Technavio has announced the top nine leading vendors in their recent global school furniture market report until 2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from seating, storage, and lab equipment.

Competitive vendor landscape

According to the report, the global school furniture market is highly fragmented with the presence of many global and regional players. Based on product differentiation and pricing, the competition among the market vendors is intense. The competition is expected to intensify further owing to increased product offerings. Meanwhile, emergence of online retailers exerting pricing pressure on the players owing to wide range of products available across price ranges. Vendors are catering to users through packaged deals. For instance, Sebel offers bundled products for both primary and secondary schools.

“Vendors are trying to innovate with designs, materials, and technologies, and are involved in promoting their products extensively to survive in the competitive market. The market is opening a wide range of options for vendors offering various kinds of products and services. Besides adaptability and flexibility, vendors are recognizing the technology penetration in classrooms and are adopting multiple hardware to manufacture the appropriate furniture models,” says Jhansi Mary, lead school and college essentials analyst from Technavio.

Top nine school furniture market vendors

Herman Miller

Herman Miller was established in 1905 and is headquartered in Michigan, US. It provides interior furnishings for office, healthcare, educational, and residential settings. As of May 2015, the company employed 7,510 people and is supported by an operational network in the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, China, India, and the Netherlands.

Herman Miller offers a wide range of furniture and solutions for the education industry, which includes Swoop lounge furniture, Everywhere Tables, Caper Chairs, Meridian Storage, Setu Chairs, and Thrive Portfolio. The company has taken several initiatives to increase its market presence.

In October 2015, the company inaugurated its new facility in Bengaluru, India as part of its expansion plans in Asia. With the establishment of this facility, the company aims to accomplish sales revenue of USD 60 million in the next four years.

HNI

HNI was incorporated in 1944 and is headquartered at Iowa, US. The company is a provider of office furniture and hearth products. It has its operational presence in the US, Canada, China, Hong Kong, China, India, and Taiwan, China.

The company markets its school furniture products under two brands: The HON Company and Artco-Bell. It offers a broad range of products and accessories, including chairs, desks, tables, and storage facilities.

KI

KI was founded in 1941 and is headquartered at Wisconsin, US. The company is a manufacturer of furniture and architectural wall system solutions. It serves education, healthcare, government, and corporations. It operates its manufacturing facilities and sales offices in the US, Latin America, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

KI offers a wide range of products and solutions related to the furniture market. It offers its products for administrative offices, cafeterias, classrooms, computer labs, conference rooms, lecture halls, school libraries, and training rooms.

Steelcase

Steelcase was founded in 1912 and is headquartered in Michigan, US. It is a provider of office furniture, interior architecture, and space solutions for offices, hospitals, and classrooms. It markets its products through various brands Steelcase, Coalesse, Designtex, PolyVision, and Turnstone.

Steelcase has initiated several strategies for schools, colleges, and universities to create rewarding, effective, and inspiring active learning environments and meet the evolving needs of students and educators. It markets its products through PolyVision and manufactures ceramic steel surfaces for various applications, and includes static whiteboards and chalkboards sold in the primary and secondary education markets worldwide.

Ballen Panels

Ballen Panels provides furniture solutions to different industries. The company is based in London, UK. It has products under the categories of teaching walls, classrooms, libraries, wet benches, bespoke furnishing, cloakrooms, and office suites. It offers IT furnishing facility to support technology-aided classroom. The company also provides services such as consulting, designing, and project management.

EDUMAX

EDUMAX supplies furniture to multiple industries. The company was formed in 1963 and is headquartered in Doha, Qatar. It offers a wide range of products that includes school uniform, stationery items, and hardware such as IWB. It provides a suite of products such as classroom furniture, writing board and accessories, library furniture, computer tables, and laboratory furniture in the global schools furniture market.

Fleetwood Group

Fleetwood Group deals with the manufacturing of electronics and furniture. The company was incorporated in 1955 and is headquartered in Michigan, US. It offers furniture solutions for the education industry such as learning wall, library, science, computer lab, mobile cabinets, and tables. It has a strong presence in the domestic market with offices across the US. It offers customization services to its customers by working closely with architects and schools.

Hertz Furniture

Hertz Furniture is a manufacturer of school and office furniture. The company is headquartered in New Jersey, US. It offers a wide variety of products ranging from boards, bookcases, and chairs to library furniture. It caters to various industries such as healthcare, education, and corporate. It provides services in the areas of logistics, project planning, designing, delivery, and installation.

Knoll

Knoll designs and manufactures furniture, textiles, and fine leathers for office, school, and home. The company was founded in 1938 and is based in Pennsylvania, US. It has a wide geographical presence in Europe, the US, and Canada. It serves its customers through independent retailers, direct sales representatives, and independent dealers. It markets its furniture products by categories, rooms, and designers. It provides customers seating, tables, ergonomic desk and chairs, kids’ furniture, and accessories in the school furniture market.

(Source: businesswire.com)