Friday, December 17, 2021

Steelcase Inc.'s shares tumbled 5.6% after hours yesterday to $10.87 after the company warned that supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures had crimped some of its growth.

The company estimated it could have made about three times more in earnings during the quarter had it not been for higher costs associated with inflation and supply-chain disruptions that led to an increase in freight and labor costs, Chief Financial Officer Dave Sylvester said in prepared remarks.

The office furniture maker said third-quarter profit was $9.6 million, up from $2.1 million a year ago. On a per-share basis, profit rose to 8 cents from 2 cents a share a year earlier.

Costs rose 22% over last year while expenses rose 11%.

Revenue increased to $738.2 million from $617.5 million in the year-ago period. Revenue from the Americas region rose 20% while revenue from the Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) region grew 21%.

"We continue to be impacted by a significant number of supply chain disruptions causing us to extend lead times and delay some shipments, which negatively impacted our third-quarter revenue more than we had anticipated," Chief Executive Sara Armbruster said in prepared remarks.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., company estimated supply chain snarls resulted in a shift of revenue by at least $35 million from the third quarter into the fourth quarter.

Overall orders increased 40% over the previous year. It had a 36% increase in orders in the Americas and an increase of 31% in the EMEA region across all of its markets, it said.

"Our strong order growth reflects the investments companies are making in their office-based workplace strategies," Ms. Armbruster said.

Steelcase now expects to generate revenue of $740 million to $765 million in the fourth quarter, compared with the $677.1 million it reported in the year-earlier quarter. It expects per-share profit to breakeven in the fourth quarter.

"We expect the benefits from the three price increases we've implemented this year, plus the eventual moderation of supply chain challenges to become a tailwind to earnings in fiscal 2023 versus the significant headwinds we've faced so far this fiscal year," Mr. Sylvester, the company's finance chief, said.
Jacksonville-based office furnishings supplier Office Environments & Services announced Dec. 16 it is being acquired by Haworth dealer Office Images Inc., with the transfer of ownership effective Jan.1.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Based in Atlanta, Office Images has provided furniture and architectural solutions to commercial, government and health care clients since 1985.

CEO Bryan Roberts and Executive Vice President Jim Staiti own the company.

Led by owner and President E. Zimmermann Boulos, OE&S has been a commercial furniture dealer in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida for more than six decades.

“I have a lot of respect for Bryan Roberts, Jim Staiti and Office Images and believe our combined operations will mean even better days ahead for OE&S,” Boulos said in a news release. He remains as president.

“My dad built this family business and I could not have succeeded in maintaining his high standards without the loving support of my wife, Terry, and my daughter, Meredith.”

“I admire Zim’s business acumen and leadership and am thrilled he will continue to lead the team as President. I look forward to working together to grow OE&S,” Roberts said in the release.

Founded in 1955, OE&S has 28 employees.

The locations of the OE&S showroom on San Marco Boulevard and its warehouse in North Jacksonville will remain unchanged. All managers and staff will be retained in the same or similar roles, Roberts said.

Serving the Atlanta business community and Fortune 500 companies nationwide, Office Images expanded into Nashville in 2019.

Concerned with climate change, waste reduction, and extending product life cycles, manufacturers are pivoting toward ingredients and production methods that reflect greater quality and care. t.co/iaSKq1PFGz

Leading furniture and homeware brands including IKEA, Piet Hein Eek and Axor are raising prices by up to eight per cent due to global shipping issues and material shortages.

Walk into our new Dallas DIRTT Experience Center (DXC) and you immediately see prefab's near-limitless possibilities. From elaborate timber details to seamless glass walls, the space illustrates how many dynamic options are available. Check it out ⤵️ t.co/dWZkHHMyzo

Walk into our new Dallas DIRTT Experience Center (DXC) and you immediately see prefab's near-limitless possibilities. From elaborate timber details to seamless glass walls, the space illustrates how many dynamic options are available. Check it out ⤵️ t.co/dWZkHHMyzo

Concerned with climate change, waste reduction, and extending product life cycles, manufacturers are pivoting toward ingredients and production methods that reflect greater quality and care. t.co/iaSKq1PFGz

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Empire Office Adds Experienced New Business Professional

Peter Gaslow, President and CEO of Empire Office, Inc., a Steelcase dealer, announced the addition of Amy Rosen and Amy Bearss Kaufman to the Empire Office business development team.

Rosen, who was previously Director of Sales for Inscape’s Walls division, joins Empire as VP of Architectural Solutions. 

Kaufman brings 20 years of experience to the business development team at Empire as a proven top-performing salesperson, having previously held senior leadership positions at other dealerships in the New York/Tri-State area. 

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Managed office space operator Smartworks will invest $25 million towards its new technology services arm that aims to improve workspace management.

The new SaaS platform called Smartworks Technology Services will be a subsidiary of Smartworks. The company is enlisting the help of Anuj Nangpal, former APAC lead at JLL Spark, to serve as its CEO.

The SaaS platform provides clients with access to Smartworks’ current in-house technology used to run its buildings. Now, companies can utilize this technology to improve their own real estate decisions, operations, and overall productivity.

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