Herman Miller Showcases the Innovative Celle Chair, its Newest Ergonomic Work Chair, at NECE 2005
November 28, 2005


Herman Miller, Inc,. will be showcasing the Celle chair at the National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 30-December 2, 2005. Celle is the latest addition to the company's work seating portfolio, extending the company's reputation for ergonomic high performance, innovation, and sustainable design into the mid/low contract price category.

Celle brings a new standard of comfort and support to a large segment of the work seating market, advancing Herman Miller's already dominant position in the task chair category. The Celle chair contract list price ranges from $705 CAD to $1230 CAD, approximately 25-30 percent below Herman Miller's iconic Aeron chair, and 10 to 15 percent below the company's award-winning Mirra chair.

Designed by Jerome Caruso, the Celle chair's defining feature is Cellular Suspension, a new concept using pliable molded polymer "cells" and loops to responsively flex in concert with the body's movements throughout the workday. Herman Miller pioneered suspension seating with the Aeron in 1994, adding new refinements with the Mirra chair in 2003, and with Celle continues to innovate in materials and performance.

Celle also follows Herman Miller's Design for the Environment (DfE) methodology, using the Cradle to Cradle protocols first developed by the team at McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC). The chair has 33 percent recycled content, and is 99 percent recyclable. It is manufactured at the company's GreenHouse seating operations facility using alternative "green" energy. Significantly, it can be disassembled in fewer than five minutes using common hand tools--critical to the true economic viability of any recycling claim.

The standard ergonomic features of the Celle include Harmonic Tilt, Passive PostureFit, pneumatic height and tilt tension adjustability. The Harmonic Tilt mechanism is unique to the chair but modeled after the leaf spring design first developed by Caruso for his Reaction chair for Herman Miller in 1998, and later advanced with the Mirra chair. The tilt allows for a deep range of recline, with pivot points at the hip, knee, and ankle, and no varying resistance anywhere through the recline. Celle fits the 5th percentile female through 95th percentile male and is designed to meet worldwide codes and standards. It is covered by Herman Miller's 12-year warranty.

Options include height and depth adjustable lumbar support, height/width/pivot arms, fixed arms, adjustable seat depth, forward seat angle, four position tilt limiter, seat upholstery, back upholstery, and low height cylinder. The optional, breathable upholstery for the seat and back uses Herman Miller's Latitude fabric--the same three-dimensional fabric currently available on the back of Mirra chairs.

Celle comes in a broad array of color options. The rich, nature-based colors created for Celle complement today's trend to darker, warmer inner architecture, while a series of brighter, vibrant upholstery options offer a complete aesthetic range. Celle is available in two frame colors, six cellular suspension colors, and 20 upholstery colors.

"I thought this was a great challenge: To prove to the world that a lower-priced chair could have high value in terms of aesthetics and function, as well as being cutting edge--and carry the Herman Miller name," said Caruso.

"Performance and price combine in a powerful package in this sporty and supportive new task chair," said Katie Lane, senior product manager for seating. "It is a strong complement to the best seating portfolio in the business and it will work well in settings from individual spaces to team and community areas in offices, schools, and healthcare facilities."

Conference attendees are invited to visit Herman Miller and view Celle in the NECE Exhibit Hall, Booth No. 126, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, during NECE 2005.

Herman Miller helps create great places to work, heal, learn, and live by researching, designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative interior solutions that support companies, organizations, and individuals all over the world. The company's award-winning products, complemented by furniture-management and strategic consulting services, generated over $1.51 billion in revenue during fiscal 2005. Herman Miller is widely recognized both for its innovative products and business practices. In fiscal 2004 Herman Miller was named recipient of the prestigious National Design Award for product design from the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. In 2005 the company was again included in Business Ethics magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" and was cited by Fortune magazine as the "Most Admired" company in its industry. The company trades on the NASDAQ market under the symbol MLHR. For additional information visit www.HermanMiller.com.