Andreu World are a Spanish manufacturer of office chairs and contract seating, founded by a 17 year old cabinet maker in 1955 Francisco Andreu who rebuilt his factory where he lived after taking over his fathers business. Early production was based around beech wood chairs and the Company was responsible for the whole production process By the early 60’s Andre had opened its 3rd factory of 200 square metres and then onto a new saw mill in Navarre to supply their factory in Valencia. I the 1970’s the Company was rebranded Andreu World to reflect the increasing focus on design and the expanding range of seating products. This then lead to a growth of exports and an increase in international reputation. Today the company produces meeting tables, bistro chairs, conference and dining tables through a range of distributors throughout the world and regularly exhibit at the Milan furniture fair and Neocon on Chicago

Another Italian furniture Company based in the Udine area is Frag, who specialise in leather upholstery for conference chairs, reception chairs and executive chairs. The Company has had a long tradition in this field since they were founded buy Giovanni Frag in 1929.The Company works with a number of established designers including Francesco Rota who designed the Tartan conference chair with a shell formed from woven leather lace. Also Gordon Guillaumier who has designed the Comino chair with a back and seat consisting of leather straps. Frag products have been used by the Hilton Hotel group across the world as well as in Bloomindales New York and in many offices throughout Europe.

A favourite armchair is the Sumo designed by Xavier Lust and produced by Balleri Italia. Balleri were founded in 1984 from a Leather based seating Company by Enrico Balleri. The Company produces high end seating and tables for the contract and office markets. In 1997 the company achieved ISO 2001 and in 2000 reached ISO 14001 environmental standard and finally in 2008 reached GREENGUARD certification.
Other products within the Balleri collection include the Bloom coat stand by Jeff Miller and the T-Table collection by Angelo Mangiarotti, a family of finely detailed conference or meeting tables with MDF, Glass or marble tops with a stove enamelled satin frame. Successful projects for Balleri include furnishing the Tama University Art Library in Tokyo

Plank are based in northern Italy and design and manufacture high end office chairs, conference chairs, meeting tables and café tables. Founded in 1893 by Karl Plank the company is still in the same family being currently run by third generation Martin Plank and his son Michael.. The company is based in the town of Ora north of Milan and collaborates with a number of established designers. The most notable product produced of late is the Myto cantilever conference chair. Designed by Konstantini Grcic who worked in cooperation with German chemical giant BASF. Manufactured from BASF Ultardur high speed plastic this stackable chair is suitable for indoor and outdoor use and is offered in a number of contemporary colours. Myto won the Interior Innovation at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne and has been accepted into the Museum of Modern Art in New York

OFFECT are a Swedish Company specialising in the production of office chairs, reception seating, public area seating and break out chairs. Founded in 1990 by Kurt Tingdl and Anders Englund, they decided on te Company name as a play on words Public and Affect in Swedish, reflecting their desire to produce outstanding designs that would win critical acclaim.
Orbit designed by Eero Koivisto is a stunning example of how simple modular seating elements can be used to create a wide raging series of configurations across a defined area. Equally as impressive is the Solitaire tub chair with its optional arm which can be used as a writing facility. This chair could be used in a reception, break out space or for a conference application.  Offect have also undertaken a lot of work with sound absorbing panels which are provided within office screens and room dividers. There are six designs available which are lightweight and intended to absorb sounds within high frequency rages ie above 500HZ where the most distracting types of noise occur.
The Company also produces very elegant conference and dining tables to be used in conjunction with its seating portfolio.

Kartell are an Italian manufacturer of office furniture, accessories and labware specialising in the use of plastics. Founded by a chemical engineer Giulio Castelli in 1949 the Company’s early days were spent producing plastic car accessories and labware. It was in the laboratory products that Kartell first gained success with its push to replace laboratory glassware with equivalent plastic alternatives which were cheaper and more durable. Kartell embraced Italy’s international success in te 60’s when the “Mare in Italy” ethos represented the best the interior design trends.  Moving towards the contract and office furniture markets Kartell collaborated with successful European designer such as Alberto Meda, Philippe Starke, and Pierro Lussini which opened up the export market. Today Kartell’s products are distributed in over 90 countries. There is a separate labware division which makes around a third of the sales. The Habitat division provides contract and office furniture including office chairs, conference tables and conference chairs always with plastic as the main component of manufacture.

Howe specialise in the manufacture of conference tables and chairs and founded its European manufacturing base in the Nederland’s in 1989 where they currently employ around 6+0 people. The Company started life in Connecticut and was founded by Harold Howe in the1920’s. In its Early years Howe specialised in the supply of a comprehensive range of folding tables to clients all over the US including the Waldorf hotel in New York.  The Victory table which later became the ubiquitous Tempest table was designed for use in the confined conditions of US submarines during the second world war. After the war Howe came to specialise in selling training furniture to giant US corporate such as IBM. The European arm has enjoyed strength growth within the office furniture and conference market with products such as 40/4 high density stack able conference chair designed by David Rowland. Howe also sell a range of  swivel office chairs, the Motio office chair is one of the few that have a five star base and can be stacked. The Motio office chair won the NeoCon award as best in show in 2005. Howe conference chairs can be found in Universities, Colleges, Churches and Offices throughout the UK

Exhibiting some of their products at this year Prima exhibition the Swedish based Johansen Design is moving to a new purpose built location to cope with their recent growth. The new building will give the Company over 8,000 square foot for production, offices and a new showroom. Run since the early 90’s by Paul and Dan Johanson  they specialize in office furniture, office seating and contract furniture promoted through the A and D community. Outside of Scandinavia the UK is Johansen’s biggest marketplace. Working in collaboration with well known furniture designers such as Mattias Ljunggren, Simon Pengelly and Anders Hjelm the company has a breathtaking range of break out and reception seating such as the U Sit range of modular seating and the Nemo range of break out chairs shown above. Johansen prides itself in offering furniture designs that are simple and minimalistic, they were pleased to be awarded entrepreneurs of the year in 2008 for their locality in Sweden.

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The Fantoni group is an Italian office and contract furniture manufacturer as well as owning subsidiaries that manufacture flooring, MDF panels, Chipboard products and wood fibre packaging. Fantoni has been involved with wood working since 1882 buy Achille Fantoni who started with a small craft shop and became industrialised by the 1920’s starting with the award of large scale Government furniture projects. In 1974 Series 45 chairs designed by Gino Valle was exhibited at the Museum for Modern Art in New York. In 1979 Fantoni moved to a new headquarters in Osoppo near Trieste. The 1190’s saw the company pioneering work with the manufacture of furniture with lacquered MDF, being the first Company in Europe to do this. Today the Company is still owned and run by the Fantoni family with Marco assisted by his sons Giovanni and Paulo. Multipli is a linear executive furniture range with a timeless aesthetic appeal. The range consists of executive desks returns and storage platforms available in combinations of lacquered MDF and pale oak veneers. The Tre collection is a range of open pan desks and benches with optional panel sides or slimline metal legs wit a large extent of range and coordinating office storage cupboards and bookcases. Fantoni also have a number of other products all with a depth of design that has put them at the top of te design led office furniture market in Europe

Akaba are a Spanish manufacturer of office furniture based just off the Spanish border with France in a town called Ursubil.Formed by there young and enthusiastic partners in 1986 with an eye for avant-garde and design led furniture. By the beginning of the 90’s Akaba was entering the contract furniture market and beginning to export its products to neighbouring European countries. At present the Company occupies over 5,000 square metres across two production sites and employs over 100 people. Over 505 of its production is exported to countries such as Great Britain, United States, France, Switzerland. Netherlands and Sweden. Notable projects of late include the supply opf beam seating for te Underground station at Bilbao, a Norman Foster project and the supply of accommodation furniture for the student blocks at the University of Barcelona. Known mainly for the supply of office chairs and conference chairs. Products include Kompas metal bench system, Egoki bench and beam seating collection, Muga executive office chairs and the E-motive stackable conference chair collection. Akaba continues to work with established office and contract furniture designers bring thought provoking furniture to market.