Office furniture grew 5.5% in '07

The office furniture industry grew 5.5 percent in 2007 amid a slowing national economy.

Industrywide shipments in North American increased to $11.42 billion, according to the Grand Rapids-based Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association.


The final tally for 2007 represents a solid increase from 2006 but is still a growth rate that was smaller than the two previous years.

The fourth quarter of 2007 was the weakest quarter of the year, as shipments grew 4.4 percent during the same period in the prior year, reflecting slower national economic growth.

"All things considered, I think it was very healthy," BIFMA Executive Director Tom Reardon said.

The growth of 2007 isn't expected to continue into 2008, though. BIFMA's last quarterly outlook three months ago projected flat or slightly lower shipments this year. An updated outlook is due out soon.

"I still think there's significant uncertainty about the year ahead," Reardon said.

That uncertainty showed up in the latest quarterly index on the industry activity from Michael A. Dunlap & Associates of West Olive.

The survey of industry executives and suppliers resulted in an overall index of 52.44 in January, down sharply from the 55.62 three months earlier in October and below the 56.86 average of the past 15 quarters.

The personal outlook index among respondents was 48.18, the first time it has fallen below 50 since Dunlap & Associates began the survey three and a half years ago.

The results reflect the national economy and a steady decline in growth that began for the industry about a year ago, Michael Dunlap said.

He noted most individual categories - gross sales, order backlogs, capital and tooling expenditures, and employment levels and hours worked - still remain above 50 and in positive territory. The survey uses a scale of one as "the absolute worst" and 100 as "couldn't be better."

The surveys results, he said, are "a little lower, but nothing that's bothering me.

"I'm not terribly worried. We do have these cycles," Dunlap said.

Total shipments for the office furniture industry:
Year Shipments
2006 $10.82 billion
2005 $10.07 billion
2004 $8.93 billion
2003 $8.50 billion
2002 $8.89 billion
2001 $10.97 billion
2000 $13.28 billion

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Office Chair Buying Guide

HOW TO FIND A CHAIR THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS:

People come in all shapes and sizes. To find an office chair that fits you need to ask yourself a few questions. For true comfort, start by determining how you will be using the office chair. Office Chairs come with a variety of mechanisms that control the tilt angle, tension tightness and a variety of other office chair controls as well. Depending on how much time you are in your chair, and what you are doing while seated at your desk chair, these features can make a huge difference on whether you are sitting in comfort or not.

Heavy Use Chair

These chairs are for people who are glued to their desk for long hours (computer programmers, receptionists, etc.). If this is you, then look for a chair with a synchro tilt mechanism, a fatigue reducing device on the under side of the desk chair seat. Thanks to this device, whether you lean forward or back, the chair moves with you to provide support. The effect is that your back is supported at all times.

Moderate Use Chair

If you are a typical middle manager, you are running back and forth between your desk and other areas of the office. Consider a desk chair with a knee-tilt mechanism. This will allow you to lean back in the chair but still keep your feet planted flat on the ground. In chairs without this, your feet typically are lifted when you lean back and can lead to discomfort over time. These type of chairs are also usually more stylish than your typical task chair.

Executive Office Chair

These office chairs have the same mechanical features as the moderate use chairs, but they are typically larger, more comfortable and stylish for the executive. It is designed for the busy executive who is running between conference rooms and spends a good deal of time on the phone and on the computer. Style, comfort and status are key features.

General Office Chair Rules

1) Your feet should rest comfortably on the floor, and your thighs should be fully supported and square with the floor.2) Your back should be comfortably supported. The angle formed by your upper legs and torso should be between 90 and 105 degrees.3) Tilting back should be easy, but not too easy.4) The desk chair should permit frequent posture changes.

The Economy of Furniture

So, at this point in the election cycle, we've all realized that the Economy is a top issue to most voters. Certainly economical concerns have been a top issue for home owners for some time now, as the housing market has plummeted. The question we at Ace Office want to ask is, what does do for furniture sales? Furniture Today provides some possible answers:

Tuesday started with a 465-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrials Average — severe by any measure — by midday the vast majority of furniture stocks were up and some gained as much as 10%. Does that make sense to you?

In the complex and sometimes befuddled mind of Wall Street, it does. The Federal Reserve hammering down interest rates should begin to ease the current housing distress by lowering mortgage rates and saving homeowners money, reducing the step-up rates on adjustable mortgages, and hopefully making home purchases more affordable so that the glut of homes for sale will be reduced. That, in turn, will stop the decline in home values and everyone should sleep better (helping the mattress industry).

As far as home office furniture goes, it seems that furniture sales rise and fall with the rest of the housing sector. So, when the housing market has hit its lows (as many believe it already has), houses (and furniture) are set up for a come back!

Office (Furniture) Politics - 2008 Election Special Edition!

Pictured: Former Governor of Arkansas and current presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, seated in a tasteful chair, surrounded by polished wood furnishing, and awash in soft lighting. (A candidate who loves good office furniture!)


On December 3, an entry was posted about office furniture politics. In Boston, local politicians were butting heads over an issue known as "Drapesgate." House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi openly criticized Governor Deval Patrick for purchasing $10,000 curtains for a corner office. It may sound petty, but office furniture purchases are always grounded in issues of personal legitimacy and fiscal responsibility. Our advice? Make smart choices in affordable office furniture, of course.

The drama continues, but now on a national scale. Unless you've had your head buried in the sand, you probably have noticed that one of the biggest news stories is the upcoming 2008 U.S. presidential election. In a race that has no returning incumbent, both the Republican and Democrat parties lack a clear front runner, which only adds to the excitement and anxiety. The Democrats seem to have three leading contenders: Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, and former Senator John Edwards. Other notables include House Representative Dennis Kucinich, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Senator Joe Biden, Senator Chris Dodd, and former Senator Mike Gravel. Among the Republicans, will it be former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Senator John McCain, Representative Ron Paul, Representative Duncan Hunter, former Senator Fred Thompson, or former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee?

The latter candidate is the one at the center of another office furniture scandal. A couple of weeks ago, a blogger for the Arkansas Times reported on the issue and dubbed the politician's gaffe as "Officegate" (perhaps the English lexicon would benefit from a different suffix that indicates controversy). Apparently, Huckabee accepted new lights, speakers, and furniture as gifts to replace ones that were not up to par. In this case, taxpayer dollars were not used (as was the case in Boston), and the source was reported as "private funds." Around $70,000 worth of Mansion furniture was offered as a gift from Boe Adams, a wealthy cotton planter. There have been other issues that have called Huckabee's fiscal responsibility into question, and this is just another log thrown into the fire.

As seen above, candidate Mike Huckabee seems to like fine lighting and seating. And who can blame him? Presentation is important, and no career highlights image more than possibly politics. However, as the aftermath scandal has proven, it is still important to consider budget alongside furnishing needs. The most sensible route is to look at quality furnishings at discount prices. Don't sacrifice enduring style and quality just to stay within budget!

Ace a Member of DMI Furniture

Pictured above: Belmont Series Executive Five-Piece Office Suite

Ace Office Furniture is a proud to be an authorized dealer of products by DMI Furniture, which is a large retailer of furniture since 1911. DMI office furniture includes different categories, including traditional, transitional, small office/home office, seating, and tables. The brand is known for its high-quality veneers and fine wood materials.

Ace conveniently offers all of its DMI inventory on the DMI Furniture page, as a part of its large online store. Clicking on "More" for each of the listed items will directly lead you to related office furniture pieces for decor coordination. Celebrating its tenth year as a DMI Dealer, Ace is also excited to say that it's the number one retailer of DMI furniture on the web!