In this issue… One Workplace acquires Seats and Stations, Orlando Capital V buys fm Büromöbel, and Herman Miller workers strike over pay. Henricksen unveils a hybrid-work headquarters and NaughtOne opens a renewable-powered factory. Office markets diverge across Manhattan, Denver and Austin as borrowing and construction costs squeeze development. We explore ergonomic chair economics, smart seating, Interface’s sustainability legacy and ergonomics as a people strategy. AI coworkers and voice-driven tools reshape work, while flexible-working expectations, remote-work career penalties and pre-lease design challenge employers. Design insights connect brand identity, cognitive load and inclusive environments. Products include Treefrog white oak veneers, Concertex performance textiles, Peerless configurable lighting, Select by Andaaz hospitality furniture and the sensory-focused Scribble student chair.
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U.S. job openings fell to 7.079 million in August, missing forecasts and lowering the openings rate to 4.3%, while layoffs remained low, keeping the labor market stable. Despite modest hiring growth and a recent Fed rate hike, employers stay cautious, partly due to geopolitical tensions and high energy costs, suggesting continued restraint in hiring even as the overall economy shows resilience.
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U.S. job growth stalled in September, with nonfarm payrolls adding only 29,000 jobs after a revised 133,000 increase in August, and the unemployment rate rising to 4.2%. The labor market remains “low‑hire, low‑fire,” limiting pressure on the Federal Reserve, which recently raised rates by 25 basis points to a 3.75%‑4.00% range. Healthcare led hiring with 17,000 jobs, while construction, manufacturing, and financial activities added modest gains or losses. Concerns about the US‑Israel conflict, high energy prices, and trade tensions could affect the market later this year.
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“The end of the keyboard is near.”
- Christian Klein, CEO of SAP
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Herman Miller pay talks continue after Melksham factory strike
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Around 70 GMB members at Herman Miller’s furniture factory in Melksham, Wiltshire, have taken a one day strike action in a dispute over pay, with discussions subsequently reported to have made progress.
Workers had rejected a 3.5% increase. According to Interior Daily’s September 29 report, the union described subsequent talks as positive, with an improved offer under consideration. Any revised proposal would need to be provided in writing before members could vote on it. Further industrial action remained possible if workers rejected the terms.
GMB said members had turned down three pay offers before the planned walkout. Regional organiser Kasia Naskretska argued that wages should reflect employees’ skills, market rates and the company’s profitability. The union identified Amazon and Apple among the company’s customers and warned that the action would affect furniture production.
The dispute concerns Herman Miller’s PortalMill site, which manufactures and assembles workstations, task chairs and soft seating for customers across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The facility also houses the company’s central business functions for the region.
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NaughtOne Opens Yorkshire Factory to Support UK, European Growth
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NaughtOne, part of the MillerKnoll collective of brands, has opened a 33,000-square-foot factory in Yorkshire, bringing production, warehousing and customer experience functions under one roof for the first time.
The British furniture manufacturer said the new facility, Norquest House, will support growth in the UK and Europe while expanding its capabilities in product development, upholstery and custom furniture.
The company is positioning the factory as its “Centre for Excellence,” establishing production standards for its global business. In addition to manufacturing furniture for UK and European customers, the site will develop products and upholstery for future launches. A new Custom Studio will handle furniture tailored to specific clients, settings and applications.
The opening follows a series of investments in NaughtOne’s physical footprint. The company moved into its Harrogate headquarters and opened a London showroom in 2024, followed by showrooms in Chicago and New York in 2025. Norquest House is its fifth new location in three years.
“NaughtOne has grown a lot over the last two decades and reached the point where we needed more space, both to give our people the facilities they need for the future and to support the future growth of the business, particularly here in the UK and across Europe,” said Nadean McNaught, managing director.
The factory includes a larger production floor, warehousing, meeting spaces, a canteen, a wellness room and a mothering room. It also provides dedicated space for customers and partners to see the company’s manufacturing operations firsthand. NaughtOne said the consolidation will support faster, more reliable customer service.
The company also expects environmental benefits. According to NaughtOne, the facility operates on fully renewable energy and carries an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate. Its proximity to major suppliers and customers is expected to reduce transport mileage by an average of 8,500 miles annually. The company did not provide a quantified estimate of the resulting carbon reduction.
“Superior engineering, skilled manufacturing and expert upholstery are fundamental to our products and their performance,” McNaught said. “The new factory will enable us to maintain our high standards globally, while raising the bar with innovation, customisation and collaboration.”
Founded in Yorkshire in 2005, NaughtOne designs and manufactures furniture for commercial and other modern spaces. The business employs nearly 100 people across the UK, Europe, Asia and the United States.
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Orlando Capital Acquires Germany’s fm Büromöbel
Existing management will remain as the office furniture manufacturer pursues growth in Germany and abroad.
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Munich-based investment firm Orlando Capital V has announced the acquisition of all shares in fm Büromöbel, giving the German office furniture manufacturer a new owner to support expansion in its domestic and international markets. Financial terms were not disclosed. The existing management team will continue leading the business.
The seller was Vivonio Furniture GmbH, represented by insolvency administrator Dr. Dietmar Haffa of Schultze & Braun. The ownership change is part of the restructuring of fm’s former parent company. Transaction advisers described fm itself as a solvent operating business, and Schultze & Braun identified it as the group’s largest company by revenue. Investor solutions for sister companies Staud and Leuwico were completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Orlando plans to work with management on both organic growth and potential acquisitions. Partner Simon Pfennigsdorf said fm fits the firm’s strategy of investing in businesses with leading positions in specialized markets and supporting their long-term development.
Dan Lühr, fm’s managing director of sales and marketing, said the partnership brings an investor with furniture industry experience and a long-term outlook as the office furniture market continues to change.
Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Bösel, Lower Saxony, fm produces furnishings for individual workstations, storage, conference and meeting rooms, reception areas and lounges. Its manufacturing model combines industrial production with an in-house operation for custom and project-specific furniture.
The business employs more than 400 people in Germany and Austria. Its production footprint totals 33,000 square meters—approximately 355,000 square feet—including 16,000 square meters in Ampflwang, Austria. Its custom manufacturing operation includes more than 20 specialists.
Orlando’s namesake private equity fund has €255 million in capital and targets majority investments in midsize businesses, primarily in German-speaking markets and the Nordic countries. Its focus includes ownership succession, corporate carve-outs and special situations. The firm’s furniture investments also include Leicht Küchen and Bürstadt Furniture, acquired from Welle Holding in 2025.
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Henricksen Relocates Headquarters to Oak Brook
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Henricksen has opened a 14,000-square-foot headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois, relocating from Itasca with a space designed around hybrid work, client engagement and flexible use. The contract furniture dealer said the location’s access to Chicago, major expressways and surrounding suburbs supports its efforts to attract and retain talent.
Designed with Lamar Johnson Collaborative, the renovated, full-floor office serves as both a workplace and a demonstration of Henricksen’s capabilities. Flexible work areas accommodate between 35 and 100 employees, while a central café doubles as a town hall for meetings and client events. A dividing curtain, 360-degree camera system and retractable projection screen allow the area to support different uses throughout the day.
Warm materials, curved architectural details and residential-inspired furnishings shape the interior, with an entry fireplace developed in partnership with HNI and 11th-floor views of the Chicago skyline. “This headquarters is not just about where we work — it’s about how we work, collaborate, and continue to evolve as an organization,” said Ryan Esche, principal and general manager–Illinois. Amenities include a mother’s room, prayer room and wellness room, plus access to the building’s fitness center, conference facilities and work lounges.
Redmond Construction served as general contractor, with Cushman & Wakefield as broker, Spark handling environmental branding and SNL providing audiovisual integration. HNI was a key manufacturing partner. Henricksen will host an open house October 14.
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The office chair market, worth about $18.25 billion, is growing slowly overall but its ergonomic segment is expanding rapidly, driven by health concerns, rising demand for premium comfort, and smart‑technology differentiation; China leads manufacturing while brand value shifts to higher‑margin owners, creating a profit gap between OEMs (~18% margin) and brands (~38% margin). Success hinges on building trusted brands through certifications, risk‑reversal services, and niche innovation—such as AI‑enabled chairs—rather than relying on paid traffic, while global expansion now requires robust supply‑chain engineering, compliance, and localized logistics.
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|  viaspacefurn.com
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Furniture Marketing Group Names Marcy Tripp Director of Wave Team
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Furniture Marketing Group has named Marcy Tripp Director, Wave Team, moving an experienced operations leader into a role focused on enterprise client engagement, key relationships and opportunities to expand the value the company delivers to its clients.
Tripp brings a background spanning operations, account management, project management and design leadership. Her experience across those disciplines gives her a broad view of the client relationship, from understanding an organization’s needs to coordinating the people and processes required to execute complex projects and programs.
Most recently, Tripp served as Director, Operations in FMG’s Plano office, where she helped strengthen the internal processes, communication and team coordination supporting the company’s work. Her move to the Wave Team brings that operational perspective directly into FMG’s enterprise client engagement efforts.
The appointment connects two closely related priorities: delivering work effectively and developing long-term client relationships. For enterprise clients, those priorities often meet in the details of execution—how teams communicate, how projects are coordinated and how consistently a partner can carry an assignment from planning through completion. Tripp’s background gives her practical experience with the work behind those expectations.
In her new position, she will focus on strengthening key relationships and identifying opportunities for FMG to create greater value for its enterprise clients. Her experience within the company provides a foundation for that work, combining familiarity with FMG’s operations with an understanding of the demands of complex client programs.
The transition also draws on the range of perspectives Tripp has developed throughout her career. Account management and design leadership inform her understanding of client priorities, while project management and operations experience connect those priorities to delivery. The new role brings those capabilities together around enterprise engagement.
For FMG, Tripp’s appointment represents a connection between operational excellence and strategic growth. It places a leader familiar with the company’s day-to-day execution in a position to help deepen client relationships and recognize where FMG can provide additional support.
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Rising diesel prices and soaring material costs, especially for metals, are forcing developers nationwide to abandon or scale back commercial and residential projects, with high‑profile conversions like Georgia‑Pacific’s Atlanta headquarters and large residential plans in Virginia and Philadelphia being canceled. The combined impact of tariffs, interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and supply‑chain pressures is tightening budgets, prompting some firms to shift to smaller retail builds while others hope cost improvements in 2027 may revive stalled developments.
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|  www.bisnow.com
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Midtown Manhattan’s office market has fully reclaimed pre‑pandemic vacancy levels, with available space dropping to 27.7 million SF and the submarket’s availability rate falling to 11.9%. Strong leasing activity—over 10 million SF signed city‑wide and a record 4.8 million SF in Midtown South—has pushed asking rents to an all‑time high of about $85 per SF, up 5.4% year‑over‑year. AI firms added roughly 1.1 million SF in the quarter, while overall Manhattan availability shrank to 12.4%, indicating robust demand and higher rents with fewer tenant concessions.
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|  www.bisnow.com
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Higher 10‑year Treasury yields, now above 5%, are raising borrowing costs for commercial real‑estate owners and forcing lenders to demand more equity, tightening refinancing options and putting pressure on property values. This environment is prompting investors to reassess deals, consider more conservative underwriting, and may create buying opportunities for well‑capitalized buyers, while borrowers without sufficient equity risk forced sales or difficult loan modifications.
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|  allwork.space
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Denver’s office market is rebounding, with Q2 leasing up 30% year over year to 1.7 million sq ft and tenants taking longer, larger leases. Vacancy remains high at roughly 27‑29%, prompting landlords to offer higher tenant‑improvement allowances and rent concessions to attract occupants.
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|  allwork.space
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Austin’s office market is shifting toward mixed‑use redevelopment as high vacancy rates and post‑pandemic office deliveries strain traditional office assets. Developers and lenders favor integrated communities with office, retail, and residential components, citing better financing prospects and tenant demand. Vacancy has modestly improved, net absorption is positive, and the construction pipeline has shrunk, supporting a gradual recovery. Upcoming projects like Uptown ATX and Northline illustrate the move toward mixed‑use, Class‑A developments that combine office space with other uses.
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|  www.bisnow.com
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The evolution of office chairs reflects a shift from simple, visible mechanics to sophisticated, integrated technology that adapts to users’ changing postures and work styles. Early designs focused on fixed wooden structures and basic ergonomics, while later innovations introduced adjustable height, lumbar support, mesh materials, and mobility. Modern smart chairs like the HBADA X7 embed sensors, motorized lumbar mechanisms, ventilation, heating, and massage systems, allowing continuous, automatic adjustments that support health and comfort throughout a dynamic workday. This integration of AI and responsive features mirrors broader architectural trends where technology becomes invisible infrastructure, enhancing flexibility, movement, and well‑being in contemporary workplaces.
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|  www.archdaily.com
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Humanscale argues that ergonomics should be integrated into people strategy to boost employee well‑being, productivity, and retention, especially in hybrid work settings. By moving from reactive injury‑prevention to proactive, data‑driven approaches—including education, self‑assessments, digital tools like ergoIQ, and consulting expertise—organizations can identify risks early, support diverse workstations, and link ergonomic initiatives to measurable outcomes such as reduced absenteeism, higher productivity, and stronger employee experience.
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|  www.officing.com
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Interface has pioneered sustainable flooring for over five decades, introducing modular carpet tiles, circularity initiatives, and ambitious carbon targets well before sustainability became mainstream. Founded by Ray Anderson in 1973, the company’s modular system reshaped the market, offering design flexibility and easy installation that drove global growth.
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|  www.mixinteriors.com
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AI agents are rapidly entering the workforce as autonomous digital coworkers, offering 24/7 availability, task‑completion abilities, and human‑like personas that encourage users to anthropomorphize them. While early adoption shows promise—companies are adding these agents to org charts and seeing productivity gains—there are growing concerns about safety, error detection, and the psychological impact of forming emotional bonds with non‑human colleagues, highlighting the need for clear guardrails and thoughtful integration.
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|  www.wired.com
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Flexible working is highly valued by employees, with 78% considering it important when choosing a job. New research and an upcoming consultation by Acas aim to update the Code of Practice on flexible working requests ahead of law changes expected in autumn 2027. The revised guidance emphasizes evidence‑based decisions, adaptability, collaborative solutions, and transparent processes, helping employers retain talent and improve wellbeing while ensuring fair, practical outcomes for workers.
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|  workplaceinsight.net
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Men working from home face a larger career penalty than women, especially when remote work exceeds two days a week, with ratings dropping up to 0.94 points on a 10‑point scale in the UK. The penalty is stronger for fathers and childless men, while mothers already receive lower office‑based ratings, making their additional penalty smaller; the study highlights the need to address proximity bias and normalize flexible working for all genders.
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|  workplaceinsight.net
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Early workplace planning integrates design into the space‑search process, helping companies assess employee needs, usage patterns, and required amenities before signing a lease. This approach identifies potential layout, infrastructure, and cost issues, enables better negotiation, and leverages building amenities to reduce internal space requirements, ultimately mitigating risk and ensuring the chosen workplace supports hybrid work and long‑term operations.
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|  officeinsight.com
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SAP’s CEO Christian Klein predicts the keyboard will become obsolete within the next two to three years as voice‑enabled AI tools allow users to input data, run queries, and trigger workflows by speaking, transforming how businesses operate. It stresses that successful AI adoption requires horizontal integration across entire organizations, proper training, and adaptable infrastructure to address geopolitical and data‑sovereignty challenges, positioning voice‑driven technology as the next major workplace advantage.
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|  allwork.space
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Workplace design can translate a legacy brand’s values of trust, security, and discretion into tangible office elements—such as private consultation rooms and secure collaboration zones—while also incorporating innovation through adaptable infrastructure and technology‑focused spaces. By creating intentional opportunities for human connection, collaboration, and belonging, designers help financial services firms entering new markets like Dallas reinforce their culture, strengthen employee and client experiences, and build a stronger, more cohesive brand identity.
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|  allwork.space
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The research shows that workplace design significantly impacts the cognitive effort needed to focus. By examining how lighting, sound, movement, visual distraction, and enclosure affect attention—especially in people with inattentive‑type ADHD—Corgan found that dimmer, indirect lighting, visual boundaries without full isolation, and subtle self‑directed movement reduce mental load and improve concentration. Providing adaptable environments that let employees control stimulation and choose between open and enclosed spaces supports better focus, wellbeing, and performance for all workers.
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|  officeinsight.com
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Select by Andaaz Targets Select-Service Hospitality
Select by Andaaz, a new casegoods and seating manufacturing brand backed by Andaaz Manufacturing, will launch October 6 during The Lodging Conference in Phoenix, targeting the select-service hotel market.
The brand will offer prototype development, specification-driven manufacturing and custom select-service furniture programs for hotel brands, owners, franchisees, procurement teams and designers. Its model focuses on producing furniture to established brand standards while addressing project budgets, schedules and the need to repeat programs across multiple properties.
“The idea for Select started with a need we kept seeing in the market,” said Kristina Scott, director of operations at Select by Andaaz. “Select was created to bring those two sides together: hospitality manufacturing expertise with a model built specifically for the way select-service projects are developed and delivered.”
Andaaz Manufacturing produces custom casegoods and seating for four- and five-star hotels, resorts and casinos. The new brand will draw on that experience and its global production capabilities to support select-service projects, including new development, renovations and conversions.
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Meet Scribble™ is a versatile student chair featuring a tactile “sensory scribble” loop under the seat that lets students fidget quietly, enhancing focus and inclusivity. Designed by The HON Company, it offers ergonomic angles, durable polypropylene construction, multiple base and color options, and certifications for safety and health. The chair is stackable, movable, and includes a built‑in handle, supporting dynamic classroom layouts. It will be showcased at EDspaces in Kansas City, Missouri, October 28‑30.
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|  www.officing.com
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Concertex’s Simplexity Collection introduces ten high‑performance upholstery textiles—bio‑attributed silicone hybrid, phthalate‑free vinyl, Tekloom, bleach‑cleanable velvet, and NappaTile acoustic pattern—featuring three new prints (Halo, Sashiko, and a third design) with patented transfer printing, vibrant colors, Graffiti‑Free protection, and durability up to 250,000 double rubs, ideal for modern, education‑focused interiors.
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|  www.officing.com
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Aptitude™ is a configurable linear lighting system that combines straight sections, curves, pivots, and highway connections, offering gradient dimming for smooth illumination. It provides versatile aperture sizes, mounting options, optics, finishes, and controls, making it suitable for offices, schools, civic, hospitality, and retail environments, and aims to enhance both aesthetic appeal and functional performance.
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|  www.officing.com
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Treefrog now offers a complete line of white oak veneers, ranging from cool European tones to warm American shades, with varied grain structures like straight and crowned. Each prefinished sheet includes a color‑matched wood backer for seamless edges, and the engineered veneers ensure consistent color and grain across sheets. FSC‑certified and produced in Italy, the collection provides designers with sustainable, high‑quality options for interior projects, from single pieces to large campuses.
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|  www.officing.com
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KASCHKASCH’s Tiago chair and K90 training table, created with Davis Furniture, blend minimalist design with robust construction for hospitality, workplace, and educational settings. The chair features a seamless transition from molded plywood back to a solid oak leg, while the table offers concealed cable management, a flip‑top mechanism, and a slim steel leg for stability and portability. Both pieces result from a transatlantic collaboration that emphasizes precision engineering, material refinement, and adaptable functionality.
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|  architizer.com
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Louis Poulsen has reissued its iconic PH 1/1 Piano lamp, a 1931 design inspired by musical notation, now scaled down, refined, and available as a limited‑edition table lamp in aged brass, terracotta‑hued opal glass shades, and a dark‑brown fabric cord, selling exclusively from October 1 to December 31 2026.
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|  www.wallpaper.com
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Abuse Studio’s 1000L modular storage system showcases innovative joinery using angle‑iron supports inserted into dual kerfs at 45°, creating a low‑tech, cost‑effective design that highlights the structure as a visual feature while allowing versatile configurations and maintaining structural integrity.
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|  www.core77.com
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AI has shifted design value from technical production to judgment, making the ability to frame problems, evaluate options, and make decisions more critical than generating polished outputs. Organizations should restructure hiring, evaluation, and creative processes to emphasize questioning, reasoning, and purposeful use of AI, protecting productive struggle and focusing on human-centric outcomes.
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|  www.core77.com
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Orgatec 2026
October 27-30, 2026 | Cologne, Germany
ORGATEC is the global industry meeting point for everyone who is rethinking and shaping the worlds of work and contract. Every two years, leading brands, experts, and an international trade audience come together in Cologne. Under the guiding theme "From rooms to relationships: designing spaces in an ever-changing world", the focus is on people – and on how spaces in times of change are redefined.
ORGATEC 2026 is a chance to see how the future of work is taking shape—from hybrid and AI-enabled workplaces to healthier, more flexible, and sustainable commercial spaces. Attendees can explore leading international brands, discover European products and concepts not yet widely available in North America, and gain practical insight through talks, guided tours, and interactive programming. It’s also a valuable setting to meet global manufacturers, architects, designers, and workplace decision-makers in one place.
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Design at Work New York 2027
March 10-11, 2027 | New York City
Design at Work New York is designed to attract a highly targeted audience of architects, interior designers, workplace strategists, developers, occupiers and commercial decision-makers actively shaping workplace and commercial interior projects.
Learn more >
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NeoCon 2027 / DesignDays 2027
June 13-16, 2027 | Chicago, IL
NeoCon has served as the world’s leading platform and most important event of the year for the commercial design industry since 1969. A launch pad for innovation—NeoCon offers ideas and introductions that shape the built environment today and into the future. For 2027 NeoCon is officially a 4-day event beginning on Sunday, June 13, 2027.
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Design at Work New York 2027
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Arper at Design at Work New York 2027
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Arper will join Design at Work New York 2027 as a Founding and Furnishing Partner for the Manhattan Lounge, showcasing its Aom and Cari collections and emphasizing a (RE)CONNECTING focus on adaptable, human‑centered workplace environments. The two‑day event at the Javits Center (March 10‑11, 2027) aims to foster collaboration and innovation among design professionals, with Arper’s partnership highlighting the importance of comfortable, flexible spaces that nurture meaningful relationships and ideas.
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Trends in Commercial Projects
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The NBC Universal Chicago offices combine modern TV studios, a newsroom, and office spaces within the NBCU Tower, emphasizing staff wellness, collaboration, and efficient news production, highlighted by a river‑view “Speakeasy” lounge and cost‑effective design choices.
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|  officesnapshots.com
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Fletcher Priest Architects designed a 12‑story office at 100 Fetter Lane for YardNine and Bauont Real Estate Capital, featuring a building concept that anticipates its future deconstruction. The project emphasizes genuine innovation over typical commercial metrics, highlighting sustainable and thoughtful design.
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|  www.mixinteriors.com
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Baker McKenzie’s Warsaw office, designed by Bit Creative, blends Japanese proportion with New York’s urban energy across 43,055 sq ft on Varso Tower’s top three floors. The space features a marble‑finished reception with bonsai‑inspired greenery, seamless material transitions, curated Polish art, a striking open‑work staircase, flexible open‑plan and private work areas, a mock courtroom, and vibrant social zones that combine neutral tones with Japanese motifs.
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|  design-milk.com
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Tiffany Blue Box Café, created by Daniel Boulud, has opened at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California, marking the brand’s first West Coast dining concept and accompanying a new Tiffany & Co. boutique. The space blends signature Tiffany Blue accents with muted wood, metal, and pastel tones, featuring a ceiling installation of hanging blue boxes and a bar set against veined blue‑green stone. The menu offers classic items like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Tea at Tiffany’s, using California ingredients such as Petaluma organic flour, San Joaquin apricots, and Sonoma dairy, while maintaining the elegant, iconic aesthetic of the Tiffany brand.
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|  design-milk.com
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Rob Simpson, a seasoned designer and developer based in the Cotswolds, shares his self‑employed workspace setup—featuring a MacBook Pro M4, Apple accessories, a Corston pendant light, and an ALEFJÄLL Ikea chair—while discussing his routines, recent additions like the Oakywood To‑Do Desk Kit, and aspirations to replace a leftover drawer, all alongside insights into his work philosophy and favorite tools such as Notion.
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|  workspaces.xyz
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Morningstar announced plans to relocate its global headquarters to the renovated Thompson Center in Chicago, occupying over 275,000 sq ft alongside Google and moving in late 2028 after its current lease ends. The move will house more than 1,500 employees and is part of a broader commitment that includes a $5 million donation to local nonprofits over five years, reinforcing the firm’s long‑term confidence in Chicago’s talent and community.
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|  www.bisnow.com
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Morgan, Lewis & Bockius is leasing 205,000 sq ft at 1251 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan, with Newmark as the exclusive leasing agent. The firm currently occupies space at 101 Park Avenue and plans to relocate, though a move‑in date has not been set. The building is a 54‑story tower, the tallest on the avenue, and part of a larger 2.3 million‑sq‑ft property that includes Manhattan’s largest fountain.
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|  www.globest.com
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Morgan Stanley is investing $684 million to create a new regional hub in Dallas, beginning with a $97 million lease of Fountain Place for 1,500 employees, followed by a $587 million development of a 700 K SF tower in Uptown for up to 3,800 staff by 2035. The project includes an $18.5 million city incentive, a $43.8 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant, and a $40 K veteran job bonus, positioning Dallas as a major financial center alongside competitors like Goldman Sachs.
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|  www.bisnow.com
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Law firm Kabat Chapman & Ozmer LLP is leasing 13,000 sq ft in Shorenstein’s 14th & Spring tower in Midtown Atlanta, expanding its presence after a decade at Atlantic Station.
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|  www.bisnow.com
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KFI Studios Names New Director of Sales
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Katie Taylor has been appointed Director of Sales at KFI Studios, where she will lead sales development, manage independent representatives, and collaborate with dealers, architects, and interior designers. With eight years at the company—including roles as Director of A&D Sales and Director of Business Development—she brings extensive industry relationships and experience to drive growth and strengthen KFI Studios’ market presence.
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Arcadia and Encore Expand Sales Representation Across Western U.S.
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Arcadia and Encore have appointed JL & Associates as independent sales representatives for Idaho and Montana and expanded LevelWest Reps’ territory to cover Arizona and Las Vegas, strengthening their western U.S. presence. The new partners will provide dealer support, space planning, product demonstrations, quoting, warranty assistance, and marketing, with plans to open a Phoenix showroom in 2027, while both brands continue to emphasize sustainable, customizable furniture solutions and nationwide representation.
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Ghent Donates Portion of Pink Sales During Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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Ghent is donating a portion of October sales from its pink Petal‑colored glassboards to The Common Thread for the Cure, a breast‑cancer foundation that supports designers and their families with grants, while highlighting its sustainable, VOC‑free, LEVEL 2‑certified products. The initiative is driven by marketing director Susan Claus, a breast‑cancer survivor and board member of the foundation, underscoring Ghent’s commitment to social responsibility and community health.
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BOS Raises $57,000 for Make-A-Wish Illinois at 2026 Indoor Charity Golf Classic
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BOS hosted the 2026 Indoor Charity Golf Classic at its Roselle headquarters, transforming the office into an 18‑hole indoor golf course to support Make‑A‑Wish Illinois. The event featured client and partner participation, an early look at office renovations, and heartfelt stories from Make‑A‑Wish’s CEO and the McCall family, highlighting the impact of wishes. By the night’s end, BOS exceeded its $50,000 goal, raising $57,000 for the charity, and thanked all volunteers, sponsors, and guests for making the tradition a success.
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Neuro-Inclusive Researcher Headlines IIDA NY Pioneering Design®
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Shaun‑Marley Duncan, Neuro‑Inclusive Researcher at the Institute for Human Centered Design, will speak at IIDA New York’s Pioneering Design® event “Designing for Invisible Experiences” on October 6, discussing how lighting, sound, layout and wayfinding affect people with diverse cognitive and psychosocial needs and sharing emerging research and best practices in neuro‑inclusive design. The session includes interactive small‑group discussions on applying multi‑sensory and inclusive design strategies across workplace, healthcare, education, hospitality and public spaces, with tickets priced at $209.93 and offering IDCEC CEU credit.
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Ask Stephen - They Bought a Bigger Brand, So Why Did We Lose Our Jobs?
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The letter explains why field‑salespeople at a smaller, acquired furniture brand often lose their jobs while those at the larger, parent brand are retained, citing brand priority, performance results, and compensation as factors; it advises affected salespeople to keep strong metrics, maintain up‑to‑date résumés and networks, and frame the layoff positively in interviews by highlighting achievements and adaptability.
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| Read Stephen's Latest Column > |
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Independent Representatives Wanted
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Segis USA has openings in several key markets for Independent Sales Representatives.
We offer excellent commission rates and fulfill orders from our facility in Morristown Tennessee. You will be supplied with a sample program and compelling literature.
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| See Job Opening > |
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Exterus Business Furniture a regional Teknion dealer with offices in Shelburne, VT and Portland, ME has an immediate opening for an experienced designer. CET and 2020 experience required. Great team environment with excellent company support.
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| See Job Opening > |
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