Steelcase Expanding Relationship with Furniture Design Firm Uhuru

Alliance offers designers and customers access to more of the company’s iconic “new American” design through the reliable Steelcase dealer network

Steelcase and Uhuru, a Brooklyn-based furniture design firm, announce plans to expand their relationship in North America. This offering builds on Uhuru’s successful offering on Steelcase Marketplace, the online marketplace for designers to discover, create and collaborate with ease. Steelcase will now offer customers the full Uhuru product portfolio, inclusive of Uhuru’s line of contract furniture solutions. This relationship complements the extensive Steelcase portfolio that gives customers easy access to more choices with delivery by the largest and most reliable dealer network in the industry. The collection of Uhuru’s ancillary furniture will be available this fall with the complete contract line available at the beginning of 2020.

“Since launching our relationship with Uhuru last year, we’ve heard from architects, designers and clients that are eager to have complete access to their furnishings. We’re delighted to bring the distinct, bespoke and high-end aesthetic of Uhuru products to more workplaces around the world,” said Joel Schellhammer, vice president of partnerships and integrations. “This expanded relationship provides our customers with convenient access to a breadth of design choices, supported by reliable, commercial distribution.”

A Brooklyn-based “New American” furniture design firm, Uhuru Design specializes in custom residential and high-end commercial furniture made with reclaimed materials. Uhuru is one of the leading innovators in the commercial furniture design industry focusing on craft, sustainability and innovative design. By merging its bespoke design with streamlined production methods, Uhuru rapidly creates and delivers unique furniture solutions that live at the apex of work and life.

“We are excited to expand and grow our partnership with Steelcase to bring our entire collection to all areas of the workplace,” said Jason Horvath, Co-founder and CEO. “For the last 15 years we have built collection after collection by finding and designing around materials with rich histories, whether it be salvaged Coney Island boardwalk planks or reclaimed Kentucky bourbon barrels. We’re thrilled more organizations will be able to access these kinds of storied designs in the workplace.”

Steelcase collaborates with a diverse network of forward-thinking partners around the world. These partners enrich its offering, contribute to continuous learning and promise greater value to Steelcase customers. For more information on Steelcase and Uhuru, visit https://www.steelcase.com/brands/partners/uhuru/.

Uhuru Cyclone Lounger
Uhuru BB-55 Rocker
Uhuru Fold Bench

About Steelcase Inc.

For over 105 years, Steelcase Inc. has helped create great experiences for the world’s leading organizations, across industries. We demonstrate this through our family of brands – including Steelcase®, Coalesse®, Designtex®, PolyVision®, Turnstone®, Smith System®, Orangebox® and AMQ®. Together, they offer a comprehensive portfolio of architecture, furniture and technology products and services designed to unlock human promise and support social, economic and environmental sustainability. We are globally accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 Steelcase dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industry-leading and publicly traded company with fiscal 2019 revenue of $3.4 billion. ir.steelcase.com

About Uhuru

Uhuru Design is a furniture design firm based in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Established in 2004, founders Jason Horvath and Bill Hilgendorf started designing and building custom high-end furniture with reclaimed materials that placed Uhuru at the forefront of New American Design. With over a decade and a half of experience, Uhuru has grown to include a contract division that specializes in commercial furniture and building brand specific products. As Uhuru continues to grow, their commitment to sustainability and thoughtful sourcing is integral in their approach towards design and manufacturing. Uhuru is proud to have completed a vast range of projects with leading designers and brands.  https://www.uhurudesign.com/