Common Ground
“At OFS, we are all a part of a culture with a deep respect for the natural world.”
OFS

Common ground

In Huntingburg, Indiana generations of discerning minds used their fortitude to nurture a small and ambitious wood products manufacturer into an authentic global enterprise. As OFS grew, we created relationships in other communities across the globe. We shared our purpose and our values which attracted the best and the brightest.

The success of OFS is guided by a conviction that long term sustainability originates from its people. Building meaningful relationships by finding common ground is at the very foundation of our company.

Common Ground is structured around our Customers, our Colleagues, and our Communities. By providing proper service to one, we add value to each. Our efforts have resulted in a vibrant and resilient organization.

Customers

Customers
Conservation
One Tree Planted
Our progress
HPDs
Certifications & Memberships
American Tree Farm Program and Forest Stewardship Council
We have forest management certifications through the American Tree Farm Program and Forest Stewardship Council®. Parcels have been enrolled in the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands Program.
Recycling and reuse
We have an established recycling and reuse program. This program was created to divert as much solid waste from landfill disposal as possible, with an ultimate goal of 100% solidwaste diversion.
Reduce material consumption
Our 2020 efforts to reduce material consumption & emissions results in yearly savings of up to: 1,639,656 lbs. of wood, 75,374 lbs. of plastic, 500 gal. of fuel per truck, 272,309 gal. of biofuel, and 727 MT of C02e.
Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center
We granted two plots of land to the Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, to advance the science of hardwood tree improvement, genomics, physiology, protection and utilization.
Lean manufacturing projects
Lean manufacturing projects focus on reducing wastes. Through the use of our optimizing software, we are able to create the best possible yields on a job-to-job basis.
Recycled fiber
We introduced two new fabrics, Allure and Roam, which are produced with Repreve recycled fiber. Each yard of Allure fabric contains 31 recycled bottles, and each yard of Roam contains 21 recycled bottles.

OFS began our partnership with One Tree Planted in January of 2020 in an effort to help reforest areas throughout the world. Currently, planting trees is the number one climate change solution.

It allows us to plant enough trees to offset all of our Scope 1 and Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions. These are emissions from all of our building electricity and natural gas usage as well as Styline transportation fuel usage and all of OFS company owned vehicles.

USA Map Trees planted statistics

We voluntarily report our Greenhouse Gas emissions through the Carbon Disclosure Project (www.cdp.net). Annually, we inventory our GHG emissions and report to the CDP. This practice increases transparency to our customers, colleagues and communities, and helps us to identify risks, opportunities and areas where we can improve in terms of climate change mitigation.

OFS also reports electricity, natural gas, bio-fuel, diesel fuel and gasoline usage to the Carbon Disclosure Project. These are our main sources of energy and all are tracked continuously through the shared measurement of metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (MTCO2e).

Mtco2e graph Water usage
Mtco2e stats
Water per dollar

We currently offer twelve Health Product Declarations (HPDs) for higher volume products that represent larger product categories. The creation of these HPDs is only the beginning of our initiative to provide chemical transparency and get a better understanding of what chemicals, and the volume of those chemicals, are within our products.

This initial work provided the foundation for our future work with goals of additional HPDs and reductions of potentially harmful chemicals. The Health Product Declaration® (HPD) Open Standard is the most widely used transparency and material health reporting method in the building industry.

To search any of our HPD's, visit the HPD Public Repository

We currently offer HPDs for:

LoungSe Table Seating
  • Heya Lounge
  • Genus Task
  • HB Side
  • Applause Tables
  • Wyre Tables
  • Intermix Conference
  • Impulse G2/Pulse Workstations
  • Staks Workstations
  • Bistro Side
  • Voyage Side
  • Flexxy Guest
  • Coact Lounge
Indoor Air Quality certifications

Indoor Air Quality certifications

All of OFS furniture products have achieved SCS Indoor Advantage and SCS Indoor Advantage Gold Certifications. This assures that furniture supports a healthy indoor environment by meeting strict chemical emission limits for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). View our Indoor Air Quality certificates here.

BIFMA LEVEL certification

BIFMA LEVEL® certification

The BIFMA e3 Sustainability Standard, which provides the foundation for the LEVEL® certification, is the multi-attribute, sustainability standard and third party certification program for the furniture industry. View our Level certificates here.

FSC COC certification

FSC® COC certification

OFS offers all casegoods and tables as FSC® COC Certified (Forest Stewardship Council®). The FSC Standards represent the world’s strongest system for guiding forest management toward sustainable outcomes.

USGBC & LEED membership

USGBC & LEED membership

OFS is an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council. The USGBC is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders working to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.

WELL Cornerstone member

WELL Cornerstone member

OFS is involved in the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) membership program as a Cornerstone member. WELL is focused exclusively on the ways that buildings and communities, and everything in them, can improve our comfort, drive better choices, and generally enhance, not compromise, our health and wellness.

imagine a place®

Imagine a Place is a journal, podcast, and video series that explores the powerful role that place plays in our lives by gathering and sharing authentic voices, insightful perspectives, and visuals of places designed to inspire, support, and connect people.

Imagine a Place reinforces our belief that people and how they design and interact with places can create spaces and ideas that inspire and benefit other people. It explores how we create relationships with each other and with our environments to help make the world a better place.

Let's imagine a place together.
Imagine a place

Colleagues

Colleagues
WELL Certification
DEI
Education
Cool Springs

WELL Certification In July of 2017 OFS set off on a multi-year journey to create a wellness focused workspace that would benefit all employees that work within our Corporate office as well as any visitors. By providing a space that promotes holistic wellbeing we couldn’t be happier to positively impact the lives of the employees that allow this company to operate.

In December of 2020 we were awarded WELLv2TM Platinum certification by the International Well Building Institute (IWBI). Platinum certification is the highest designation a project can receive from the IWBI’s Well Building Standard.

Our 49,000 square-foot headquarters is the first in Indiana to receive the leading health and wellness certification. At the time we were awarded our certification, we were one of only 12 Platinum spaces in the US overall and one of only six platinum spaces under the more recent WELLv2 standard. To learn more, visit our WELLv2™ Platinum certification page.

WELL concepts of measurement
  • Air
  • Water
  • Nourishment
  • Light
  • Movement
  • Thermal comfort
  • Sound
  • Materials
  • Mind
  • Community
WELL Certification
WELL Certification
WELL Certification

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

Equity is the guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all while striving to identify and eliminate any barriers that prevent the full participation of any individual or groups of individuals based on such factors as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or physical abilities.

Equity Steering Committee charter

At OFS, we recognize that people and their diversity are our greatest asset and as a result we are committed to promoting policies, procedures and programs that provide equal access and opportunity to all associates while fostering an organizational culture that recognizes and values the diversity and inclusion of every individual.

The purpose of the Equity Steering Committee is to develop and promote strategies, programs and best practices for diversity, equity and inclusion within the realms of racial, social, sexual orientation and gender. The ultimate goal of this committee is to provide for the betterment of OFS, OFS employees, their families and our communities and to build upon the OFS family culture so that everyone is provided with a holistic professional and inclusive experience.

To view our full Equity Steering Committee charter, please download our detailed 2021 Sustainability Report.

Minority empowerment

Education is essential to personal and organizational growth. It is a necessity in creating clear understanding and communication between colleagues. Aspects that affect the way we conduct business can change rapidly and OFS believes that continuing education for our employees, partners and customers will help to sustain our relationships and our future growth. We promote lifelong learning.

CEU Courses

OFS offers a number of different Continuing Education Units (CEU) courses for our customers. These include From Forest to Furniture: Understanding the Role of Wood Based Materials in Sustainable Design, Heart of the Hardwoods: Sustainable building materials through responsible forest management, and Designing for Patient-Centered Behavioral Health Design.

We also offer three CEU courses focused on WELL. These include The WELL Building Standard, Working WELL, and WELL Minded.

At OFS Educational Campus, Cool Springs, we continuously host local and regional educational activities for groups ranging from customers, employees, grade school field trips, and community groups to industry and government organizations.

A cross between an educational preserve, a reforesting effort, a design retreat, and a corporate meeting center, our property at Cool Springs is much more than meets the eye. Located just down the road from our headquarters in Huntingburg, Indiana, we’ve been using these 600 acres to create meaningful opportunities for connection, discovery, focus, and restoration. Whether you’re there for a tour, a four-wheeler ride through the woods, or a dinner prepared from our very own garden, you don’t just visit Cool Springs, you experience it. The grounds include horses, outdoor activities, bee hives, a greenhouse, a lake, and more.

We'd love to show you around, so please send us a note if you’d like to drop by.

Get in touch
Cool Springs
Learn more about the WELL Building Standard, how our products contribute, and our team of WELL Specialists
OFS + WELL

Community

Community
Charitable Contributions
Current Blend

OFS, its employees and its founders have given countless charitable contribution dollars and volunteer hours to help support local, regional and global community development. Giving back to the communities that support and have given so much to us creates opportunities for better quality of life, optimism and sense of togetherness. The following organizations are just some of the causes we contribute to. For additional details, please download our 2021 Sustainability Report.

  • Fresh Artists
  • Furniture For Kids
  • Make-A-Wish
  • Stellar Grant
  • Adopt A Highway
  • Alzheimer’s Association
  • Design Your World
  • Designs For Dignity
  • A Kid's Place
  • Dubois Strong
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Boy Scouts of America
  • Menke Charitable Foundation
  • University of Evansville Scholarship
  • Huntingburg Event Center
  • Huntingburg Old Town Hall Endowment
  • The McMurtrie Preserve
  • Dubois County Community Foundation
  • The American Cancer Society
  • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Mask donations map

Mask Donations

Due to a shortage of personal protective equipment caused by the Corona virus pandemic, OFS saw an opportunity to lend support to our local hospitals during this challenging time. In early 2020, we were able to deliver over 100,000 level 1 masks to the staff at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in Jasper, Indiana, Novant Health in High Point, NC, WMC Hospital in Valhalla, NY, Children’s National Hospital in Landover, MD, Banner Health in Phoenix, AZ, and Professional Eye Care in Huntingburg, IN.

Current blend

Current Blend, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating new business and attracting talent to the region, is Dubois County’s first co-working collaborative workspace.

Collaborative workspaces are designed to bring entrepreneurs with different skill sets under one roof to promote interaction and business development. Current Blend features a beautifully designed space plan with modern, open-concept furniture through a partnership with OFS and the Menke family in Huntingburg, Indiana.

This co-working space is the first step by local business-owners and community leaders to ignite local entrepreneurship and support established businesses. As this group began to formulate their goals and action plans, the historic Parker House building in Huntingburg, purchased by the Menke family for preservation, became available. Cory Menke enthusiastically supported the endeavor by providing access to the Parker House.

Design Your World: A pathway to design

Design Your World: A pathway to design

The world we design for has many different facets. Yet the lens we design through is myopic when it comes to diversity within the profession. A new program sponsored by OFS is geared toward high school students and seeks to widen that lens and explore the possibilities that could exist in the future of the commercial design industry, and the world.

Fresh Artists: fueling creativity

Fresh Artists: fueling creativity

OFS has further developed our relationship with Fresh Artists by helping to promote their mission through our networks & marketing channels to help them reach a larger audience. Fresh Artists is a nonprofit organization that serves America’s underfunded public schools and children through creative art programming and providing the support of art supplies.

Download our 2021 Sustainability Report

Common Ground is the growth medium that sustains our business. Providing solutions that benefit each of our three foundational pillars ensures that we are firmly rooted and that we maintain the resiliency needed to bear fruit well into the future. To learn more about how we grow please download our Common Ground report here.

Download now

Our family of brands

OFS
OFS is a family-owned contract furniture manufacturer dedicated to crafting experiences and products that contribute to places where people want to be.
Carolina
Carolina is a healthcare furniture manufacturer dedicated to crafting products that support caring environments. We focus on patient, guest and caregiver spaces.
Bryan Ashley
Bryan Ashley is a leader and innovator of hospitality furnishings and provides the highest quality furniture for the ultimate guest experience.
Excluded from energy usage and emissions information within this report is data on Bryan Ashley operations.
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