From: lessgovt@gmail.com   
      
   Steelcase Inc. is an American manufacturer of furniture, casegoods, seating,   
   and    
   storage and partitioning systems for offices, hospitals, classrooms, and   
   residential    
   interiors. It is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.   
      
   Originally known as The Metal Office Furniture Co., Steelcase was founded by    
   Peter Martin Wege in 1912. Prior to starting the company, Wege had filed   
   approx.    
   25 patents related to the sheet metal and fireproofing industries. The Metal    
   Office Furniture Co.'s first products included fireproof metal safes and    
   4-drawer metal filing cabinets.   
      
   In 1914, the company received its first product patent for "The Victor", a   
   fireproof    
   steel wastebasket. The Victor gained popularity due to its light   
   weight—achieved    
   through a patented process of bending flat steel at right angles to create   
   boxes—   
   and its ability to prevent fires at a time when smoking was common indoors,    
   particularly in the workplace. In 1915, the company began manufacturing and    
   distributing steel desks after designing and producing 200 for Boston's first    
   skyscraper, the Custom House Tower. In 1937, the company collaborated with   
   Frank    
   Lloyd Wright on office furniture for the Johnson Wax HQ. The partnership   
   lasted    
   two years and resulted in some of the first modern workstations.   
      
   The name Steelcase was a result of an advertising campaign to promote metal   
   office    
   furniture over wood and was trademarked in 1921. The company officially   
   changed    
   its name to Steelcase, Inc. in 1954.   
      
   The company became an industry leader in the late 60s due to the volume of its   
   sales.    
   Steelcase expanded into new markets during the 70s, including Asia, Europe,   
   and    
   North Africa. In 1973, the company debuted the Series 9000 furniture line, a   
   panel-   
   based office system that became a best seller and the company's flagship   
   brand.    
   That same year, the company delivered the largest single furniture shipment to   
   the    
   then-new Sears Tower. The delivery included 43,565 pieces of furniture and   
   furnished    
   44 floors.   
      
   During the 80s and 90s, Steelcase was working closely with architects and   
   interior    
   designers to develop products as well the company's own workspace in Grand   
   Rapids.    
   The company's current headquarters were built in 1983 on 901 44th St. SE in   
   Grand    
   Rapids MI. In 1989, Steelcase opened the pyramid-shaped Steelcase Inc.   
   Corporate    
   Development Center. The center contained ten research laboratories and   
   workspaces    
   meant to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration on product development.   
   Steelcase    
   vacated the Pyramid in 2010, and the Pyramid was sold to Switch (company) in   
   2016.    
   In 1996, Steelcase became the majority stakeholder in design firm IDEO and the    
   firm's CEO, David M. Kelley, became Steelcase's vice president of technical   
   discovery    
   and innovation. Steelcase sold its shares back to IDEO's managers starting in   
   2007.   
      
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