2014: A Year in Review for Ethosource

2014 was another great year for the Ethosource team.  We’ve experienced a lot of changes and growth, not only within our company, but in the world of office furniture as well.  In fact, these changes are what the modern workplace is all about: flexibility and connectivity.  In the very last days of 2014, we’ve decided to take a look at all the new and exciting things that have occurred and influenced the way our employees and costumers work.  We can appreciate all the things that have gotten us to achieve our best year yet, and know there’s lots more to look forward to in 2015!

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The Grace Chair

2014 was not only a great year for all of our favorite ergonomic office chairs (ya know, the Leap, Aeron, Improv, Freedom, etc.), but it also marked the start and success of our very own chair line here at EthoSource! The Grace chair has a classic style with the modern appeal of a sleek conference chair.  With six different leather upholstery colors, all available at a great value, this new chair is perfect for office environments of any style.  We’ve seen the Grace chair used in conference rooms, executive offices, meeting areas and all over the workplace.  It’s been a great seating option for a variety of office styles, so we are excited to see how the Grace chair is used in each of our customers’ unique workplaces in 2015. [/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]Grace Low Back 2[/ezcol_1half_end]


National Travelers

Our liquidation teams are always traveling throughout the country on projects, but this Fall, our sales team got to venture from East coast to do some traveling as well.  In September, a few of our team members spent the week in New Orleans for IFMA’s (International Facility Managers Associations) annual World Workplace tradeshow.  The show lasted about 3 days, but our team took advantage of their time in the South by adding a few additional days to listen to Jazz music on Bourbon Street, feed alligators on the popular Swamp Tour and enjoy delicious food at the French Market and Bourbon House restaurant.

NFMT (National Facilities Management and Technology) held their big tradeshow event in Las Vegas, Nevada just a month later.  Our team flew out West with a whole new exhibit display designed by our Marketing department to chat about our products and services with current and potential customers at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.  President, John Gallen, and VP of Sales, Bryon Kauffman, spent their free time exploring the city, visting the Hoover Dam and hiking the river mountains!

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Making Deliveries

With the addition of two new showrooms and warehouses in the summer of 2013, we have even further expanded our ability to efficiently service our local customers this past April by getting a brand new delivery truck for showroom purchases. Our Marketing team added flashy, company  decals to the truck walls, so you can’t miss us as our very own driver makes deliveries throughout the Reading and King of Prussia areas.  Now, as we get ready for 2015, we’ve added a brand new Mercedes Sprinter cargo van to delivery circuit, as we continue to take on all aspects of the office furniture process to better serve our customers! Can’t wait to design some artwork on that beautiful white canvas too!

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Top 50…AGAIN

You may recognize this highlight from 2013’s Year in Review, but that’s because this is EthoSource’s 9TH consecutive year making the Top 50 growing businesses in the Greater Reading area.  We were joined on the list by only four other company all-time repeaters, all who are past or current EthoSource customers.  Talk about great company (punny)! We are very proud of this accomplishment, and are constantly striving to improve each year!

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New Additions

We already mentioned our brand new delivery trucks, but our office furniture reconditioning process also got a new addition as well! Usually, our production of remanufactured furniture often involved sending the furniture out of house to be painted or refinished.  Now, since this past April, EthoSource has acquired its very own Paint Booth and personal painter in charge of all office furniture touch-ups and paint jobs.  This has allowed us to more efficiently move through the reconditioning process and reduce lead times for our customers.  Not to mention, have full control over the paint process to ensure that the customer is getting the exact quality and look they are expecting.

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These Desks are Meant for Walking

The more time Americans spend working, the more research has proved the harmful effects of sitting for such long periods of time each day.  Office ergonomics have come a long way this past year, not only incorporating comfort through design and adjustments, but taking it to another level with furniture that actually gets you moving and working out while you work! So this past summer, we partnered up with Lifespan Fitness to make available to our customers various kinds of fitness desks and furniture; the most popular being the treadmill desk.

With this new line of fitness furniture, we decided to host a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation that worked around the Foundation’s annual CF Walks in Reading and King of Prussia.  This got people to come to our showrooms to walk and work for 15min on our treadmill desks.  For every walker, EthoSource donated $15 to the Foundation to support their cause.  It was a fun and creative way to get more of our team involved in contributing to the CF cause, in addition to the continual and incredible support that our President provides each year.

 

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Employees on the Move

Like with the new fitness furniture that has become popular in offices this past year, the common theme is the idea of mobility.  With technology now keeping people more connected than ever no matter where they are, employees are working all over the place.  They’re also working in a lot of different ways, so office furniture has been designed to accommodate more flexibility for differing work styles.  Two products we’ve seen be popular components in this trend are mobile pedestals and adjustable height desks.  Mobile pedestals are a very dynamic and portable filing unit due to its size and ability to be moved or stored when needed.   Whether you’re in need of the space or you’re constantly changing your workstyle, we’ve seen this little pedestal become the perfect storage option for a wide variety of customers.

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The second product, the adjustable height desk, serves mobility in a different way.  Like the treadmill desk, it’s designed to get people out of their seats and moving throughout the workday.  Research shows that neither standing nor sitting are the solution to better workplace health, but having a balance between the two, which the adjustable height desks has helped accomplish for employees with all types of work styles.

 

The Great Run Streak

You may or may not remember the ridiculousness of the EthoSource Run Streak, which started last November.  It was based on the Runner’s World Run Streak Challenge, created to keep people active throughout all the craziness and overindulgence of the holiday season.  The Streak was meant to last 35 days (from Thanksgiving to Christmas), having each runner run at least one mile a day, everyday. Three EthoSource team members decided to give it a go, until a full blown competition broke out between two of them, lasting WAY beyond the allotted time frame… hence why this is worth mentioning in this year’s Year in Review.  On April 10th, 2014, and 129 days into the Run Streak, Director of IT and Marketing, Ian Gendreau, took home the title, and even continued his own streak a couple months longer.  (Talk about a long run!)  The two coworkers also tackled a half marathon together this past summer.

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Going to the Extreme

This summer, the Reading Eagle recognized our Owner and President, John Gallen, as one of the area’s CEOs with extreme hobbies to help “unwind” in their downtime..   The article featured some great photos as a look into his impressive climbing repertoire.  As an avid hiker and climber, John uses his hobby as a way to stay fit and let go outside of work, but it has also led him to venture up some of the world’s highest points, including Africa’s 19, 341 ft. Mount Kilimanjaro with his son, Nat.  His motto “Excelsior,” or “ever upward,” is contagious at EthoSource and applies to everything John does.

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Lucky 13

2014 marked Ethosource’s 13th anniversary as a company.  Having started as a 2-person, one room office in 2001, we have now grown to 56 employees, 3 locations, over 100,000 square feet, complete nationwide furniture management services and a full offering of new, used and refurbished office furniture.  With 2013 being our best year yet, we’ve had the opportunity to work for customers from small businesses to large corporations, from law firms to universities, from California to New York.  We’re excited to see what 2014 has in store for us as we continue to explore and develop the best ways to help our customers create the perfect office for their company at a price that’s affordable to them, which has been our goal from day one.  Here’s to a happy and healthy 2015!