Friant want to help Dealers bottom line Monday April 9, 2012 by Rob Kirkbride

The office furniture industry is fracturing into two camps: One that believes its high design and innovative products justify higher prices and another that is perfectly happy to duke it out based on selling quality office furniture at a low [...]]]>

Friant want to help Dealers bottom line
Monday April 9, 2012
by Rob Kirkbride

The office furniture industry is fracturing into two camps: One that believes its high design and innovative products justify higher prices and another that is perfectly happy to duke it out based on selling quality office furniture at a low price.

No one camp is better than the other, though it you are caught in the middle, well, you might have a rocky road ahead. For most companies, it is not an all or nothing proposition. Steelcase falls firmly in the first camp, yet it sells lower priced furniture through its successful Turnstone brand. And even if you are selling based on price — think AIS and others like it — it does not mean your furniture is of inferior quality. In fact, companies like AIS, Friant and others might just have an advantage. How many times have we walked through NeoCon’s showrooms and scratched our heads as we looked for something — anything — that was different or unique?

All things being equal, why wouldn’t you buy based on price? Friant, the upstart California furniture maker that blends company-controlled Asian suppliers with US manufacturing, takes that question a step further: If you are a dealer and sell Friant’s products with substantially greater margins, why would you sell anything else?

It is an increasingly compelling argument for dealers that have been squeezed from every angle. Margins are lower while competition is fierce. Dealers are looking for an edge. At the same time, growing companies like Friant are looking for long-term partnerships with dealers.

Friant is outpacing the industry in terms of growth. Sales increased 35 percent last year, said industry veteran Dan Landman, senior vice president of sales who formerly worked at Herman Miller, Global and Steelcase, to name a few. Landman is working to expand Friant’s dealer relationships. The company also hired more customer service, inventory control and design staff.

Friant also invested in internal improvements by installing new systems and software for everything from inventory tracking to improved renderings. Two new warehouses were added — one in Hayward, Calif. and the other in Atlanta, which also features a showroom and enables better, faster distribution for the East Coast.

Behind the company is Paul Friant, who Landman calls an industry “visionary.” The company started 22 years ago when Friant, then 22 years old, plunked down $1,500 to start his office furniture installation company. His father was an office furniture dealer in the San Francisco area. Friant started at a dealership himself, but in 1990, started a company that serviced office furniture dealers with one- and two-man jobs. His crews would install smaller items like visual boards, cabinets and desks. He added remanufacturing, refurbishing and cloning Herman Miller Action Office II panels. Soon after, the company started making its own worksurfaces and opened a manufacturing shop.

Unlike many companies that outsource furniture production, Friant started its own plant and set up manufacturing and operations to make U.S.-designed furniture at an overseas plant. The company was making furniture there, not simply importing it. Products brought into North America are finished at the company’s plant in Oakland, Calif.

While the company started as a remanufacturer and clone seller, it has quickly grown by adding to its own product line. The company added seating in recent years and has several new products that will launch this spring and at NeoCon.

Friant is launching Interra, a new systems line that uses 30 percent less material and less waste at the end of its useful life. The company is also launching a new universal desking system, tentatively named Dash, that will be launched later this year. The system can go from private office to a more traditional system and benching. Other products will be launched, including the addition of the high back Celesse task seat, additional seating in the task and lounge categories and expanded standard fabric options.

Both Interra and Dash will be available to Friant dealers through its new Advantage Program, designed to promote deeper relationships with participating dealers. In effect, the Advantage Program will foster sales with dealers that see Friant’s product as “go-to,” not an alternative product competing with refurbished or “as is.” Friant wants to home in on the dealers that are most interested in leveraging Friant’s value proposition, which is based on design-forward products that offers high profits for dealers and affordability for the end users.

It is a bold move for a smaller, lower priced office furniture maker. Landman said the company hopes to reward dealers that want to form closer, more cohesive relationships. Friant hopes to attract about 200-250 dealers to the Advantage Program. About 40 are signed up already.

Friant is fighting for marketshare using two parallel paths: Increasing its distribution network; and adding to its product mix. Dealers are getting on board, Landman said. “It’s simple, really,” he said. “The dealer gets to keep more money as gross profit if they work with Friant. You make more money selling our products.”

Friant & Associates LLC: Innovating Office Furniture Solutions

By Camila Osorno

Paul Friant started Friant & Associates LLC in 1990 as a company that manufactures innovative, customizable, surprisingly affordable high-end office systems. In the process he reformulated the way the furniture industry does business.

Today, Friant & Associates prides itself on offering clients “A-grade [...]]]>

Friant & Associates LLC: Innovating Office Furniture Solutions

By Camila Osorno

Paul Friant started Friant & Associates LLC in 1990 as a company that manufactures innovative, customizable, surprisingly affordable high-end office systems. In the process he reformulated the way the furniture industry does business.

Today, Friant & Associates prides itself on offering clients “A-grade products at B-grade pricing.” From its 145,000-square foot showroom and custom wood/fabric shop in Oakland, California, augmented by four international production plants, Friant & Associates manufactures and distributes a full array of panel systems, wood and laminate casegoods, reception units, conference tables, seating and accessories, office furniture, storage and panel systems priced to compete even with refurbished systems from leading manufacturers.

Friant & Associates was founded on the belief that office furniture aesthetics shouldn’t create price barriers. Rather, they pride themselves on delivering easy-to-install, beautiful solutions for the most productive office environments. In particular, Friant & Associates made a name for itself with the Tiles and System 2 panel systems. The Tiles system offers customers endless design options, easy installation and reconfiguration, and a durable solid steel frame. System2 offers customers a Quickship option, over 20 fabrics and finishes and structural compatibility with other standard systems.

Streamlined, cost-effective production channels and a strong commitment to superior engineering form the Friant & Associates advantage, and clients rest assured that their products are designed to last using an increasing amount of sustainable materials and practices. And this dedication to quality in both product and pricing has resulted in ongoing growth for what is now a mid-sized company. In 2010, Friant & Associates celebrated its 20-year anniversary and simultaneously opened a second warehouse and showroom facility in the Atlanta area to keep shipping costs low for clients across the country. In total, Friant partners with 135 associates, including 85 independent representatives throughout the country.

From Humble Beginnings

Two decades ago Friant & Associates was a very different operation, however. Initially Friant & Associates was started on a $1,500 loan and headquartered in Paul Friant’s own home, where he would service and install furniture. In 1993 Friant himself cleaned and refurbished 700 chairs for the Red & White Fleet, one of San Francisco’s oldest sightseeing cruise companies. In lieu of a warehouse, the chairs had to be shipped directly to Friant’s lawn. Shortly thereafter, Friant relocated the operations to a small warehouse, growing the business gradually and upgrading to newer facilities as needed.

“My dad ran a furniture dealership, so I’ve grown up in the industry,” explains Friant, who has guided Friant & Associates continually as the company’s president and owner. “We started off providing office furniture services and then very gradually moved into the manufacturing.” It was only in 1997 that they moved operations into the company’s current home, and in 1998 invested in an overseas manufacturing facility to increase its total production capacity. Ever since, they have made waves in the industry by providing quicker production times, factory-direct pricing, and responsible manufacturing processes.

One truly impressive distinction is the timeframe in which the company can provide its systems; while most product ships in three to six weeks, clients can receive orders in as little as five days. With the Five-Day Quickship program, customers choose between some of the companies’ most popular finishes, which are expanded under the 10-day Quickship option. For custom orders and orders over 50 workstations, they offer an Extended Lead Time option with the added bonus of additional savings.

In addition, Friant & Associates offers dealers a much larger profit margin than leading manufacturers. Typically, most brands offer the dealer between seven- and eight-percent profit, whereas Friant & Associates sales regularly provide between 25- and 30-percent profit margins and a lower cost to the end-user. They believe that the lower price point shouldn’t overshadow the quality of its products. Every product is designed to uphold or set industry standards for durability, performance, sustainability and aesthetics, and the flexibility of profit margins allows dealers to determine the right profit margins for the target market.

Expanding Product Line and Environmental Responsibility

Friant & Associates has made even further strides in the past two years, rethinking the purpose and needs of today’s modern workforce. The company launched a signature Mesa series of conference tables designed for plug and play multimedia needs with discreet voice, data and power cabling. The company also launched its new Celesse desk chair with customizable, enhanced lumbar support that can be adjusted according to how far back in the seat the user is positioned.

Behind the scenes, the company has worked to solidify its commitment to environmentally responsible production, assuring operations maintain both low emissions and low price points. Friant & Associates has always used non-toxic finishes, incorporating recycled materials and fabrics wherever possible, and 2009 kicked off a massive year for the company’s environmentally conscious production program. The company switched to using water-based wood finishes and adhesives, and as a result achieved MAS Green certification of its panel systems. Ultimately Friant & Associates made no additional changes to its manufacturing process to achieve the certification, meaning that both systems have always been produced with low VOC emissions.

As a result, Friant & Associates production process meets the American National Standards Institute’s criteria for members of the Business and Institutional Manufacturers Association to contribute points towards a project’s LEED certification. In turn, the company hired a full-time LEED Accredited Professional to advise customers on office furnishing solutions that could help meet their LEED goals.

The future looks bright for Friant & Associates.  Currently, they are furnishings seven floors of one of the Bay Area’s largest law firms. But large jobs are nothing new to Friant & Associates. “We ship an average of 2,000 orders a month.  Because we offer the right products at the right price,” asserts Friant. According to the company, they grew by 65 percent in 2010 and are on track to see growth of 50 percent in 2011.

Entering into 2012 Friant & Associates will follow up by launching the Interra Series of panel systems. The system was designed as a mix-and-match frame-and-tile system to meet the company’s stringent durability standards. The difference with Interra is that the system uses 30-percent less material.

In the next few years, Friant hopes to see growth in the 25- to 30-percent range as the economy continues to improve. Regardless of external circumstances, Friant & Associates LLC will continue to push the boundaries in its markets, using its factory-direct process to exceed customer expectations in regards to product selection, quality, pricing and service.

Q. You’ve had quite a distinguished career in the furniture industry. Give us an overview of your experience, and what attracted you to Friant.

A. My entire career has been within the furniture industry. I’ve worked for [...]]]> Dan Landman, the Senior VP of Sales at Friant, takes some time for Q & A

Q. You’ve had quite a distinguished career in the furniture industry.  Give us an overview of your experience, and what attracted you to Friant.

A. My entire career has been within the furniture industry.  I’ve worked for many of the largest companies in this industry. Everything I’ve learned, built and created is relevant to my new role at Friant.  I’m bringing everything to the table in this position – my knowledge of sales, product launches, distribution strategy and more.

Q. Which manufacturers have you worked for in the past?

A. I’ve worked in sales, design, product development, distribution and general management capacities at companies ranging from HON to Steelcase to Herman Miller and Global Industries. I’ve touched every aspect of furniture at a senior level, and now I’m bringing that depth of awareness to ensure success for Friant in meeting their strategic and growth goals.

Q. How did you meet Paul Friant?

A. Paul and I worked together on some projects through my independent consulting business, and it was immediately clear that our ideas and goals resonated.

Q. Why did you take the job as Friant’s SVP of Sales?

A. Looking at the company in terms of where they stood and the potential they had, the opportunities were clear and I saw the immense growth potential.  The company needed someone to elevate distribution and to train and lead the sales organization in providing a consistent message about the brand to the market.  There was a perfect fit between the company’s needs and my skill set and, ultimately, I joined because I believe in Friant and wanted to help write the story with Paul and our team.

Q. What’s your primary focus right now?

A. My task is clear: I am here to help grow Friant’s sales volume.

Q. How are you planning to achieve that?

A. Right now I’m focused on strengthening our partner relationships. I want to transform how we talk about ourselves and how the market views us.  Our main opportunities are clear – Profits, Products and People.

Traditionally, Friant has always offered low prices — but there’s more to the story.  We’re interested in helping dealers succeed, and we want to revise our brand message from the “low price guy” to the company that helps dealers earn greater profit margins.  And, when I say much better profits, I mean a significant jump from the name brand manufacturers which usually offer dealers around 7% – 8 % on their systems products.  With Friant, dealers have the chance to earn 25% – 30% profit.  This is something we need to highlight and underscore at every sales opportunity.

As for the Products – our product scope is developing into a “go to” line up. We’ve got two system today and will be launching our newest system, Interra, in 2011/12.   Interra will be a restricted line, available only to our top 250 dealers who sign up for our Friant Advantage program.  So far, the feedback on Interra has been phenomenal, and we know people are going to love it. We’re also in the middle of a major seating expansion and sales push.  We just launched Celesse – an elegantly designed chair with ‘xtreme’ ratchet back support – and amidst media mentions and intense dealer interest, we can’t keep it on the shelf. The best news is that dealers can make a real chunk of change by selling Friant’s seating.  In these lean times, when dealers start realizing the upside of doing business with Friant, we’ll be turning a lot more heads.

The last “P “is for People and it’s the main reason I joined Friant.  Paul Friant has amassed a team of seasoned professionals that really care about the customer.  Caring about the customer is the only way to sustain long-term growth in this industry. When customers are happy, we succeed – it’s that simple. Our inside support team and sales force are strong. Throughout the entire sales cycle, people here know what they are doing and how to support the customer best; as a result, we’re beginning to unleash the company’s true potential.

Q. Where do you see the greatest opportunities?

A. Friant has experienced rapid growth.  I want to manage that growth and make sure we exceed customer expectations. I plan to build on what we have today by working closely with our customer service, marketing and design support teams to deliver that gold-star experience.

Q. What are some of the sales strategies you’ll implement that focus on the customers?

A. Soon we’ll be rolling out the Friant Advantage program.  While all dealers will be able to sell Friant’s products, a Friant Advantage dealer will have full access to exclusive products, such as our new Interra system.  These products will be in demand and will offer great profit margins. The program will initially roll out in Chicago, Atlanta and Washington D.C. and as the program gains traction, we’ll expand it across the U.S. until all markets have access.  We believe that this type of strategy will significantly change the dynamic of our relationships.

Q. What does Friant’s future look like right now?

A. Right now, dealers turn to Friant too infrequently – most often when they are looking for a low-cost provider.  I see a future where dealers turn to us all the time, knowing they’ll earn higher profits with, making Friant their first and most consistent choice. That’s why we’re working hard to develop the Friant Advantage relationships right now.

Q.  Can you share any initial successes?

A. NeoCon was a tremendous opportunity for us. We had the chance to show off a prototype of our Interra system and new seating choices. We held a very well attended, informative and inspiring sales meeting.  All in all, we showcased our products and communicated our plans to some of the top dealers in the country. The good news is that everyone really loved it.  We were proud about what we accomplished, and we’re continuing with that momentum now.

Q.  Do you have a guiding principle when it comes to leading a sales team?

A. It always comes back to the customers and meeting or exceeding their expectations. If we can’t do this, someone else will.  Too many companies look internally, but I always look to the customer. Then, I tell the customer what we can do, and make sure we do it.

Q. What do you think the current state of the industry means for Friant?

A. The industry is still downsized from its heyday.  And, while there is some growth, it’s modest.  At this point, our competitors aren’t going away but they are under considerable pressure and the margin of profit they can offer dealers is slimmer – too slim. Dealers are being forced to get by on less. Friant can do a lot better on margins because we operate a streamlined business model, owning our own facilities both domestically and abroad. As I mentioned before, we can offer 25% – 30% margins on a systems product.  Not many other manufactures are even in this ballpark.

The future is truly bright for the Friant team and our customers.  While there are challenges, we are perfectly positioned to continue our growth.

If you came to our cocktail reception at the Renaissance Hotel, thank you for spending some time with us. It was great seeing everyone! [...]]]> NeoCon may be over but the excitement of us all being together is most definitely still in the air.  As usual, we came back recharged, inspired, and ready to charge ahead.

If you came to our cocktail reception at the Renaissance Hotel, thank you for spending some time with us.  It was great seeing everyone!  At the reception, we were thrilled to give you a sneak peak of Interra, our newest panel system, which uses 30% less material and addresses both environmental and budget demands.   Based on your phenomenal feedback, it seems as if Interra is bound to be the “go to” panel system for tomorrow, and we are working hard to get it to you in early 2012.  We were equally excited to show off Celesse, the first chair that “closes the gap” on lumbar support. Everyone was incredibly enthusiastic about this one-of-a-kind chair.  We have Celesse in stock and ready to ship, and we can’t wait until your clients see it, too.

If you didn’t get the chance to say hello or give us your feedback at the show, it’s not too late. If you have some thoughts on our newest products (or gossip from the show), we’d love to hear from you now.

Take a walk through any office and you’ll notice that most people [...]]]> Sometimes simple and elegant trump complicated and convoluted. Elegance and functionality are the hallmarks of our new Celesse chair, which offers “xtreme” lumbar support with a ratchet back mechanism that comes far forward to support sitters when they are midway on the seat.

Take a walk through any office and you’ll notice that most people sit midway on their seat while working – not all the way back in their seats, as most chairs are designed for. Celesse literally  “closes the gap” by bringing the lumbar support far forward to the midpoint of the chair.

Everyone who has tried Celesse has recognized the pure ergonomic bliss of its design. With all the features you need – and none of the complications – Celesse will revolutionize the comfort level of task sitting.

Not only is Celesse great looking and comfortable, it’s also offered at our signature low price point, making it accessible to everyone in the workplace (which is good, because all your customers are going to want one).

To try out Celesse, schedule a showroom visit in Oakland, CA or Atlanta – or contact your sales consultant for details. Meanwhile, visit the Celesse page where you can download the sales sheet and learn about its additional features.

Why not? To see color and maximal contrast in (or on?) everyday objects is [...]]]> If your aesthetic falls somewhere between graffiti art and topiary hedges, you might enjoy the fun and spontaneity of “Yarn Bombing” – where those inclined to knit or crochet are actually going around and “tagging” their environments in a new way.

Why not?  To see color and maximal contrast in (or on?) everyday objects is striking and so different than what we usually work with in our world of neutral interiors where grays, beiges, and browns are the norm.

As designers and creators of environments, we know that color can lift moods and inspire hope. Other artists are using color to address a breakdown in infrastructure as seen in the Lego repairs, brightly-painted low income housing, and flower –filled potholes all dubbed “joyful repair” by web blogger and Core77 magazine columnist, Ingrid Fetell. I can’t help but smile when I see the Legos and I know the kids could appreciate that kind of joy too.  Next, I’m thinking we should start filling nail holes with Playdough.  Well, maybe not…Different people are inspired by different things. What inspires you?

Photos

Colorful Cracks in Paris – Aesthetics of Joy.com

Yarn on Trees in Vancouver– Yarnbombing.com

Bicycle Rack in California – Yarnbombing.com

Precious Potholes in the U.K– http://www.petedungey.com/projects/pothole_gardens.php

Painted Town in Brazil- FavellaPainting.com

Joyful Repair Legos in NYC – dipatwork.com

Our popular line of laminate casegoods, Gitana, will be stocked in Cherry as well as some of the company’s best-selling chairs, including Axiom, Madison, Classic, MidZONE, [...]]]> Springtime brings good news:  on May 23^rd, we’ll open our new distribution center and showroom in the metro-Atlanta area, resulting in huge savings on shipping for our Georgia customers.

Our popular line of laminate casegoods, Gitana, will be stocked in Cherry as well as some of the company’s best-selling chairs, including Axiom, Madison, Classic, MidZONE, and HighZONE. We’ll soon expand the Gitana inventory to include Espresso as well.

And now, instead of 5-7 days for shipping, our metro-Atlanta customers will have access to product in only 24-72 hours.

The new facility will also serve as a showroom for our entire product line – systems, casegoods, conference tables and reception units will all be available for viewing out of this showroom. To make an appointment, contact Steve Lipton at (678) 923.8357 or steve@friant.com.

In case you aren’t yet familiar with Gitana, check it out here.

The facility is located at 5015 Oakbrook Pkwy, #600, Norcross, GA 30093, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta (conveniently off of Route 85/403).

Hope to see you in Atlanta.

In Excellence,

Paul Friant

To make your lives easier, we’ve [...]]]> We’re excited to announce that our Mesa conference tables are ready to launch to the marketplace.  Think of Mesa as more than a new line of conference tables: it’s also your newest friend in the IT department (and it’s always good to have friends in the right places, yes?).

To make your lives easier, we’ve designed Mesa specifically for handle the power requirements of today’s conference rooms:  power, multimedia conferencing and Internet connectivity are accessible to everyone at the table, without hassle. The technology infrastructure is built right in at no extra cost, which means that this modern marvel is priced extremely competitively.

What differentiates Mesa is that simple and accessible data set up is integral to its design, with a built-in modular power system and separate troughs to organize voice and data wires. (Additional wire storage is also provided in each base.) Cable access points are located on the surface and in bases for a streamlined appearance and easy troubleshooting. With all cables out of sight, the uncluttered surface allows for focused and productive meeting spaces – with everyone fully plugged in. What more can you want from a conference table?

Ah, yes…aesthetics.  Mesa has that, too. The contemporary design allows for material mix and matching, for a custom look without the custom price. Choose from MOZ metal patterns or many veneer and laminate options for the tops and bases, and many edge options give a signature finishing touch. We’re offering many sizes, in three table shapes (boat, racetrack and rectangular). Help your customer have fun playing around with the options to come up with a table that uniquely suits their environment.

Say No to paying more for power in your conference table. For more information download the catalog here.

In Excellence,

Paul Friant