All tables and table desks come with casters or glides and are pin-height adjustable.

The collection also reflects Herman Miller's ongoing commitment to the environment, from its durability to the recyclability of its components.

The Avive collection will be on display at Herman Miller's Chicago National Design Center during NeoCon 2003.

The complete news story follows.

Herman Miller Introduces the Avive Table Collection

Herman Miller, Inc., a global leader in office furnishings, workplace consulting, and related services, introduces the new Avive table collection, a complete line of freestanding, pin-height-adjustable table desks and tables designed to help today's active organizations support work and manage change.

Available in a range of applications, Avive products are designed for flexibility, mobility, and agility. They feature a "cross-platform" capability that supports their integration with Herman Miller's Ethospace, Resolve, Q, Action Office, and Prospects systems. Avive enhances the systems' ability to respond effectively to change, while also freshening the look of an existing installation.

The Avive collection works equally well for small organizations that may not need, or presently have the budget for, systems furniture. Avive's broad vocabulary, range of application options, and extensive CMF (colors, materials, finishes) palette make its products adaptable to virtually any work environment.

"The Avive collection is simplicity defined: a clean, uncluttered and contemporary response to workplace churn and change," explained John Lubbinge, director, Panel Systems, Freestanding, Storage at Herman Miller. "It's designed for quick, easy installation and reconfiguration, and it supports a consistent look throughout a work facility. And we've made it cost effective to meet the needs of businesses both large and small."

Broad Vocabulary Supports Adaptability
Table desks, available in nine shapes, represent the nucleus of the Avive line. They are designed to serve as primary work surfaces throughout a facility, either within systems infrastructures or in totally freestanding environments. Table extensions connect to table desks to create a wide variety of primary work surface configurations, as well as large surfaces for conferences. Avive tables, also offered in nine shapes, can be grouped together or used alone for small meetings and collaboration.

To help people manage their workflow and stay organized, Avive products work with accessories and tools from the Herman Miller Accents Collection as well as Herman Miller filing and storage products, including Meridian. Additionally, Ethospace work surface-attached screens can be attached to Avive surfaces to add privacy and define space.

Avives Design Origins
Jeff Weber designed the Avive table collection based initially on enhancements he introduced to the Ethospace system in 2001. The project included the addition of freestanding, height-adjustable tables. Positive customer feedback on the tables inspired Herman Miller and Weber to expand the product line and enhance its capabilities. Weber's other designs for Herman Miller include the Caper chair and the design of the PostureFit lower back support system introduced on Herman Miller's Aeron chair in 2002 both with partner Bill Stumpf. The two designers are partners in Stumpf, Weber + Associates, Minneapolis.

Avive--it rhymes with "alive"--is a word created to reflect the collection's agile, mobile nature. It's based on the Latin words "vivus" meaning alive, life-giving and "vivere"--meaning to live.

Environmentally Friendly
The Avive collection also reflects Herman Miller's commitment to the environment, beginning with the company's number one design and environmental criteria, durability. The aluminum and steel understructures are 100 percent recyclable, and the work surface substrates are made from 80-90 percent reclaimed wood content. Formcoat work surfaces are powder-coated, so there are no emissions of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) during manufacturing and use. Avive is also designed for easy disassembly. It requires little effort to take apart and separate its material components for recycling at the end of its useful life.

A Cost-Effective Choice
Avive table surfaces come in squared-edge laminate, contoured-edge laminate, Formcoat, and squared-edge veneer, including a selection of eight premium Geiger veneers.

All Avive table desks and tables come with casters or glides and are pin-height adjustable in one-inch increments over a five-inch range.

"With Avive, customers can pick and choose, mix and match, and create a complete solution tailored to the various requirements of their work facility," said Herman Miller Product Manager H.D. Ihrman. "The savings achieved after a couple reconfigurations makes the Avive collection a cost-effective choice."

All Avive products are covered by Herman Miller's 12-year warranty.

Additional information on the Avive table collection is available from Herman Miller dealers.

Herman Miller creates great places to work by researching, designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative interior furnishings that support companies, organizations, and individuals all over the world. The company's award-winning designs, complemented by furniture management and strategic consulting services, generated over $1.46 billion in revenue during fiscal 2002. Again in 2003 Herman Miller was named among "America's Most Admired" companies by Fortune magazine and included in Business Ethics magazine's "100 Best Corporate Citizens." The company trades on the NASDAQ stock market under the symbol MLHR. For additional information about the company, visit www.hermanmiller.com.