Steelcase Learning announces first dealership in Asia Pacific with Gimie

Showroom dedicated to education sector opens to help organisations rethink their approach to the design of learning spaces.

[Asia Pacific – 20 January 2022] Steelcase Learning, the education specialist division of global workplace furniture designer and manufacturer Steelcase, has formed a dealership with Hong Kong’s home-grown furniture company Gimie. Today marks the opening of Gimie’s showroom dedicated to design for education. The brand new space in Kwun Tong, Kowloon will showcase Steelcase’s insight-led innovations, inspiring engaged, active learners within and beyond the classroom.

At the frontier of design for STEM education spaces, Gimie is committed to delivering design solutions that support Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curricula – such as Smith System by Steelcase, a smart and flexible collection designed for the unique needs of the K-12 market. The first-of-its-kind dealership will showcase an extended range of Steelcase products: Its award-winning collaborative system Node; Flex collection consisting of an array of moveable furniture, screens and accessories, making every learning space “future-proof”; Turnstone Buoy, a seating collection that promotes and supports seated movement, and innovative solutions that enable smart integration of technology for a better learning experience – whether participants are together or apart.

Visitors will experience various setups and inspiring applications that have been especially curated to showcase K-12 school active learning environments that are responsive to the changing needs of students and teachers.

“We are thrilled to have Gimie onboard as Steelcase Learning’s first dealer in Asia Pacific. We hold a shared belief that good design can shift people’s behaviours towards helping them reach their full potential. Gimie’s forward-thinking visions also align with our data- and research-driven approach to design,” said Ambroise d’Hauteville, Director of Learning, Steelcase Asia Pacific.

“Education institutions – especially international schools and those in the higher education sector – have begun to rethink their environments – making them safer, more flexible, more agile and more compelling to better meet the changing needs of learning in a fast-changing world. Gimie’s expertise and extensive network in the local education market will certainly help expand our reach to organisations across Hong Kong and Mainland China, to inspire them with our design innovations for the future of learning.”

“It is our great honour and pleasure to form a new strategic partnership with Steelcase Learning in Hong Kong. Education is always evolving. We are therefore extremely excited about the opening of our new showroom in Hong Kong, which will bring new insights and ideas to classrooms and learning spaces. Steelcase Learning and Gimie share the same passion and vision in transforming classrooms into better learning environments for our future generation of students.” said Frederick Fong, Founder and CEO of Gimie International.

“Our dealership with Gimie is a significant milestone for Steelcase Learning, as Asia Pacific – a pioneering centre of education advances – has always been a pivotal market for us. With an abundance of forward-thinking institutions in Hong Kong and Mainland China, this newly-formed partnership will help grow our customer base in the territories and create inspiring examples of innovative learning spaces,” said Ambroise.

Gimie’s showroom is located in 1/B, Ray Centre, 88 Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong. To schedule a visit, please contact info@gimiefurn.com or call +852 2668 2676.

About Steelcase Learning

At Steelcase Learning, we’re passionate about helping to create the conditions for lifelong learning. Our research-based foundations in education and active learning spaces enable us to serve all levels of learning. In all we do, we focus on engaging minds and activating the spaces that can prepare people to thrive within and beyond the classroom and grow to love learning, always. https://www.steelcase.com/asia-en/brands/steelcase-learning/.

About Gimie

Established in 2006, Gimie International supplies high-quality education furniture, equipment to schools in Hong Kong, creating classroom design for the 21st century that breaks out of the traditional mould. Our aim is to help create learning environments that foster students’ personal growth in communication, collaboration, creativity and leadership skills. www.gimiefurn.com.

About Steelcase
Leading organisations around the world trust Steelcase to help them create workplaces that help people feel safe and are productive, inspiring, and adaptable with our architecture, furniture, and technology solutions – accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 Steelcase dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industry-leading, and publicly traded company with fiscal year 2021 revenue of $2.6 billion. For more information, visit www.steelcase.com.

About Smith System
Smith System is a century-old educational furniture manufacturer based in the US. Its Smith System collection is designed for all learners, with the unique qualities of each learning space in mind. Smith System believes that every student and teacher deserves the best possible space to inspire learning, and that differentiates its products from the rest today. Steelcase acquired Smith System in 2018 to provide its customers with access to more choices for Pre-K-12 product solutions through the global company’s industry-leading dealer network. Smith System has continued to operate as an independent subsidiary, which preserves the company’s agility and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as their existing dealer network. For more information, visit https://www.steelcase.com/asia-en/smith-system/.