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U.S.A.:Office Furniture Makers Endure Drought |
| Office Furniture Makers Endure
Drought Office furniture shipments will probably not make a strong rebound until office construction substantially picks up, according to Allen Gutheim, principal of DRI - WEFA Consulting Group. Speaking at the annual membership meeting of the Business & Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Assn. -- International, held June 12 in Chicago, Gutheim said the current U.S. office shipment decline "is the worst in 30 years." He noted that while home construction has held its own during the economic slowdown that construction of office and institutional buildings is down 20%. "I see this office building construction decline continuing for the next few quarters." Gutheim, whose company tracks and forecasts office and contract furniture shipments for BIFMA, said office furniture shipments fell 17.4% last year and are on pace to decline by an additional 13.3% this year. If office building construction picks up by next spring, Gutheim says office furniture shipments should rally by 8.8% |
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