, Nouvel has no signature style.

4.7.08 | Knoll has formed a new high-end textile brand called Knoll Luxe. Designed by creative director Dorothy Cosonas, the line incorporates the modern, minimalist style of Florence Knoll, who started the industry's first commercial textile program in 1947.

4.7.08 | HBF and HBF Textiles hosted Pratt Institute Department of Interior Design Career Night last week in its New York City showroom. It was the events fifth year and 80 or so attendees included Pratt students and faculty, design professionals and special guest Dr. Tom Schutte, President of Pratt Institute.

4.7.08 | Late Friday. I was sorting through the email. Invitation; a fundraiser. I reached for the delete button. But paused . . . DIFFA (Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS). Dining by Design; food. Allsteel and HOK hosting. (Hmm.) $800 a head. Was I worth it? Hardly, but O.K., I’ll go.

3.31.08 | Herman Miller said last week that it settled anti-trust allegations made by the Attorneys General of New York, Illinois and Michigan against Herman Miller for the Home for HMH’s Minimum Advertised Price Program. Not to keep you in suspense, the case resulted in a stand-off, with all parties acknowledging that the agreement does not constitute either an admission or denial of liability or wrongdoing – and, independent of the settlement document, Herman Miller categorically denied any wrongdoing.

3.31.08 | The SeaChange Institute, a project of the Ocean Alliance, has mounted an exhibit in the lobby of the Steelcase building at 4 Columbus Circle in Manhattan that addresses the importance of living sustainably by keeping pollutants out of the seas. The exhibit is underwritten by the Annenberg Foundation.

3.31.08 | Charrisse Johnston of Gensler has taken an unorthodox path to the world of interior design. With degrees in behavioral biology and management and marketing, work experience in strategic planning on Wall Street (I’'m not even sure what that means!) as well as starting up and growing a successful event planning company, her diverse professional background may seem broad and unrelated.

3.31.08 | This year’'s first installment of IIDA NY’'s Pioneering Design series was Jonathan Adler, the celebrity designer whose name dons everything from pottery to textiles to interiors. Mr. Adler is also a judge on Bravo TV’s reality show Top Design and one of the bigger, mainstream names that IIDA has reeled in for the series. The evening’s turnout reflected this, with a practically packed auditorium of at least 300 IIDA guests.

3.31.08 | Haworth, Washington, D.C., hosted a celebration of the life of Francisco Laurier, the late senior principal and Director of Design for HOK’'s Washington, D.C. office. Haworth'’s Anne Pearson, with Mr. Laurier’'s life partner of 31 years, Michael Dufton, organized the affair, which drew folks from NYC, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Miami. Kurt VanderSchuur represented Haworth’s headquarters.

3.24.08 | Steelcase president and CEO Jim Hackett is, as every great leader must be, a True Believer. And he believes that good design in the built environment can transform the world. We have know that as far back as the introduction to Pathways, the development that opened the door to interior architecture, as it is known, thereby expanding the world for the proper study and practice of interior design. Dan Chong, formerly president of Metro, has been selected to head the Design Community Collaboration effort.

3.24.08 | ASID (The American Society of Interior Designers) joins BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Society) in getting very high marks for their annual conferences. Both events had knowledge presentations that were worth the trip alone (and we are pretty educated to begin with). But if you really want to rock, ASID is the team to go with.

3.24.08 | What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago when the word was out that HNI (then named HON INDUSTRIES) was bidding to acquire Knoll from Westinghouse, one would have thought the world was coming to an end, or at least the sky was falling. Now, everyone in the know is breathing a huge sigh of relief that the treasured brand of HBF is going to be safely tucked neatly near the warm, financially sound hearth of HNI.

3.24.08 | Michele Caniato was named Material ConneXio's new President, taking over for company founder George M. Beylerian. Mr. Caniato has served as Executive Vice President of the company since 2005 and has been with the company since its inception in 1997. 

3.24.08 | Steelcase Inc. announced a long-term financial commitment to a U.S. wind farm, including the purchase of all the green power produced by the farm for at least the first five years of its operation. This is the first time a corporation has made an up-front commitment to purchase all of the renewable energy credits (RECs) from a U.S. wind farm in the financing stage.

3.24.08 | Thornton Tomasetti made several leadership changes this week:

• Thomas Z. Scarangello was named Chairman,
• Daniel A. Cuoco, who has been president since 2002, was named president and chief executive officer
• Robert P. DeScenza, who is executive vice president, was named chief operating officer.