MUSCATINE, IA – For more than a decade, Allsteel Inc. has quietly accomplished ambitious environmental initiatives as part of its business practices. In the process, the office furniture manufacturer has amassed a collection of information on sustainability and the challenges of eco-responsibility.
Recognizing that the industry must work together to make a lasting environmental impact, and realizing, too, that this cumulative knowledge may be of value to share with clients, industry colleagues and the professional community, Allsteel has created a banner theme, All Together Now, and launched a new micro site: www.allsteeloffice.com/AllTogetherNow, where this sustainability library resides for others to reference.
The All Together Now site chronicles Allsteel’s environmental initiatives, outlines its future goals, and provides statistics on its manufacturing performance. The portal discusses Allsteel’s ingrained culture of Rapid Continuous Improvement—a constant emphasis on finding ways to eliminate waste and operate more efficiently. The online resource also explains how furniture contributes to LEED and profiles LEED-certified projects where Allsteel products were specified. Additionally, the All Together Now site provides downloadable forms, which are required for companies to apply for LEED certification for indoor air quality and recycled content credits.
“All Together Now is an interactive platform that shares the environmental knowledge we’ve gained about creating a more sustainable workplace and society in an informative way,” explains Kris Yates, Allsteel’s vice president of product management & marketing. “After a year of research and feedback from A&D and facility manager focus groups nationwide, we developed this concept and were driven to ensure that it delivers tangible information the industry can use in a practical manner.”
According to Keri Luly, Allsteel’s manager of sustainability programs, the site was designed to be a convenient source for LEED project information and an educational resource, and so it includes features such as a sustainability glossary, one-minute lessons, and in-depth articles to help interpret what is often a maze of language and detail.
“We wanted All Together Now to be a collaborative resource for our own Allsteel members and business partners plus the community at large,” notes Luly. “Now we have a singular ‘go-to’ source for information. We will continue to update the Web site as the sustainability landscape continues to evolve, our own initiatives progress, research is developed, and new products are brought to market.”
Currently, Allsteel is exploring alternative methods to share All Together Now as an educational tool without using precious resources, such as paper. By sharing its resources and knowledge, Allsteel hopes others in the industry will follow its lead, and join in a collaboration that’s working toward a truly sustainable future. For more information on the All Together Now, visit www.allsteeloffice.com/AllTogetherNow.
About Allsteel Inc.
Allsteel designs, builds and delivers progressive and relevant workplace furniture solutions. The company has Resource Centers in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Washington, D.C., and Toronto, ON. For more information, visit www.allsteeloffice.com.
