Local 831 Furniture

Tag: lobby furniture

  • Used Furniture

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    Used Furniture

    Surplus, Used and As-Is furniture can get you started and help support you as things grow. Our economy runs on cycles, with highs and lows. There is always a surplus that is not being used and furniture is a long-lasting durable good, that has useful life for many years.

    For Humanity …

    Most of us have had the experience of getting rid of old furniture, not being to sell it or give it away. There is a company that can help you with that and helps others as well. https://www.habitat.org/restores Habitat For Humanity does very good work to help families make a home and take care of children. Their ReStores organization takes in household goods, furniture, building supplies, and more. They, in turn, sell these items to help support their housing programs. They are a great source of used residential furniture, home goods, and surplus construction materials. Sometimes they have office furniture as well. Always call first before donating any office furniture, because they specialize in habitats for humans and not a workspace. Office furniture takes up lots of room and has low sales turnover.

    Used Furniture for work

    The used office furniture market has been growing in large cities for decades and most warehouses are full. I anticipate a major glut of electric height adjustable work tables. Because of the “Work From Home” movement away from large groups of people working the offices. The “Open Plan” for office space turned out to be a major super spreader for Covid and will not be come back for a couple of generations. Check-in with your current or previous employer for surplus items and they might give them away to you. You should be to get a table chair and small drawer set for a low price for a used furniture dealer and if a group gathers together to buy 30 sets the price should be cheap. Lots of white, with bright accents and black chairs.

    Used Furniture for Mid Size to Large Projects

    Get your team together for the Safari, hunting down big game is a group effort. Put your packers and loaders on that text list so they can get there quick. Search for empty parking lots with full dumpsters, may have free furniture and stuff in there. Read about layoffs, Working From Home, and listen for “chatter”. Their signs are there and can be tracked. Many times “empty out before the end of the month” comes down the trail fast. If your marketing team can “pull one-off” you might have an “ON-SITE-SALE” after you purchase the inventory. You get to cherry-pick what you want, sell or give the rest away to valued employees. Make arrangements with the property manager and they might have buffer time for you before the construction starts. Keep in mind, insurance, floor covering for moving carts, and whatever else the property manager might require. Most local moving companies already know what each business park wants and how they want it.

    I learned THE HARDWAY about commercial moving in Frisko Ca, Labor Unions, and elevator time. Grunts cost $250 per hour on New Year’s Eve because that was the only time the elevator was available.

    If you will be using systems furniture or cubicles, you will need someone that understands the furniture to manage the installation for planning and parts. When Systems Furniture is disassembled for packing, loading, trucking, unloading, and staging before installation… Parts are GOLD, and should be inventoried or figure about 20% usage for lost or damaged parts. It is the end of 2021, I think Herman Miller Action Office 2 or AO2 cubicles have the very best and available O.E.M. parts for the cubicles.

    Used Furniture

    I am an  Etsy,  Fiverr Affiliate,  Shelving.com,  StandSteady.com,  SwimOutlet.com,  ZumaOffice.com,  GameFly.com,  cambriabike.com,  Quictent.com,  Crandall Office Furniture,  Jackery,  The New Alpha,  Coinbase,  RVT  , Industry West, Eternity Modern, Walrus Oil, Antique Farm House furniture, Casa Gear promotor and have Bookshop.org/shop/Local831Furniture, and get a small commission from each sale.

     

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  • How to plan for long useful life for office furniture

    How to plan for long useful life for office furniture

    This post has affiliate links and we make a small commission on any order.

    How to plan for long useful life for office furniture.

    Surfaces – Supports – Storage – Screens – Sharing – Solitude

    The hard surface components can have a useful life for 20+ years. We often planned for growth and who would use the parts from that wall-tracked office in the next cubicle expansion. The work surface can be used supported on a panel, adjustable height base, “T” leg, column leg, pedestal drawer, lateral file, flat brackets, or cut up to make panel legs. Moving beyond the idea of each workstation and looking at an inventory of parts for your team to use for many years.

    Refurbished and used parts

    Old fabric panels can be refurbished with new fabric/paint or use paint/laminate to replace the fabric. This will make them very cleanable and extend their useful life even longer. Purchasing used furniture or parts can be a cheap way to go for Start-Ups or an environmental company effort. Many chair parts can be replaced with new OEM parts. Parts is Parts and your facility person can orchestrate a beautiful setting.

    Update what you have

    We continue to adapt to the ever-changing work environment, new health discoveries, or trendy ideas, and the furniture we use can be updated to support our work. Take stock of what you have, how your people are working, and how can you help. If starting from scratch, plan for the next 10-20 years. Refurbished chairs can be re-worked, fabric replaced, or fixed. 

    Design for Happy Work

    Look at your space, and think about the colors and feeling as you walk through. This can be done in your mind or on sketch paper. This is the start of good design, it matters and should be done with purpose. There is an art to creating the balance between a fun and organized workspace. Considering color, the largest office furniture companies have done deep research into what color combinations work best. Trends come and go, new studies show… don’t fear change. New colors can be brought in with less durable goods, think chairs and décor. Human interaction and focused no distraction work both need to be provided for. Most people need both during their work time, social, group discussion and just get the work done. Some professionals will provide you with ideas only limited by your budget.

    Right-Sizing

    Occasionally the office gets “empty”, or downsized or workers just need to isolate in place. The furniture can still be used, should be configured for a safe distance, and may be upgraded with screens. There is a company in Grand Rapids Mi. August Berres that has no wires for their battery-powered work furniture. Freestanding tables, optional screens, and mobile everything.

    How to plan for long useful life for office furniture

    I am an  Etsy,  Fiverr Affiliate,  Shelving.com,  StandSteady.com,  SwimOutlet.com,  ZumaOffice.com,  GameFly.com,  cambriabike.com,  Quictent.com,  Crandall Office Furniture,  Jackery,  The New Alpha,  Coinbase,  RVT  , Industry West, Eternity Modern, Walrus Oil, Antique Farm House furniture, Casa Gear promotor and have Bookshop.org/shop/Local831Furniture, and get a small commission from each sale.

     

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    Charles Bradley

  • NeoCon 2021

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    NeoCon 2021

    “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.” Quote from the NeoCon website.

    History

    NeoCon is a very large international commercial construction and furniture show. It has been around for about 50 years, about 1 million sq. feet, 500 exhibitors, and 9 floors, for 3 days at The Chicago Merchandise Mart. Connecting vendors, architects, builders, designers, facility managers, and every other expert involved in a built project. In addition to product demos, there are educational presentations and panel discussions.

    Innovation

    One of the new areas of interest for 2021 is biophilic and outdoor. Biophilic Design is including nature in the built environment, small to large plant-based installations, and water features. Think about using 1970s shopping mall “nature installations” in the workplace. These strategies are used for building energy efficiency, clean air production, lower stress environment, and supporting the health of people there. When you blend the outdoors with indoor, materials need to be upgraded to deal with additional moister and specific wear. Furniture, flooring, and finishes have been developed for this less protected setting. Solar lighting and weather-resistant power distribution were a focus.

    Presentation

    The top issue was “the virus”, how to prevent it and how to survive. There were, of course, many Plexiglas screen products, others were including copper/silver in their fabrics and finishes. Most of all was sharing your stories, listening, and empathizing. Lots of “what is going to happen next” and less “this is what we are doing now”. Planning, strategizing, and building flexibility were the final result of many conversations.

    Should you go?

    Don’t spend your vacation money to go to a business trade show that is a tax deduction for a company. If a company will not pay your way, it may not be right for you at this time in your career. Many students or interns get sponsored every year. Travel, lodging, and food are covered by companies that help you learn more about their interests. The key phrase is “their company interests”, the evaluation of investing in your career has nothing to do with you. Work, study, practice, and make yourself more valuable and worth investing in.

    You should go if, you are new to the industry and the team you are working with is going. If you have a good size construction project that includes furniture. Many times vendors will invite you to presentations, product demos, and panel discussions relevant to your project.

    NeoCon 2021

    I am an  Etsy,  Fiverr Affiliate,  Shelving.com,  StandSteady.com,  SwimOutlet.com,  ZumaOffice.com,  GameFly.com,  cambriabike.com,  Quictent.com,  Crandall Office Furniture,  Jackery,  The New Alpha,  Coinbase,  RVT  , Industry West, Eternity Modern, Walrus Oil, Antique Farm House furniture, Casa Gear promotor and have Bookshop.org/shop/Local831Furniture, and get a small commission from each sale.

     

    Get Cash Back with Rakuten

    Mammoth Nation Patriot Store is America’s Conservative Market Place.

    Axiom Commercial Furniture , Local 831 Lifestyle , Local 831Workstyle ,

    Relax with Nature Videos with Sand 831 on Rumble.

    Local 831 Lifestyle Relaxing Nature Videos on YouTube.

    Thank you for your support,

    Charles Bradley

  • Office Furniture History

    Office Furniture History

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    Office Furniture History

    Furniture was grudgingly bought to support the equipment needed for workers to produce whatever their job was. Also, it show the status of managers, executives, and company presidents. Let’s walk through some office furniture design history. Some things have not changed, ego is still very big and the evolution of office furniture continues.

    Main Drivers for Purchasing

    What drove the invention of office furniture was the equipment and business machines that it supported. The study of ergonomics, body mechanics, OSHA laws, all-day computer use, and insurance claims gave the monetary justification to improve furniture for the office worker. Things have kept going up in price, the computer worker has become more valuable and so the importance of great ergonomic chairs to support them. Humanscale has a deep history in the development of ergonomic office chairs, thanks to the work of Niels Diffrient. The equipment has become more valuable, and complex and requires more power/data support. The Dot Com $$$ and the coolness of geek-dome gave rise to some high-end Silicon Valley Style furniture. Cubicle life- fat bundles of data cables, heavy power requirements sent cubicle panels from 1″ to sometimes 4″+ and taking up more real estate than ever. More coffee shop style, with collaborative areas to work on a lounge chair or sectional sofa.

    High Tech leads to Small Tech

    The tech changed work-life again with smaller lighter and lighter equipment than IBM could ever imagine. Laptops, I-phones. I-Pads and mobile mobile mobile. Many people lost their dedicated cubicles or office. Touchdown stations became available when they got to an office. Maybe not ever their office, maybe a coffee shop or co-working space. The Dot-Com bust, the bean counters were having fits, work still needed to get done and Dilbert was even out of a job.

    The DOT BOMB

    In 2000 we moved east to The Central Valley and were selling old metal desks again. In 2005, for health reasons, we moved to Salt Lake Utah, and back to selling modern office furniture again. New product prices came down and the electrical height adjustable table/desk became the “must-have” to attract new talent. The financial controllers in Silicon Valley adjusted to the new equipment needs and implemented the “open plan” workspace. The history of the desk came to an end. This drove down the size of each employee’s work space and drove even more people to work remotely. Think about the gym, how not everyone can be there at once and people figure out when it is not crowded. You may have realized that the open-plan office was like working in a cafeteria. High headcount, high distraction, low personal space, and poor air quality. The tech workers were younger, more expensive, and needed more “toys” at work and on playgrounds. Work Furniture adapted again.

    Office Furniture History marches on.

    I am an  Etsy,  Fiverr Affiliate,  Shelving.com,  StandSteady.com,  SwimOutlet.com,  ZumaOffice.com,  GameFly.com,  cambriabike.com,  Quictent.com,  Crandall Office Furniture,  Jackery,  The New Alpha,  Coinbase,  RVT  , Industry West, Eternity Modern, Walrus Oil, Antique Farm House furniture, Casa Gear promotor and have Bookshop.org/shop/Local831Furniture, and get a small commission from each sale.

     

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    Mammoth Nation Patriot Store is America’s Conservative Market Place.

    Axiom Commercial Furniture , Local 831 Lifestyle , Local 831Workstyle ,

    Relax with Nature Videos with Sand 831 on Rumble.

    Local 831 Lifestyle Relaxing Nature Videos on YouTube.

    Thank you for your support,

    Charles Bradley

  • How to Buy Office Furniture: The Local 831 Guide.

    This post has affiliate links and we make a small commission on any order.

    How to Buy Office Furniture: The Local 831 Guide.

    Update from 5-2022. Shop online through social media, affiliate content producers, or other people that create helpful information to support your work. There are lots of resources and empty office buildings full of furniture. These same principles are a good way of planning for adding furniture to help support your body and equipment.

    Can we work together?

    Space- what is the space that we will be working in? Also, you should put a list of requirements if you do not already have the building that will be used. Office space selection is very important for many reasons and needs a separate post. This is a short list of thoughts.

    Size, will the space fit, and support the number of people? In other words, will the people and equipment have enough room to get their work done efficiently? Data entry and a production line have very different square foot requirements for employees.

    Time, how long do you plan to use that building, and what changes in growth should be expected? For example, is there planned hiring for data entry, or is that new production line scheduled for next year?

    Logistics, parking, data /power, and tuck docks with warehouse storage. Commuting for employees and traffic patterns for a new location has become very important over the years.

    On-site measure, DWG, PDF, or pencil sketch on paper. Let’s get on the same page and define the walls, columns data/power entry. At Fiverr, some people will do project work and computer drawings are easy to do as a remote task.

    Design Resources

    There are also, office furniture design specialists that can put a plan together for you to send out to bid. You should pay them a per square foot amount or a flat fee. If they ask for an hourly amount, it could be very difficult to monitor. There are many places to see furniture online. My Resource Library has become the industry standard, they also can help you organize the vendor catalogs for specific areas or the whole project. When you use fewer vendors, you can get deeper discounts. There are also Government resources that can help with seeing the bigger picture and then focus on each department. I have compiled an extensive glossary of furniture terms in Post #26.

    Go TEAM

    The main idea at this point is to put a team together, to develop a plan and budget for your project. This will give you “the big picture” early and you will use the floor plans every meeting. Many furniture dealerships offer these “add-on” services, track the value and if you don’t buy from them… you get billed. Read the fine print before you sign, it is sage advice for a reason.

    Scope of Work

    What type of work needs to be supported, company culture, café style, manufacturing shop, or cocoon coding? Most likely there will be a variety of work areas, meeting spaces, and alcoves. Also, plan for the next stages of growth, downsize, or flex work from home. Office furniture space planning and design have a long and valuable history. Good design is good value for workflow, social distance, sound management, and focused attention.

    Style

    Branding corporate culture has become ever more important through social media. Your building, furniture, and office amenities can be a very powerful set of communication tools. The back office is “seen” more than ever and can help potential partners, customers and employees build trust.

    Specifying Furniture

    The hard and soft of it – Furniture Specification? Basic follow up from the above, let’s help the people produce. At this point, we should have a pretty good idea of what and how to accomplish the project. #1 How to buy: office furniture purchasing process

    Final Selections

    The main drivers- style, time, budget? What will filter out the endless options? The lead time might cut right to the shortlist. The budget and style need to be balanced. There are endless images to look at. Take a look at office furniture shopping online and see what you like.

    Wrap up the details

    Nuts & Bolts- parts list anyone? I am still a fan of Excel and use it for job costing, purchase orders, and receiving counts. Let’s figure out power, cabling, lighting, monitor arms, adjustable work surfaces, keyboard trays, chair mats, and steel storage.

    Shelving Inc.

    Comparing Quotes

    How did your office furniture shopping go, is there anything you would like me to change? Make revisions early, Change Orders cost time and money. Savvy entrepreneurs have learned the value of clean, quality used office furniture.

    As-Is Furniture

    We have LOTS of empty office space and vacant furniture due to “Work at Home” during the start of the 2020s. Used furniture is a viable option and should not be overlooked. These items may supplement your project with meeting tables, lobby furniture, or possibly the whole project. Large inventories can be shared with multiple companies through long-term business contacts or social media groups. Skip the warehouse, buy direct, DIY project manage, and get FREE furniture.

    How to Buy Office Furniture: The Local 831 Guide.

    This can go very well or just as bad. Do you have a facilities ROCK STAR on your payroll? They are worth all the $$$ on a project. When a facility is decommissioned, everything goes- I.T. (the whole package), the phone system, copier/fax, surplus toner, and office supplies. Battery / Server backups, furniture, Post-Its, and everything. This has been a GOLDMINE for Start-Ups that have people with “the knowledge about the doing”. Note: when subcontracting knock down (K/D), and removal (palletizing and speed packing) for truck loading, it helps to have the same company deliver, unload and install the furniture. Keeping the command chain of liability is very important and you want that chain short and tight.

    Project Management

    Logistics- schedule subs? Who is going to do what and when? Plan moving, sell surplus items, or send them home for flex WFH.

    Are we still getting along? Let’s load the deposit and pull the trigger. If you are a larger organization a Purchase Order or Purchase Card will get things started.

    Please sign here, so I can start the real work of making your project a great success.

    X _______________________________

    How to Buy Office Furniture: The Local 831 Guide.

     

    I am an  Etsy,  Fiverr Affiliate,  Shelving.com,  StandSteady.com,  SwimOutlet.com,  ZumaOffice.com,  GameFly.com,  cambriabike.com,  Quictent.com,  Crandall Office Furniture,  Jackery,  The New Alpha,  Coinbase,  RVT  , Industry West, Eternity Modern, Walrus Oil, Antique Farm House furniture, Casa Gear promotor and have Bookshop.org/shop/Local831Furniture, and get a small commission from each sale.

     

    Get Cash Back with Rakuten

    Mammoth Nation Patriot Store is America’s Conservative Market Place.

    Axiom Commercial Furniture , Local 831 Lifestyle , Local 831Workstyle ,

    Relax with Nature Videos with Sand 831 on Rumble.

    Local 831 Lifestyle Relaxing Nature Videos on YouTube.

    Thank you for your support,

    Charles Bradley