BRAZIL – With the objective of strengthening and valuing industries, products and national labor, the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá) and the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (ABIMÓVEL) unite to launch the campaign “É DO BRASIL, É PRA VOCÊ” (“IT’S FROM BRAZIL, IT’S FOR YOU”).

GERMANY – The “Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel” (DGM) has certified Nolte Küchen and its subsidiary Express Küchen with the Class A emission label for cabinet furniture.

USA – Steelcase Inc., global leader in the office and institutional furniture industry, announced that it is making permanent cost structure changes in its Americas segment and corporate functions.

USA – American Woodmark Corporation announced results for its first fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2020. Net sales for the first fiscal quarter decreased 8.7 percent to USD 390.1 million compared with the same quarter of the prior fiscal year.

GERMANY – The future of Poggenpohl the oldest kitchen brand in the world is secured: the takeover by the strategic investor Jomoo Germany, subsidiary of the Chinese Jomoo Group, is completed as planned. All contractual conditions have been fulfilled, so that the economic transition will take place on 1 September, 2020.

COLOMBIA – RTA Muebles was again the main Colombian wooden furniture exporter in the first half of 2020 (6M-2020).

BRAZIL – With the gradual return of activities, after a period of quarantine with closed industries and reduced personnel, the Brazilian furniture sector started to react.

GERMANY – Since August 1st, 2020, end consumers in Germany have found a new label in stores that gives them information about the quality of furniture: the “Furniture Made in Germany” seal.

COLOMBIA – For the third consecutive year in 2019, the manufacturer of office and institutional furniture Famoc Depanel ranked first, according to sales, among Colombian furniture manufacturers.

U.S. – Steelcase announced its collaboration with MIT professor and disease transmission specialist Dr. Lydia Bourouiba, director of The Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission at MIT to study disease transmission in the workplace.

SWEDEN – Nobia, one of the largest global Kitchen furniture manufacturers, reported that Net sales for the second quarter 2020 amounted to SEK 2,741 million (EUR 266.2 million), a 27% drop against the same period, year prior.

ITALY – Office furniture company Haworth has acquired Luxury Living Group, the high-end Italian furniture company with licensed brands including Bugatti Home, Bentley Home and Fendi Casa.