The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved the new edition of ANSI/BIFMA X5.4 Lounge and Public Seating – Test standard, and copies of the new edition are available from BIFMA immediately. The BIFMA Chair Subcommittee worked diligently to revise this new edition of ANSI/BIFMA X5.4 with improvements in test consistency, modifications to test loads, and harmonization as applicable with sections of the 2011 chair standard (X5.1).

Inscape Corporation announces the appointment of Quentin Kong as Executive Vice President, Marketing & Product Development. He leads the new marketing organization which includes the Product Development, Workplace Strategy and Marketing Communications groups.

Thalerus Group announces the addition of The Spot for HON Furniture micro-site to the Vendere webstore ordering center. Vendere users will be able to specify, select and order the HON furniture products contained in the micro-site’s e-catalog. The end user can also view dealer net pricing before placing their order. The products ordered from the micro-site will then flow through the Vendere order fulfillment process.

Khameleon Software, Inc. is pleased to announce the formation of an Executive Advisory Board comprised of seven senior-level client thought leaders. The new Executive Advisory Board will to add to the Company’s expertise and provide insight as to how to align Khameleon Software initiatives with client priorities.

Haworth, Inc. recently announced that mutares AG, a respected management firm based in Munich, Germany has acquired the Haworth operations in Italy, including the Castelli brand. After the sale, the company is planning to change its name to Castelli.

Teknion Corporation announced today that its new Washington, D.C., showroom has been awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Commercial Interiors 2.0 Gold by the United States Green Building Council.

20-20 Technologies introduces a new module that they say allows 20-20 Enterprise inSight users to save time and reduce errors when creating catalogs. This module allows you to reuse existing engineering data to export graphics and data for 20-20 CAP and Giza commercial catalogs, and also supports “specials” by allowing you to export individual products on request and include them in design drawings. What’s more, the data can then be enriched for Visual Impression using 20-20's catalog enrichment products.

Taking a step forward in its commitment to making the environment a healthier place to live, work and learn, Bretford Manufacturing, Inc., has been awarded CarbonNeutral company certification by reducing its carbon footprint to net zero in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. As a result, Bretford is reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through internal reductions and changes in manufacturing.

Bush Industries, Inc., recently announced that Jim Sherbert has stepped down as CEO and will retire this spring. Sherbert, who has served as CEO of Bush Industries since August 2005, will continue to serve in a transitional role until his retirement date and assist with efforts such as international affairs. Jim Garde, who has served as CFO and most recently as president of the BBF Division, assumes leadership of Bush Industries.

Knoll, Inc. has agreed to acquire Richard Schultz Design, Inc., the designer and manufacturer of outdoor furniture for the residential, hospitality and contract office furniture markets.

On February 8, the Department of Defense (DoD) published its annual updated list of products (77 FR 6549), including office furniture (Category 7110), for which Federal Prison Industries (FPI) had more than a 5% share of the federal market in fiscal year 2011 based on the Federal Procurement Data System.

Skyline Design is the producer of sustainable architectural glass products in North America. Collaborations with designers, architects, photographers and artists have resulted in many award-winning and innovative products and over 50,000 glass installations.

Through their dedication to the protection of natural resources, Skyline strives to make environments more beautiful and efficient in the smallest carbon footprint possible. An inspiration to commercial interior designers, Skyline manufactures glass for demountable walls, markerboards, workstation screens, mirrors and wall cladding to positively relate people to their surroundings – including healthcare, corporate, education, retail and hospitality environments.

Headquartered in Chicago, IL since 1983, Skyline proudly produces in the US and ships around the world. Skyline Design can be reached at 888.278.4660 or at www.skydesign.com.

NeoCon, North America’s largest contract furnishings trade show, returns June 11-13 to Chicago’s Merchandise Mart for its 44th year with an expertly crafted line-up of show components developed to educate, inspire and engage the design world. With more than 40,000 expected attendees, 120 CEU-accredited seminars, thousands of new products from more than 700 of the world’s top manufacturers, and perhaps the most impressive line-up of keynote speakers to date, NeoCon 2012 promises three days of pure energy bursting with new innovations, resources and networking opportunities.

Configura, maker of CET Designer software, announces free February webinars.

Bold color is back and in a big way thanks to a lively selection of special mesh color offerings for Gunlocke’s Attract seating line.A new palette of 33 colors, in addition to original black, expands choices for designers and facility managers specifying Attract’s full mesh back seating. Designed for use with Gunlocke’s Converge conferencing collection, as well as private offices, the line now features such mesh colors as Hot Pink, Lime, the rich sea-blue Lagoon, orange-inspired Light Fire, among many others. Attract Seating features three arm options – self-skinning urethane cantilever, polished aluminum with a urethane insert or a highly-adjustable task arm with pivot and forward/back movement mechanisms. Its ergonomic seat depth adjustment feature delivers a 2 ½” range with six evenly spaced lockable positions. Other ergonomic attributes include tension control, pneumatic height adjustment, knee-tilt and five-position lockout for personal comfort.

For more information contact Gunlocke at 800-828-6300 or visit www.gunlocke.com.