Blog: Everything manufacturing

At Watson, we believe people have a right to know where their furniture came from. Whether there are harmful or toxic ingredients in products that go into offices where they spend 40 hours a week. To rest assured the materials we use in production are sustainably sourced. 

The first thing you saw when you approached the Watson showroom at NeoCon 2017 was a large glass case, full of hanging steel panels powdercoated in a variety of colors. This window area, or “fishbowl,” as we like to refer to it, is pretty unique as far as spaces in the MART go, so we knew we had to make the most of it.

Watson and Watson Dispatch are taking an industry-leading environmental position by converting all core material to No Added Formaldehyde (NAF) board.

What is Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring organic compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It is produced and broken down by the normal metabolic processes of living organisms and is present even in the human breath. 

We previously shared that formaldehyde has been subject to heightened public concern for its potential to off-gas from commercial products into indoor air. Despite the fact that studies about long-term exposure are not yet conclusive, we do know that clean air supports a healthier workplace and boosts individual and team focus.

In our previous post we explored formaldehyde over-exposure risk in the workplace. Though formaldehyde over-exposure in the workplace is rare, companies need to take precautions when a multitude of new materials (carpeting, furniture, partitioning) are being installed in active work environments. 

The Look and Feel of ‘Uncorporate’ Office Furniture 

As we described in an earlier post, the form and function of the corporate office is shifting away from monotonous, contrived and rigid toward beautiful, authentic, and flexible. 

Discovering the Worksurface B-Side

As one of the few furniture manufacturers that laminate our own substrates, it is critical for our teams to understand the process and techniques that go into making each product component.

This week, we sat down with Greg Kooistra, VP of Product Design to discuss how Watson puts design thinking to work within its design and development process. 

Change is inevitable in business, so when office furniture fit-outs can be extensive and costly, why not design for it? One way to do this is with a kit-of-parts approach that extends furniture value throughout the organization and into the future with value-driven product features that can flex as enterprise needs change.