Global Furniture Group Celebrates Its Golden Jubilee Back to School
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09.26.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS Global Furniture Group Celebrates its Golden Jubilee 50 years ago Saul Feldberg founded Global Furniture with the strategy of building “…a product that the average person can afford.” The company pioneered what has become the mid- market segment of the office furniture industry in North America. The celebrations at Global are rightfully continuing throughout its 50th year. At NeoCon 2016, the company hosted a packed celebratory party in its Chicago showroom, and last week it celebrated again with the grand opening of its newly redesigned headquarters showroom in Toronto. FULL STORY ON PAGE 3… Back to School: Pratt Institute’s Five New Continuing Ed Programs A&D professionals spend a lot of time trying to keep up with changing standards, new tech, and cutting edge work strategies. This week, we got word of five new programs the Pratt Institute in New York City is introducing to its School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS). Not all continuing ed options are created equal, but there are ways to make your time and dollars count in choosing a continuing education course. Here, we explore Pratt’s new offerings and research tips on finding the best fit. FULL STORY ON PAGE 13… 2016 ARIDO Awards and Gala This year, as in many years past, the annual gala dinner to announce the winners of the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO) Awards sold out weeks CITED: in advance, with 600 guests in the Toronto Hilton ballroom. “AN INVESTMENT IN officeinsight’s Canadian correspondent David Lasker reports on KNOWLEDGE PAYS THE the 2016 winners and gala highlights. BEST INTEREST.” —BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FULL STORY ON PAGE 18… “THE PARADOX OF EDUCATION IS PRECISELY THIS - THAT AS ONE BEGINS TO BECOME CONSCIOUS ONE BEGINS TO EXAMINE THE SOCIETY IN WHICH HE IS BEING EDUCATED.” —JAMES A. BALDWIN 09.26.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 2 OF 37 Tryg Tables Wood, metal, stone, glass, quartz, cement surfacing. www.tuohyfurniture.com 09.26.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 3 OF 37 events Night view of the celebration at Global Furniture Group’s headquarters. Photography courtesy of Global Furniture Group. Global Furniture Group Celebrates its Golden Jubilee by Bob Beck We celebrate anniversaries as a way ing of its newly redesigned headquar- of reminding ourselves how lucky we ters showroom in Toronto. are to have been (pick your predicate: The showroom is a tour de force healthy, married, alive) or in this case, designed by Toronto’s Johnson Chou. in business. 50 years ago Saul Feldberg Occupying the first three floors of the founded Global Furniture with the strat- five story headquarters building, it has egy of building “…a product that the av- been designed with careful consid- erage person can afford.” In the process eration of the history of the company of building many such products, the and the history of the building and its company pioneered what has become location. Most importantly, it has been the mid-market segment of the office curated to effectively stimulate the furniture industry in North America. creativity of visitors in thinking about The celebrations at Global are right- how Global’s products might be used fully continuing throughout its 50th in new and unexpected ways. We’ll year. At NeoCon 2016, the company have more to say about the showroom hosted a packed celebratory party in in a later issue when appropriate pho- its Chicago showroom, and last week it tography is available to illustrate these celebrated again with the grand open- ideas. 09.26.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 4 OF 37 events The invitees to this particular party were mostly Canadian clients and dealers along with a few journalists. I counted three generations of Feld- bergs on hand and there may have been more for all I know. One of the most touching scenes I observed was one of Saul Goldberg’s young grand- daughters walk over, take him by the hand and lead him across the room to meet someone. This is a proud family business, and the family was well represented. Even though the crowd numbered more than 700, guests were made to feel welcome and wanted by unhurried conversations with all the host fam- ily members as well as the executive team. The dealers I talked to were very happy to discuss what a pleasure it was to have Global as a mainstay of their businesses. The most frequently heard words being integrity, loyalty, honorable and obliging. 09.26.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 5 OF 37 events Global’s international leadership team. L to R: David Glass, Sr. VP Sales + Marketing, Canada; Jon Abraham, President, USA; Saul Feldberg, Founder; Joel Feldberg, CEO; Alan Breslow, Executive VP Sales + Marketing, USA. The food and drinks were wonderful, He ended his speech by introducing the business at his father’s knee and as you’d expect, as well as thoughtfully his son, David Feldberg, who learned about what a great mentor his father distributed throughout the space. And the business at Global before being had been throughout his career. He the atmosphere was one of respect tasked to organize Teknion, where he ended his speech by introducing his and admiration more than raucous is now president and CEO. The young- younger brother, Joel Feldberg, the celebration. er Mr. Feldberg talked about learning current CEO of Global. Saul Feldberg kicked off the brief formal part of the evening with a wel- come and a talk. People were crowded around the small platform and “hang- ing” from all three floors as he spoke of his pleasure in seeing something he created thrive and grow into one of the largest office furniture companies in the world. He talked about the rewards of his shared experiences with his co- workers, his dealers and their custom- ers, and especially his family. And he thanked each of them for their loyalty and support, so vital in achieving the company’s success. Joel Feldberg, CEO of Global Furniture Group addresses the guests. 09.26.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 6 OF 37 events In welcoming the guests, all three poised for even greater success in the Ed.Note: On the following pages we Messrs. Feldberg pointedly thanked future. And there is no better way to present an article from our archives that the audience for their support, loyalty see that for yourself than to experience tells the story of the early company and and role in building the company them as displayed in the impressive its evolution up to it’s 40th anniversary. through 50 years of success. And ap- Johnson Chou designed showroom propriately, Joel Feldberg talked about at the Toronto headquarters. If you building on that success for the future. weren’t at the party, I’m sorry, but you Based on the new products Global should try to visit the showroom when has introduced over the last three you can. I’m sure the red carpet has years, it is my opinion that Global is not been pulled in! n The attentive crowd. 09.26.16 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS PAGE 7 OF 37 events VERO TABLES designed by madsen & contois de signing op t ions f ur nishing a nsw e r s 800.585.5957 a r cadiacontract .com TM officein09.26.16sight 5.29.06 GIVING VOICE TO THOSE WHO CREATE WORKPLACE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS11 PAGEof 832 OF 37 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz The Global Vision of Saul Feldberg by David Lasker events ounded in 1966, the Global Group into a more prestigious job as a cutter. I of Companies is a well-know mid- was cutting vinyl, primarily, for restaurant marketF manufacturer of contract furniture, seating booths and breakfast nooks, and and one of the largest manufacturers recovering theatre seats. At that time, and marketers of offi ce and institutional the cost of vinyl was four or fi ve dollars furniture in the world, producing seating, per yard. Unfortunately, the vinyl wasnʼt desking, wood casegoods and metal stretchable. It was a challenge because fi ling and storage, all of which sell I had to learn on my own, but I found a through a broad network of dealers way to lay out patterns that saved tens of in North and South America, Europe, yards of material every day. the Middle East and the Far East. After that, I learned about the other Globalʻs fi rst product was a high-back parts of the manufacturing process: Saul Feldberg at Globalʼs first facility, c. executive chair in fabric and vinyl, the cutting the foam to size, upholstering, 1966. In Globalʼs early years, he was a Executive series, that sold to the dealer assembling, packing – the whole “how- designer, salesman, manager and plant foreman for $68 in 1966. It created the budget to” from start to fi nish. I gained a lot of seating market niche in North America. experience by improvising and making At the other extreme, several presidents a product with my own two hands. After and prime ministers have sat on the awhile, my savings paid for the whole Concorde chair, which debuted in 1999. plantʼs wages. By the time I was 21, I Concorde introduced Globalʼs easy to was made plant manager. use patented push-button technology OI: What led you to strike out on located in the arms. Seating remains a your own and start Global? staple product at Global, which ships 150,000 chairs in an average week.