by Marisa Kenyon

If you're someone who ships a lot of things, big or small, then there is a high chance you've had issues with items damaged in transit.  Whether it's due to mishandling by the carrier or inadequate packaging, these damages can accumulate over time - in both money and frustration.

Fortunately, there are a few innovative and unconventional ways to safeguard your shipments all the way from carrier to customer. So, let's think outside the box (pun intended!) and explore some effective methods to ensure the protection of your packages along their journey.

While work-related activities undoubtedly play a crucial role in fostering a positive culture, sometimes it's the simple pleasures that can make a significant difference. Enter the beloved tradition of office ice cream socials—a delightful way to bring employees together, spark conversations, and celebrate accomplishments. Here are just a handful of the benefits they can offer…

by Valerie Glander

Office design trends, by nature, tend to move at a slower pace than other Interior Design trends. Office furniture is expected to have a useful life of seven to ten years, although it is common for offices to have furniture that is upwards of 20 years old. By contrast, the useful life of technology products is about three years.

Over the last decade, we’ve consistently seen the industry move toward open spaces. We have partnered with hundreds of companies to create workspaces with lower panels, no panels, and more collaborative space. These designs allow natural light and improved feelings of spaciousness, but also create higher noise levels.

by Diana L. Martin

We know that washing our hands is the best defense against Covid-19. It’s been said over and over again in all the press conferences and articles written about the virus. But although we wash our hands, we may not be doing a good enough job. Experts say we need to wash with soap and water for a full 20 seconds but time itself is not a guarantee of an effective wash.

Meritech, a U.S. company founded 30 years ago and based in Golden, CO manufactures the Clean Tech line of automated handwashing systems. These systems, made in the USA, take the variability out of the process to insure that every person has properly cleaned hands. Each automated handwashing cycle last a mere 12 seconds but has been clinically proven to remove 99.9% of harmful pathogens.

by Diana L. Martin

Reopening during Covid requires some additional safety features - some as simple as signage and masks, others as drastic as reconfiguring your workspaces to allow more distance between people. Let’s look at the simple solutions today - signage and barriers.

You’ll need some way to indicate where & how far apart people should stand while waiting to be served and most businesses are using floor decals for that purpose. Consider these large 20” diameter decals:

"Is there something that I can use to put brochures or magazines in a binder without punching them - and so that you can read them?  I don't want a sheet protector.  Don't they make something like this? What's it called and where do I find it?"

Did I pique your curiosity with that title? I hope so!

There are many options when it comes to dry-erase boards. You can get the basic melamine, or go to steel, porcelain on steel, porcelain or glass. Choose from economy grade, extensive use or heavy use. Do you need magnetic? Wood frame or aluminum frame? And what size?

Ay, yi, yi!

Well, guess what? Now you don’t need a dry-erase board to have a dry-erase board in your office! How does that work, you ask?

Sit-to-stand furniture has been the hot thing in furniture for some time now - it's the "in" thing for healthy office environments and helping employees to be more active at work.  A sit-stand desk can be the perfect solution for someone with nagging back problems or circulation problems because it allows them to get up and stretch their legs and back while still being able to do their work.  Even if you don't have issues, it's still a good idea to change positions every so often and not stay seated all day long.

A number of studies have been done on the issue of whether carpeting is good or bad as a floor surface. Proponents note that it reduces noise levels, especially on open floor plans, and that it is aesthetically pleasing. Opponents say that it has an adverse effect on air quality and collects dust, dirt and allergens which then make people sick. You can read an interesting article on the debate here on the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s website.

Every so often, I like to highlight an unusual item.  By that I mean an item that you normally wouldn't think to call your office supply dealer for when you need it.  I think a lot of companies still don't know that the office products industry supplies more than just paper, binder clips, ring binders and the like.  Another category that we can help you with is your janitorial and facility maintenance supplies. 

Keeping the air clean in the office is vital to the health of everyone in the office.  Mold, mildew, bacteria or other microorganisms can flourish without proper prevention and treatment.  Having quality air filters in place is essential.  Did you know that you can purchase air filters from us?

If you're a regular reader here, you know that I'm a geek for writing instruments.  I love to try out the latest and <supposedly> greatest thing.  (OK, I'm a little weird - but you already know that if you're a regular.)  So today, I'm putting several pens and such to the test.  What is their marketing angle and does the product live up to it?  Will it earn fame  - or shame?  I had one other person help me test each of these items.  Let's see how they did.

Is your office prepared for an emergency?  Would you know what to do if a coworker suddenly collapsed?  Do you know how to recognize sudden cardiac arrest?

A victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) may be fine one minute and collapse without warning the next.  The victim almost always dies without immediate intervention.  According to www.sca-aware.org, SCA is the third leading cause of death in the U.S, killing one person every two minutes.  The number of people who die each year from it is roughly equivalent to the number who die from Alzheimers disease, assault with firearms, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, HIV, house fires, motor vehicle accidents, prostate cancer and suicides combined. 

Employee safety is a top concern for any business.  Regardless of the type of business you have, there are always safety issues to address.  OSHA has rules and regulations that must be followed.  (Common sense provides some more.)  If you work in an office environment, you need first aid kits, fire extinguishers, exit signs and the like.  Warehouse/industrial buildings need things like hearing protection, hard hats, ladders, etc.

I think it's safe to say that most people either own a personal computer or work with one at their job, so I'm sure you will understand when I say that I really, really HATE the jungle underneath my desk.  I have a hard time comprehending how 4 pieces of equipment - computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse - can have 16 zillion cords attached to them.  Then they're plugged into the power strip or UPS backup device, which adds another cord.  And it seems like I'm kicking them all day long!

WRANGLE THE TANGLE!!

SPRING IS HERE!!  YAY!!!

You know what that means, right? 

S P R I N G   C L E A N I N G

My house is in serious need of a thorough spring cleaning and I'll bet yours is too.  And so is your office.  We carry lots of different brands of cleaning products and I could show you all the same old, same old stuff you see on everybody's website, but you already know that we carry that stuff.  Instead.................

TA DA!

I'm going to show you some things I bet you have no idea you can get from us.  This is going to be fast and furious, so try to keep up!

Fountain pens are not very common in the work place - in fact, I can honestly say that not only do I not use one (and never have), but I don't know anyone else who does.  And although we do offer them, I've never had anyone buy one from me.  So I was surprised when I found out that Zebra Pen has come out with a new line of fountain pens.  It just didn't seem like a product that is in demand.

Introducing "an easier fountain pen":

Regardless of the type of business you’re in, every company has safety and security issues to deal with.  You need the proper equipment and supplies to keep both your employees and customers safe and to avoid workplace accidents.

 What types of items do you think of when I say “Safety and Security”?  Let me guess:

We're all familiar with the standard black plastic desktop accessories and the black mesh accessories.  You may also have seen the higher-end clear acrylic accessories and wood collections aimed more at the executives in your company. 

Today I'd like to show you a unique look from Lorell.  This collection has an industrial design to it and comes in a matte bronze finish. 

I recently read an article by Dan Howarth on www.dezeen.com about a new innovation in the field of 3-D printing that may surprise you.  Researchers at MIT have partnered with Steelcase Inc. to develop a process they call Rapid Liquid Printing that changes 3-D printing as we know it and may make it possible to manufacture custom furniture in a matter of minutes.

So your company is hosting a dinner.  Perhaps it's a regional meeting or the annual employee Christmas party.  You want to make an elegant table - not just paper plates and paper cups.  We have a line of fine porcelain dinnerware, along with stainless steel cutlery and tempered glassware that can help you accomplish the perfect look.

Introducing Chef's Table Fine Porcelain.