MILPITAS, Calif., June 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One Workplace, Northern California's largest commercial furniture dealership, today announced the establishment of a distribution partnership with e2e Office, a division of Ithaca-NY-based e2e Materials, an innovative clean technology spinoff of Cornell University that develops products made from its advanced biocomposite materials used for the furniture and cabinet industries.
One Workplace's distribution partnership with e2e Office is in direct response to increasing customer demand for more environmentally friendly office products that can contribute to LEED certification and provide a safer and more collaborative work environment. e2e Office will help fulfill this demand with a wide range of office furniture products that are safer, less expensive, stronger and lighter than conventional wood-based products.
The first e2e Office product to be distributed by One Workplace is the award-winning TransFORM™ Workstation, a highly versatile work surface made from e2e Materials' proprietary biocomposites comprised of soy flour and flax fibers that "off-gasses" no formaldehyde and is free from hazardous ('red list') chemicals as defined by the Living Building Challenge.
"We are experiencing customer demand for office furniture products that meet aggressive environmental standards combined with exceptional durability, weight reduction and affordability factors," said Dave Ferrari, president of One Workplace, Northern California's largest commercial furniture dealership and e2e Office channel partner. "That's why we're partnering with e2e Office. Their innovative biocomposite-based office product line addresses each of these important criteria. It also gives our customers new opportunities for earning LEED points and improving employee satisfaction levels due to the significant environmental safety advantages offered by e2e Office products."
The TransFORM Workstation is a highly versatile work surface and series of privacy and communication panels made from e2e's proprietary biocomposite material. Optional re-used and refurbished leg systems that contribute additional LEED points are readily configurable to meet today's design needs. e2e Office products have been fully tested and validated to meet BIFMA standards and use only 19 percent of the embodied energy of traditional wood composites. By using e2e biocomposites, the TransFORM Workstation utilizes annually renewable feedstocks, is 100 percent bio-based and completely fossil fuel free. Offering a full five-year warranty, the TRANSform work surface leverages e2e's patent-pending i-core open architecture construction providing customers with lighter and more durable office furniture.
Future e2e Office products currently under development—including mobile whiteboards, mobile acoustics, unique storage and group communication products—are specifically designed to meet today's open space and mobile workforce needs that emphasize greater collaboration for improved productivity and creativity. All products are being made with e2e Materials' proprietary biocomposites and far exceed the requirements of the CARB Airborne Toxic Controls Measure, offer LEED points across multiple categories, and rank higher than any other material when measured against the stringent Living Building Challenge and Pharos Project criteria.
"Partnering with One Workplace is a significant milestone," said Pat Govang, CEO of e2e Office. "Not only are they the largest commercial furniture dealership in Northern California, they're strategically located in the heart of Silicon Valley whose innovative and forward thinking companies represent the ideal customers of biocomposite-based furniture for the offices of tomorrow."
About e2e Materials
e2e Materials, based in Ithaca, N.Y., develops, designs, engineers and produces proprietary biocomposites for the furniture, cabinetry and other markets. e2e's proprietary composites are made from soy flour and natural grass fiber such as jute, flax and kenaf. Products made from e2e's biocomposite are stronger, lighter, safer and cheaper than those made from formaldehyde-laden wood composites. Additionally, e2e uses only a small fraction of the energy required for wood composites, saving billions of pounds of CO2. www.e2ematerials.com
The e2e Materials Logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=12175
About One Workplace
One Workplace is Northern California's largest commercial furniture dealership serving the multi-faceted needs of its startup to Fortune 500 clients. The company is unique among contract furniture dealers by working with its customers from the space planning and design development phase through final installation. One Workplace provides architectural products, office furniture and audio video solutions. In addition, the company represents over 300 manufacturers including Steelcase, the leading provider of office furniture worldwide. For more information visit http://www.oneworkplace.com.