The Herman Miller Collection in collaboration with the Eames Office is reintroducing the Eames Moulded Plastic Arm and Side Chair in fibreglass using a new more environmentally sensitive material and manufacturing process. Presented at NeoCon 2013 in Chicago, Herman Miller is also announcing plans for a take-back program to encourage recycling. The moulded plastic chair was first introduced by Herman Miller in 1950 as the first mass-produced plastic chair. The iconic design reflects the philosophy of exploration and insight with which we have come to know through the work of Charles and Ray Eames. The enduring design of the Eames Moulded Plastic Arm and Side Chair have evolved throughout the years with new colours, height options, base variations and the application of upholstery. In the late 1980s it became obvious that the fibreglass reinforced plastic shells and the original plastic material had a detrimental effect on the environment both in its manufacturing process and at the end of the chair’s life.
The material chemistry and the inability to recycle the fibreglass led Herman Miller in consultation with then-widowed Ray Eames to eventually discontinue its production in 1989. Herman Miller continued to explore alternative materials and began offering a recyclable polypropylene version, reintroducing the Moulded Plastic chairs in 2000. Through the use of current materials and technologies in sustainable fibreglass, material chemistry and new manufacturing processes first developed in the automotive industry to eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) in production, Herman Miller was able to reproduce the design icon while honouring their commitment to environmental sustainability. Sustainable colour pigments faithfully reproduce nine vintage colours and the chairs can be combined with the wire, dowel, four leg, stacking or rocking bases. The fibreglass is now formed and processed using a woven dry binder method instead of the traditional wet process and eliminates the use of wet glue adhesives relying on heat-activated dry polyester instead.
DWR was already the largest retailer of Herman Miller furniture, but now the manufacturer will have a direct line to stores. Customers will have more variety when it comes to Herman Miller products, but may not find items from rival furniture makers like Knoll, which last year opened its first retail shop in its 75-year history. Herman Miller will also gain a stronger foothold in contemporary home furnishings. “In addition to enhancing Herman Miller’s brand visibility,” Walker said, “we gain access to DWR’s growing and exclusive product portfolio and proven development capabilities.” Again, Herman Miller’s most recent efforts have been in office furniture, including, ironically, alternatives to the reviled cubicle. Herman Miller was furnishing the offices of Silicon Valley startups; now it can outfit the homes of their CEOs, too. June 30 (Bloomberg) –- When the cubicle was invented in 1968 it was actually pretty awesome. Nikhil Saval, author of "Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace," tells Bloomberg what went wrong with the cubicle, and why we failed to fix it.
Video by: Alex Dean, Victoria Blackburn-Daniels. The company, which reported $1.9 billion in revenue in fiscal 2014, most recently bought Maharam, a New York textile company, for $156 million in April 2013, signaling Herman Miller’s grand strategy to control as many parts of its operation as it can, from upholstering materials to retail outlets. On the surface, not much will change for DWR. The deal gives Herman Miller an 84 percent interest in DWR, whose CEO, John Edelman, and president, John McPhee, will retain their positions and convert their ownership stake to about 8.5 percent. Both executives will report to Walker. With a stable parent, DWR will be rescued from the ups and downs. Started in 1998 by Rob Forbes, the chain survived a punishing year in 2009—the share price plummeted to 12 cents—to reemerge as the largest premium retailer of new and classic modern furnishings and accessories. The biggest winners might be DWR shareholders, who will receive $23 a share on a fully diluted basis.