Steelcase and Lab Crafters Announce Strategic Business Alliance
July 21, 2008 – Grand Rapids, Mich. – Steelcase today announced that it has negotiated a strategic business alliance agreement with Lab Crafters Inc., a 30-year-old company located in Ronkonkoma, NY, that manufactures an extensive portfolio of product solutions developed for laboratory environments. Lab Crafters is the market leader in the design and manufacture of fume hoods, casegoods, and other integrated laboratory solutions. The alliance will provide Steelcase new capabilities to meet customers’ needs for product solutions in a wide range of laboratory settings.
For a number of years, Steelcase has created laboratory solutions, including its Lab Bench product. The foundation of Lab Bench is a structural module that can be combined into benches of almost any length and configuration. Unlike more traditional casework products, the entire system is flexible. Since Lab Bench components are easily adjustable, they can adapt to the changing needs of different workers, changing projects and changing equipment to help accelerate a facilities change process. Utilities like power, data, vacuum, and water are easily routed through this infrastructure and two people can move, disconnect and connect the benches to be configured in many combinations or directions, using minimal hand tools.
Lab Bench was initially designed to serve the bioscience market, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical and other healthcare markets. The product can also be applied to a variety of higher education scenarios as well as the food and electronics industries.
“Laboratory Solutions is a fast growing division of Steelcase and Lab Crafters is a valued partner who can significantly enhance our capabilities,” said Dean Witting, general manager of Steelcase Laboratory Solutions. “This alliance will advance our momentum in the marketplace by integrating Lab Crafters’ innovative fume hood technologies and extensive industry expertise with our marketing, distribution and research-based product development approach.”
“This alliance blends innovation, marketing and distribution expertise with similar corporate cultures and values. Like Steelcase, Lab Crafters is committed to producing leading edge products and solution-based applications. And both companies share a dedication to problem-solving through sustainability and environmental responsibility,” said Bob Deluca, Sr, president and CEO of Lab Crafters. “This alliance will allow both companies to provide a richer offering of products intended to help laboratory workers be more effective.”
Effective today, Steelcase and Lab Crafters will distribute a full range of products throughout North America, including Canada and Mexico.
About Steelcase
Steelcase, the global leader in the office furniture industry, helps people have a better work experience by providing products, services and insights into the ways people work. The company designs and manufactures architecture, furniture and technology products. Founded in 1912 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steelcase (NYSE:SCS) serves customers through a network of over 600 independent dealers and approximately 13,500 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2008 revenue was $3.4 billion.
About Lab Crafters
Lab Crafters, Inc. manufactures the highest quality steel and stainless steel casework, furniture systems and fume hoods for the laboratory industry. The company’s product designs are the most innovative in the industry and its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is second to none in terms of precision, quality and custom capability. Learn more about Lab Crafters and its many award-winning laboratory projects at www.lab-crafters.com.
Contact
Steelcase Inc.
Jeanine Holquist
616.698.3765
jholquis@steelcase.com
Lab Crafters Inc.
Bob DeLuca, Jr.
631.471.7755
BDelucaJr@metal-crafters.com