Herman Miller is Helping Redefine the Colorado Office Workspace

Kear|Stevens first in State to install new private and environmentally friendly workstations

Denver, Colo. (PRWEB) November 1, 2006 -- The company that invented the office cubicle 40 years ago has reinvented the office workplace, once again. This time, a Colorado company is helping redefine the future of the workstation. Herman Miller, Inc., the pioneer and recognized innovation leader in office furniture systems, today announced the first Colorado company to install its My Studio Environments, a new generation of private and environmentally friendly workstations. Kear|Stevens, a Denver-based advertising firm, joins the growing number of companies nationwide that are putting people in control of their individual work environments with these new stations.

With more than 70 percent of the U.S. workforce working within cubicles, privacy is a top demand among employees. According to Carla Dore, president of Herman Miller, "A trend in workplace design is smaller workstations so companies can maximize space, but studies show that many times this fails since workers have less privacy, resulting in more stress and less productivity. My Studio Environments, designed by Douglas Ball, is a single solution that enables companies like Kear|Stevens to optimize the use of its real estate since the workspace is only 8x8 feet. At the same time they can still provide a comfortable, private and highly-efficient space for individual workers."

Kear|Stevens principal Jeff Kear agrees. The firm recently moved its office location to an older, remodeled triangular-shaped building making individual offices an inefficient use of real estate. "Who would have thought – a private cubicle?" said Kear. "It's our business to think outside the box for our clients but traditional cubicles can leave employees feeling boxed in, hindering their productivity. My Space workstations have actually helped us improve how we talk and interact with each other and organize our office space much more efficiently. The balance of privacy and interaction is already paying off in increased employee productivity."

Unlike the traditional office workstation, My Studio workspace is 8x8 feet with the highest wall on the aisle side, and it has a door like a private office. The shortest walls are on the interior, which fosters connection and interaction among people who work closely together. Additionally, My Studio's design meets strict environmental standards. It was developed according the McDonough Braungart Cradle-to-Cradle protocol and is GreenGuard certified, helping customers achieve credits for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) Green Building Rating System™. My Studio Environments is also 74 percent recyclable and made from 28 percent recycled materials.

For more information on installing My Studio Environments in an office location contact Marc Gellman.

About Herman Miller, Inc.
Herman Miller helps create great places to work, heal, learn, and live by researching, designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative interior solutions that support companies, organizations, and individuals all over the world. The company's award-winning products, complemented by furniture management and strategic consulting services, generated over $1.7 billion in revenue during fiscal 2006. Herman Miller is widely recognized for both its innovative products and business practices. Herman Miller is a recipient of the prestigious National Design Award for product design from the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. In 2006, the company was once again cited by Fortune magazine as the "Most Admired" company in its industry and is among Business Ethics magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." The company trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol MLHR.

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