3. thank you
that these products will continue to create Office Resources is confident in the
Our committed and qualified employees
a setting for learning, leadership, and good capabilities of our tried systems. We pride
are what make Office Resources New
business. We are committed to finding the ourselves on providing quality service to every
England’s largest distributor of Knoll
right tools for your office environment. client, every time. We have achieved a solid
office furniture. We continuously strive
record of growth by working closely with our
to recognize the needs of our clients and
Office Resources will be able to provide clients to develop business solutions.
understand the importance of a reliable
your firm with the furniture support and
and knowledgeable furniture dealer. Office
services that are necessary in projects of We truly appreciate your consideration. Please
Resources is committed to the design of
spaces that work. all sizes and scope. We will assemble an feel free to contact us with any questions or
experienced, enthusiastic team to help comments. We look forward to working with
manage your entire project, from start to you further.
Office Resources offers products that
finish. We keep our clients well informed
are tailored to our clients business, brand,
of furniture and design opportunities and
environmental concerns and corporate
project status.
culture. The products that Knoll offers will
continue to enhance the environment in
which all levels of the organization can work
collaboratively and productively. We hope
4. table of contents
About Us
About Knoll
Sustainable Design Practices
Knoll and Sustainable Design
Project Profiles
TSD
Bank of America
References
5. about us
Office Resources is about people (and furniture). We have a new look and a more well defined direction: to
We are a contract furniture dealer with service and give our clients the most professional, experienced and well
experience as our signature. suited team for each and every project.
Our mission at Office Resources is to provide the best We have a reputation of success in the industry based
possible service to execute projects successfully and on on well managed, well designed, successfully executed
budget. We work with the needs of individual companies projects of diverse sizes, scopes, types and locations. We will
to assemble a custom designed project team. continue to uphold that same level of integrity and expertise
because the core strength of our business is the people who
are committed to creating spaces that work.
In 2006 we celebrated our 10 year mark and with an
established and diverse client base. At the end of our
first decade in business we are taking stock of the
experience we have gained and using it to revitalize our
approach to the industry and future clients.
6. about
Knoll is recognized internationally for creating Headquartered in East Greenville,
workplace furnishings that inspire, evolve and Pennsylvania, we serve our clients in
endure. Our commitment to innovation and North America through a network of
modern design has yielded a comprehensive more than 300 Knoll dealerships and
portfolio of office systems, seating, files and 100 showrooms and regional offices.
storage, tables and desks, wood casegoods, In Europe, we have showrooms and are
textiles and accessories. represented by dealers in most major
cities.
We believe good design is good business.
Since our founding in 1938, we have been All Knoll manufacturing facilities in
recognized as a design leader worldwide. North America are ISO 14001-certified,
Our products are exhibited in major art an important mark of commitment to
museums worldwide, with more than 40 environmentally responsible practices.
pieces in the permanent Design Collection of In keeping with this commitment, all
The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Knoll architecture and design managers
in North America are required to attain
We know that workplace needs change, and LEED® Professional Accreditation. LEED
so we dedicate ourselves to listening carefully (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
to our customers. We’re thinking about the Design), the rating system of the U.S.
emergence of a new workplace climate, the Green Building Council, is a voluntary,
meaning of new workplace planning models consensus-based national standard for
and how ecological principles inform our developing high-performance sustainable
product designs. Our designers are experts buildings.
in innovation, offering insight into what’s
possible in the workplace, now and in the
future.
8. sustainable design practices
The furniture industry, in conjunction with the architecture and an overall high quality are sustainable. Materials and
and design community, has made a major push to make manufacturing practices do play a major part in determining
more environmentally sustainable choices. This has resulted how green a product is, but there are many other factors
in many opportunities for clients to make socially responsible that can also contribute. We take this information into
decisions pertaining to their furniture investments. It is consideration for our clients and guide them through the
important to remember that no matter the scope of your complex process of purchasing sustainable product solutions.
furniture needs, there are green options for every project.
We believe it is always important to remind our clients that If LEED certification is of interest to your organization, we
making sustainable choices doesn’t only mean selecting have a LEED certified associate on our team to assist our
recycled products. Sustainable products are manufactured clients through the furniture process. We work closely with
locally, are shipped in an efficient manner, are ecologically our manufacturers and installation contractors to provide the
friendly to clean and easy to repair. Products with longevity appropriate documentation and information to every project.
10. Knoll and Sustainable Design
Sustainability is a process that embodies a Commitment Knoll made significant progress on our • Continued our research on Life Cycle Assess-
vision of the future. It is measured by what journey toward sustainability in 2005.
For more than a quarter century, Knoll has acted ment tools. Life Cycle Assessment currently
is sometimes called “the triple bottom line”: Once again, we focused our efforts on three
on its commitment to sustainability in the design is used in the industry as a (very expensive)
the social, economic and environmental strategic areas: Design for the Environment,
and manufacture of products for the workplace. consultant-based tool to enable one-off product
outcomes of business on people, economic Third Party Certification and Communica-
We have established ambitious standards and development. The Knoll intention is to develop
competitiveness and the natural world. tion. A highlight of our 2005 achievement
continue to measure our social, economic and a process with tools for use in design of all of
was the designation of our East Greenville,
environmental performance against them. The our products that will enable us to achieve the
Pennsylvania facility as a U.S. Occupa-
Sustainability mandates healthy and safe work- standards are mandated in a comprehensive product standards we have set in our design
tional Safety and Health Administration
places, equitable compensation and humane Environmental, Health and Safety Plan and are guidelines and that is economical enough for
(OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program (VPP)
treatment of workers. It requires economic defined in Eight Principles that are the foundation all companies in the industry to use.
Star site.
competitiveness. (You can’t be sustainable if you of this report.
don’t stay in business). It calls for companies • Introduced the Halley™ Collection, the first task
Innovation Design for the Environment
to conserve, preserve and make best use of lights in the industry to use energy-efficient light
natural resources and to minimize the impacts of Sustainability is a vision of the future that We continued to develop the systematized emitting diode (LED) lighting technology.
their use and transformation of materials on the depends on innovation to make it real. Knoll is infrastructure that enables consistent and
natural environment. Sustainability is a commit- a recognized innovator in the development of continued progress in sustainable practice. • Replaced glue with steel connectors in REFF
ment to give back at least as much as we take clean technology for the furniture industry, and And we implemented additional improvements panels manufacturing, eliminating 22,200
away and to leave the world a better place than we share what we learn with others in order to in clean technology. pounds of styrene air emissions at our Toronto,
we found it. promote sustainable practices at large. We are Ontario facility.
innovators in the use of recycled materials and In 2005, we:
certified and renewable resources in the manu- • Introduced a new coating containing less volatile
• Applied design guidelines and detailed proce-
facture of our products. And we have developed organic compounds (VOC) and no formalde-
dures for product development. The results
innovative systems to make sustainability an hyde for coating edges and top caps on wood
of this approach are products that use a mini-
integral part of the way we conduct our business. products produced in our East Greenville and
mum of material types; employ clean manufac-
Toronto facilities.
turing technology in their construction; use
Collaboration
raw materials in a way that ensures a minimum
Sustainability is a collaborative process. Knoll • Purchased new equipment for applying lower
total recycled content greater than 25%; and
works in partnership with customers, vendors, VOC-content coating at the East Greenville
are durable and easy to disassemble for
industry associates, professional organizations facility, which will minimize waste in this process.
recycling parts.
and third party certifiers as we make continuing
progress toward our goals.
11. “ ustainabilityisaboutinnovation,andinnovationisaboutdoingthings
S
moreeconomically.Thathelpscompaniesbemorefinanciallysuccessful
overthelongterm.”
Lou Newett
Knoll Director, Environment, Health and Safety
Third Party Certification and Communication
• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) re-certification, • In addition, the core office area at the Lubin
Innovative Alliances In 2005, Knoll used internal and external
following successful completion of the second LEED EB-certified manufacturing facility in East
Knoll actively promotes independent third communications on environmental, health
annual FSC audit, of all North American plants Greenville was renovated in accordance with
party certification because it provides the most and safety issues as tools for increasing
that manufacture wood products. FSC certifica- LEED Existing Building and Commercial Interiors
impartial and trustworthy foundation for industry- awareness and supporting sustainable prac-
tion authorizes Knoll to provide chain-of-custody program requirements.
wide environmental compliance. Certification by tices. Communications included:
proof that wood bearing the FSC mark comes
established and respected third parties ensures from forests that protect environmental, social • We continued to provide clients with product
• Participation in developing the MTS Sustainable
that all manufacturers are held to the same and economic values. documentation for Knoll products on LEED
Textile Standard, issued in 2005, which
high standards and that customers can trust a project applications. In 2005, the following proj-
is setting the international benchmark for
company’s declarations about the environmental • GREENGUARD™ (Indoor Air Quality) certification ects containing Knoll products received LEED
sustainable textiles.
benefits of its products. for Autostrada product categories AS1, AS3, certification: Boulder County Community Hos-
and A4 and for the Essentials chair, introduced pital, Boulder, Colorado (Life chair); University of
• Development of a Lubin LEED presentation
In 2005, Knoll received: in 2005. All Knoll North American systems, Denver College of Law, Denver, Colorado (REFF,
as an educational tool. Tours of the facility with
seating, Knoll Studio seating and textiles are Dividends, Calibre, SoHo Life); Santa Monica
• ISO (International Organization for Standardiza- presentations and QA sessions were provided
GREENGUARD-certified, with the exceptions of Public Safety Facility, Santa Monica, California;
tion) 14001 audit approval for all Knoll manu- to numerous architectural firms throughout
Autostrada AS2 and REFF casegoods, which Winrock International Offices, Little Rock, Arkan-
facturing facilities worldwide, under the revised the year.
are in process of obtaining certification. GREEN- sas (Dividends, Life, Calibre, Studio); WRT Archi-
2004 standard. In 2005, all procedures at all
GUARD certification is the gold standard for tects, Main Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
facilities were revised to meet the new standard, • The creation of a PowerPoint case study on
identifying products that meet stringent testing
the first ISO revision since 1996. As part of this the core office renovation at the Lubin LEED
criteria and have no adverse impact on indoor
initiative, recycled-content databases were EB-certified facility.
air quality.
created for Autostrada AS1, AS3 and AS4 and
for Visor and Bulldog seating. • Knoll Director of Environmental, Health and
• LEED Silver certification in the Commercial Inte-
Safety, Lou Newett, led sustainable product
riors Pilot Program for the Knoll San Francisco
education seminars in numerous locations
showroom. LEED (Leadership in Energy and
throughout the country that focused on products
Environmental Design) is an initiative of the U.S.
as tools for sustainability.
Green Building Council that establishes criteria
and awards certification for sustainable design.
1
12. The Knoll San Francisco Showroom and Offices “ veryday,wefacenewchallengeswithourclientsinmeetingincreasinglyimportant
E
environmentalstandardsfortheworkplace.TherenovatedSanFranciscoshowroom
LEED Silver Certification: Commercial Interiors Pilot Project
reflectstheKnollcommitmenttoaddressingandmeetingthesechallenges.”
Peter Cracknell,
Knoll Regional Manager, San Francisco
The Knoll 8,500 square foot San Francisco • Eco-Spec® Paint—The use of this low-VOC
showroom and sales office occupies a highly paint permitted all associates to continue to
visible street-level space in the heart of the city’s work safely on-site throughout the project.
financial district. The facility houses 20 sales and
support personnel. The primary goals for the • FSC-Certified Wood—Universal access was
project were to optimize the showroom’s street provided to the principal display area by means
presence, provide universal access, improve of a central ramp constructed with flooring
circulation, and create a more pleasant and effec- certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
tive working environment for sales and support
personnel. • Natural Light—All partitions parallel to the line
of exterior windows were removed or made
The LEED Rating System for Commercial transparent in order to provide every workstation
Interiors addresses: with natural light.
• Sustainable sites
• Recycled and Sustainable Materials—The project
• Water efficiency includes FSC-certified worksurfaces on worksta-
• Energy and atmosphere tions; 100% recycled-content textiles; carpet
tiles with recycled-content backing; and lighting
• Materials and resources
fixtures re-lamped with energy-efficient bulbs.
• Indoor environmental quality
LEED Consultant: Benington/Conover Associates
The San Francisco project achieved Contractor (with LEED expert on staff): DPR Construction, Inc.
LEED Silver Certification by implementing
the following:
• Re-used Salvaged Flooring System—Materials
salvaged from an uninstalled commercial project
in San Francisco were used to construct a
raised floor at the street level, aligning what was
formerly a two-tiered sales floor.
• Wireless Network—A wireless network, designed
to save energy and cabling costs over the long
term, was installed.
13. The Knoll Core Office at Lubin (East Greenville)
EB-Certified Manufacturing Facility
LEED certification was achieved by
The core office is located within the 2004 LEED • Occupant Recycling—At least 95% of the
implementing the following:
Gold-Certified East Greenville Lubin Manufactur- batteries and 95% of the fluorescent lamps used
ing Facility. Renovation of the space was com- in the area are recycled, and 50% of the total
• Recycling or Salvaging—Construction waste was
pleted in 2005 in compliance with LEED criteria waste stream is diverted or recycled.
minimized by recycling or salvaging at least 75%
for Commercial Interiors.
of materials by weight.
• Daylight and Views—A 2% daylight factor was
The project included: achieved for 75% of all spaces occupied for criti-
• Recycled Content/Rapidly Renewable
cal visual tasks, and direct line of sight to vision
Materials—Building materials, carpeting and
• New furnishings
glazing for occupants was achieved from 90% of
ceiling tiles containing post-consumer and
• Re-use of 30% of existing furniture regularly occupied spaces.
post-industrial recycled content were used.
• New carpeting
Materials, including fabric, in Knoll furniture
• Mercury Reduction in Lighting—Existing
• New ceiling tiles contained rapidly renewable content.
lighting was re-lamped with Philips low-energy
• Repainting of the entire office
lamps with mercury average below 25 parts
• FSC-Certified Woo d—At least 50% of
• Re-lamping existing lighting per million.
wood in furniture components on the project
was FSC-certified.
• Innovation—All furniture GREENGUARD-
certified.
• Regional Materials—Fifty percent of the furniture
on the project was manufactured or processed
LEED Consultant: Envision Design
within 500 miles.
• Indoor Air Quality—All adhesives and sealants
had low VOC content (per California standards);
paints and coatings met Green Seal Standard
GS-11; Carpet met CRI Green Label Plus and
carpet cushion met CRI Green Label Testing
Program requirements. Composite panels and
agrifiber products contain no added ureaformal-
dehyde resins. An Indoor Air Quality manage-
ment plan was implemented during construction.
3
14. Protection of the Biosphere
We will strive to make continued progress toward reducing
or eliminating the release of any substance in an effort to
safeguard all habitats affected by our operations.
15. We will continue to reduce the use and or We will provide water treatment facilities that
emissions of hazardous air pollutants and meet or exceed discharge criteria.
volatile organic compounds from our manufac-
• In 2005, the state-of-the-art water treatment
turing operations through the introduction of
facility in East Greenville treated 27,340 tons
clean technologies.
of wastewater.
• In 2005, Knoll U.S. manufacturing facilities were
more than 90% hazardous air pollutants (HAP) We will monitor storm water, conserve water
and VOC free. use and develop processes to minimize
water pollution.
• Our Toronto plant replaced styrene glue on REFF
panels with a specially designed steel connector, • Our East Greenville facility installed control values
eliminating 11 tons of styrene air emissions. on continuous-flow machines and low flow toi-
lets in its second manufacturing plant, extending
• Our Grand Rapids, Michigan facility replaced practices put in place in the LEED-certified
gypsum board in its Equity panels with slag wool Lubin building.
filling, eliminating particulate emissions and two
air permits. • Our Grand Rapids facility completed the conver-
sion of its powder coat finishing line from an
• Our East Greenville and Toronto facilities further open, continuous-flow system to a closed-loop
reduced VOC and formaldehyde emissions system. The conversion from gypsum to slag
through the use of a new coating for wood edges wool panel fillings also saved process water.
and top caps. Together, these initiatives reduced water usage
by 84% in 2005.
5
16. Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
We strive to make the best use of renewable resources, such as water,
soil and forests, and conserve nonrenewable natural resources.
17. We will make sustainable use of renewable We will minimize the use of wooden pallets. We will continue to utilize post-consumer
We will continue to recycle steel, aluminum
natural resources through efficient use and and post-industrial materials in our products
and other metal components.
• Knoll continues to use recyclable corrugated
careful planning. where practical.
pallets where possible. Wood pallets are repaired, • In 2005, Knoll facilities recycled 4,686 tons of
• In 2005, Knoll continued to offer Strawboard, reused and recycled at the end of life. In 2005, • In 2005 more than 90% of the wood used to
steel and 91.25 tons of aluminum.
Agriboard and Marmoleum worksurfaces made 17,845 wood pallets were recycled. make composite board products at Knoll’s
of rapidly renewable materials. Toronto and East Greenville facilities contained
We will continue to seek recycling opportuni-
an average of 93% post-industrial material.
We will attempt to recycle or make beneficial ties for scrap generated in our manufacturing
• LEED-certified projects at the East Greenville use of wood scrap generated in our manufac- operations.
Lubin core office and the San Francisco show- • Knoll textiles include products made of 100%
turing operations.
room included the use of renewable, recycled post-consumer recycled content.
• Knoll facilities recycled a total more than 636
and recyclable resources. • Knoll facilities recycled 3,221 tons of wood scrap tons of corrugated cardboard, 78 tons of paper,
and 1,698 tons of sawdust in 2005. Recycled 130 tons of textiles, 4 tons of leather, 22,372 We will be environmentally responsible in our
wood scrap was used for animal bedding and gallons of waste solvent and 11,158 gallons of
We will continue to seek opportunities to purchase of materials.
greenhouse fuel. Sawdust was used as fuel for waste oil in 2005.
use sustainable forests in our products.
industrial boilers. • In 2005, all Knoll leather goods were obtained
• Knoll was re-certified by FSC in 2005 and as by-products of the meat packing industry.
• The Grand Rapids and East Greenville
continued to offer FSC-certified wood in its • In 2005, the Toronto facility burned wood No hides or skins from endangered species
facilities recycled plastic wrapping from
systems products. scrap as heating fuel in the winter and, through were used.
incoming shipments.
redesign of its hot water heating system, used
• In 2005, Knoll used FSC-certified wood in its excess heating capacity to provide hot water for
LEED-certified San Francisco showroom and finishing processes in the warmer months. This
East Greenville Lubin Building core office. improvement reduced gas consumption by about
100,000 cubic meters and resulted in savings of
$46,000 in energy costs.
7
18. Waste Reduction and Disposal
We will reduce, recycle, and where possible, eliminate waste and will
dispose of all waste using safe and responsible methods.
Waste Reduction and Disposal • The Muskegon facility continued to collect used
printer and toner cartridges and deliver them to
We will seek opportunities to reduce waste and
a local school for recycling. In 2005, the school
recycle process scrap from our operations.
earned enough money through this program
• In 2005, Knoll facilities recycled virtually 100% to purchase four digital cameras. The Grand
of all aluminum and steel scrap generated in Rapids and East Greenville facilities also recycled
manufacturing. In addition, wood, leather and toner cartridges.
fabric scrap was recycled for beneficial use
wherever possible. • In Toronto, re-engineered procedures for sorting,
holding and pickup of recyclables led to the di-
• Knoll facilities also recycled 1 ton of batteries, version of 88.2% of the facility’s solid waste from
1 ton of fluorescent lights, 22 tons of fiberglass, land fill in 2005.
23 tons of waste powder and 0.9 tons of plastic
bottles in 2005. • In Grand Rapids, ceramic, stainless steel and
thermal cups were distributed to employees and
• Our Toronto facility upgraded the pumping a five-cent charge was placed on extra Styro-
system for its spray booths, using air in place foam cups. The use of disposable Styrofoam
of solvents to purge paint lines during color dropped from 2,000 cups a week to 1,000 every
changes. This resulted in recovery and reuse six months.
of paint and reduction of hazardous waste by
100 liters a week over 2004. We will dispose of our waste only in well-
operated permitted facilities.
• In 2005, the Muskegon, Michigan facility used
wood scrap to make packaging for special All Knoll manufacturing facilities adhered to strin-
products and recycled plastic wrapping by us- gent mandates for disposal of waste in approved
ing it to package small parts. As a result of this and monitored facilities.
improvement, the facility dramatically reduced its
purchase of plastic material.
19. Conservation
We will conserve energy by improving the efficiency of our internal
operations and the goods and services we sell. We will make every
effort to use environmentally safe and sustainable energy sources.
Conservation Paper recycling: Aluminum recycling:
We will conserve energy and improve
• 12,137 trees saved • Enough energy saved to run 5,840,400 TV sets
energy efficiency.
for three hours. Recycling aluminum vs. using
• 27,131 gallons oil saved in processing
new aluminum reduced air pollution by 95%.
• The Knoll Toronto facility installed a central
vacuum system for CNC (computer numerically
Recycling paper vs. using new paper We will initiate a program to upgrade existing
controlled) routers, replacing 15 pumps with a
reduces air pollution by 74% and water low-efficiency motors to higher efficiency motors.
single pump and backup. The result was more
pollution by 35%.
efficient removal of toxins, a reduction in exhaust
• In 2005, Knoll continued this ongoing program
and energy cost savings of $22,000.
by specifying high-efficiency motors on all equip-
Steel recycling:
ment purchases at all North American facilities.
• In 2005, two Toronto panel manufacturing • 11,715,400 pounds iron ore saved
facilities were combined and processes were • 4,686,160 pounds coal saved We will initiate a program to upgrade existing
redesigned to make better use of floor space,
lighting, where practical, at each facility.
• 187,446 pounds limestone saved
balance equipment loads and save on energy.
The result was a 30% reduction in electric and • Enough energy saved to light 9,372,320
• In 2005, Knoll continued its participation in
natural gas consumption. 60-watt bulbs for 26 hours
the Green Lights Initiative in U.S. facilities and
participated in a comparable Canadian govern-
• In late 2005, the Grand Rapids facility installed a Recycling steel vs. using new steel reduces air
ment-sponsored program at the Toronto facility.
computer system that turns off lights and large pollution by 86% and water pollution by 76%.
The Muskegon facility was fully converted to
equipment, such as compressors, when not
low-energy fluorescent lighting in 2005.
in use. The system is expected to save about
$30,000 a year in energy costs.
• At the East Greenville Lubin facility, new lighting
installed in late 2004 reduced energy consump-
• Knoll continued to save on energy consumption
tion in 2005 by 491,901 kilowatts, resulting in
in shipping its products by loading trailers to
savings of $36,893.
help maximize use of cubic space and by using
collapsible, returnable packaging that better
utilizes trailer volume.
• In 2005, Knoll recycling efforts had the
following impacts on the conservation of
natural resources:
9
20. Knoll East Greenville Facility Named OSHA VPP Star
The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is a partnership with the U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, reserved for companies that demonstrate exceptional
long-term success in reducing risk and protecting the health and safety of employees.
21. “ verycompanyhastomeetOSHAstandards,buttobeinVPP,youhavetoexceed
E
thembyamile.It’snotaboutcompliance—it’saboutbeingbetter.VPPisaprogram
reservedforthefewthatreallyhaveexemplaryprogramsandarewillingto
implementalloftheelements.”
Dr. Chrysoula Komis
OSHA VPP Coordinator and Team Leader
VPP Star Designation VPP Requirements To qualify, Knoll participated in a comprehensive Companies accepted into the program are
In December 2005, the 945,000 square-foot • Management commitment and planning on-site audit, carried out by five OSHA health and audited after three years and then at five-year
Knoll East Greenville facility was designated safety experts, over a period of five days. The intervals to monitor compliance and continued
• Accountability for safety
a VPP Star site, placing Knoll among a select process included tours of every part of the facility, commitment. VPP is about getting better over
• Disciplinary program
group of companies to achieve that honor. A interviews with employees and management, and time. And the results are measurable. VPP par-
• Injury rate reports (three years + current year)
business must have a record of OSHA reportable review of written documents. Daily punch lists ticipants have fewer injuries, have less lost time
• Employee participation
incidents and lost time rates that are below the were prepared, problems were addressed and and enjoy lower workmen’s compensation rates
industry average. Most VPP participants have solved, and employees gave required presenta- than others in their industry.
• Self-inspections
injury rates that, on average, are 53% below the tions on safety topics related to their work.
• Employee hazard reporting system
national average for their industry. From its incep-
• Accident/incident investigation
tion in 1982 until today, VPP has accepted 1,425 VPP is consistent with Knoll’s process-oriented
• Job safety analysis process and reviews
participants from a potential field of 7.2 million approach to sustainability and commitment to
workplaces employing 115 million workers. • Safety and health training third party certification. The program, which Knoll
has used as a model since 1995, promotes a
• Preventive maintenance
The Elements of VPP culture of safety. It is an ongoing partnership that
• Emergency program and drills
• Management leadership and employment encompasses all aspects of health and safety,
• Personal protective equipment program
involvement from conditions on the factory floor to wellness
• Contractor safety program programs. It addresses the social aspect of
• Worksite analysis
sustainability, one of the critical components of
• Medical program
• Hazard prevention and control
the sustainability triple bottom line.
• Annual self-evaluation of programs
• Safety and health training
“ heold250(Barcelonachair)strappingprocesshadmajorstressissues.Operators
T
coulddoonlythreechairtopswithoutbeingphysicallyspent.Webroughttogether
theoperatorsandthemanufacturertobuildapieceofequipmentthateliminatesthe
ergonomicstressors,makesitpossibleforanyoneinthedepartmenttooperatethe
machineandimprovesproductivity.”
Carl Visscher
Knoll Project Engineering Manager
11
22. Risk Reduction
We will strive to minimize the environmental health and safety risks to our
associates and the communities in which we operate through safe technologies,
sound transportation practices, safe facilities and operating procedures and
preparing for emergencies.
• Employees and engineers in East Greenville • Our Toronto facility implemented a Continuous
We will design our processes to prevent injury to We will develop and implement health and well-
worked together to develop a new tool and Improvement Team to monitor and administer
the health and welfare of Knoll associates, the ness awareness and illness prevention programs.
process for assembling the Barcelona chair that safety targets and plans. As a result, the
community and the environment.
dramatically reduced elbow injuries. • Knoll manufacturing facilities implemented a
accident rate was reduced and the facility was
• In 2005, the Knoll East Greenville facility joined hearing conservation program that includes test-
in the 95 percentile for its industry sector in
a select group of companies in becoming • The Knoll clean technology program contin- ing of all workers, provision of hearing protection
2005, according to the Canadian Workmen’s
designated an OSHA VPP Star site. This OSHA ued to achieve reductions in air pollutants and education.
Compensation Board.
recognition is reserved for companies that discharged from our facilities. In 2005, 90% of
demonstrate exceptional long-term success in metal and wood coatings in Knoll U.S. facilities • Wellness and prevention programs on
• Knoll decreased its overall accident rate in 2005
reducing risk and protecting the health and safety were VOC free. smoking cessation, exercise and healthy
by 4% compared with the previous year. The
of employees. eating were offered.
2005 incidence rate of 3.14 injuries per 100 em-
ployees was the lowest rate achieved since the
We will develop and implement health and safety
• The Toronto facility re-engineered its flammable formation of the Knoll Group in 1991. In 2005,
policies and programs to help prevent injury and We will design and develop training programs
liquid storage room, replacing spill containment the company saved $212,000 in Workmen’s
illnesses to our associates. to provide Knoll associates with the necessary
tanks, refitting controls and reducing the amount Compensation payments over 2004. skills and knowledge to fulfill the objectives of the
of material stored. • The Muskegon facility received the National Environmental, Health and Safety Plan.
Safety Council Significant Safety Improvement • Our East Greenville, Muskegon and Grand Rap-
• The Muskegon facility instituted task rotation Award in recognition of reduction of its • In 2005, Knoll U.S. facilities conducted weekly
ids facilities continued a stretching program that
on production lines to reduce repetitive reportable incidents rate from 8.5% in 2003 safety meetings, showed safety videos, trained
includes instruction and 10 minutes’ free time at
stress injuries. to 4.3% in 2005. volunteer safety observers, and created safety
the start of each shift for stretching exercises.
posters and newsletters.
• The Grand Rapids facility implemented a total • Toronto upgraded the Emergency Response
preventive maintenance program for major Plan at its consolidated panel manufacturing • Knoll facilities continued to train employee First
equipment to maximize safety. operation. Responder volunteers in CPR and first aid.
• All Knoll North American manufacturing sites
began tracking and reporting all first aid and
near-miss incidents in 2005. Above and beyond
OSHA-mandated reports, these are designed
to identify potential health and safety risks so
that preventive measures can be enacted before
injury occurs.
12
23. Safe Products and Services Environmental Restoration
We will reduce and, where possible, eliminate the use, manufacture or sale We will comply responsibly with the law to address conditions we have
of products and services that cause environmental damage or health or caused that endanger health, safety or the environment.
safety hazards. We will inform our customers of the environmental impacts
of our products or services in an effort to prevent unsafe use.
Informing the Public
We will comply with the law to inform in a timely manner those who may
be affected by conditions caused by our operations that might endanger
health, safety or the environment and will encourage associates to report
dangerous incidents or conditions to management.
Safe Products and Services Environmental Restoration
fabric, developed by Milliken. The fabric and chair
• In 2005, Knoll caused no conditions that
controls work together to provide what Knoll calls
We will design and engineer durable products;
endangered health, safety or the environment.
Active Suspension™. Chadwick chair fabric meets
investigate using recycled materials in the design
the MTS Certified Sustainable Fabric Standard,
of our products; and design safety features and
Informing the Public
and Milliken is in the process of having the fabric
ergonomics into our products.
• There were no pollution incidents at any Knoll
officially certified. MTS certification requires textiles
• In 2005, Knoll continued to design and engineer facility in North America in 2005 that either
to meet 12 environmental criteria, including a reuse
durable products that use recycled materials in affected the surrounding community or required
and reclamation program. Chadwick is GREEN-
their manufacture, have high recyclability, and public notification.
GUARD-certified.
include ergonomic and safety features.
• In 2005, East Greenville conducted extensive
• Knoll Environmental Design Guidelines were training of design and development personnel
followed in the design and development of the on design guidelines and procedures to ensure
Chadwick chair, introduced in 2005. Principles cradle-to-cradle implementation of sustainability
that drove the process included: economy of in Knoll products.
materials, recycled content, clean technology,
ergonomics, durability, and ease of assembly We will provide independent testing to help
and disassembly. The chair’s glass-reinforced assure the safety of our products.
nylon frame is manufactured using material-
saving gas-assisted technology, which creates • In 2005, all Knoll systems, seating, Studio
a hollow core in the structural tube and blows seating and textiles were GREENGUARD-
excess material out for regrinding and reuse. certified, with the sole exception of Autostrada
Chadwick incorporates 41% total recycled- AS2, which is in process.
content material and is finished with 100%
VOC-free paint. It provides excellent ergonomic
support with minimal mechanism, is resilient and
durable for long life, and is assembled with just
six bolts for ease of repair and recycling. The seat
and back are upholstered with a structural
13
26. Project Profile
TSD: Building 2
Project Date
1650 Turnpike Street November 2007
North Andover, MA
project profile
Products Scope
Hon Initiate 25 Workstations
Mayline Casegoods 5 Private Offices
Sit-On-It Seating 2 Conference
National Rooms
TSD converted one of their warehouses into
office space using the Hon Initiate System
with integrated glass. They also used the
system to create a fully enclosed, panel-
constructed private office. After the arrival
of the initial product, TSD required a new
layout. The versatility of the Hon system
allowed for an easy reconfiguration. The
cost effectiveness and mobility made it the
ideal choice for TSD.
27. Project Profile
Bank of America
Date Project
November 2007 100 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110
project profile
Design
Nelson Architects Products
Knoll Autostrada
Knoll Seating, Life
Project
Knoll Studio
Management
CBRE
Corporate Project
Partners
Scope
250 Workstations
Private Offices
15 Conference Rooms
Break-Out Rooms
Associate Break-Out Hub Lounges
Ancillary Furnishings
29. references
Bank of America Bain Company
Katherine Sanford TCC Peter Costello, Director of Operations
e-mail: peter.costello@bain.com
100 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02109 131 Dartmouth Street
Boston, MA 02116
Project Info:
Several premier investor centers, call Project Info:
centers and administrative centers New Office
90 private office, 600 workstations,
and conference areas
Designed by: Gensler
Thomson Financial The TJX Companies
Dan Pleines, VP of Real Estate Michael Brogan, Director of Facilities
e-mail: daniel.pleines@thomson.com
770 Cochituate Road
Thomson Place Framingham, MA 01701
Boston, MA 02210
Project Info:
Project Info: A corporate client with locations in Massachusetts,
Knoll corporate customer, 3,000 California, Texas and Pennsylvania
workstations and 300 private
offices
Designed by: Jung|Brannen