Buro celebrates the big 3-0 this month, entering our fourth decade of creating and designing the very best ergonomic seating. We’ve seen it all over the years, from groundbreaking new technology to fashion fads and rapidly changing design trends.
Since 1994, seating and commercial interior design have changed beyond recognition. In this article, we’ll explore our history, how we transformed office seating in New Zealand, and the secret to our success.
Buro’s impact on commercial seating
Ergonomic seating has thankfully become a standard feature in New Zealand offices since the launch of the Buro Persona, one of our first designs, in 1995.
Our founder David Boyd says Buro was one of the drivers of ergonomic seating in commercial settings. We entered the market when very few people had access to ergonomic furniture at work.
“We changed the industry by being ergonomically focused,” David says.
As a startup company, we entered a mature market and needed a point of difference to gain a foothold. The Buro Persona chair was a launchpad for 30 years of success.
Chris Phillips, our former product development manager, says: “Nobody wanted another player in the market, but the Persona and our other multifunctional chairs brought something new. A product that people could set up in a way that was finely tuned to them.”
Left: Buro at a tradeshow back in 1995-1996.
Right: One of our earlier team conferences in Rotorua in 2001.
Super-fast shipping
Our innovations have also influenced the way office chairs are shipped and supplied. Our slick supply chain and fast shipping times have raised industry standards.
Chris says: “At the time, our competitors were importing components, assembling the chair, and distributing it. We decided to do something different, and import the product almost fully completed, in one chair per box.”
“We changed industry standards,” David says. “In those days, a reseller would order chairs for a client and they would take three weeks to arrive. We changed that model and took it down to one or two days.”
“That meant we had to have a lot of stock on hand, but that’s what we did to provide better service and delivery to our clients,” David says.
We were also the first seating company to introduce extended warranties, underlining our status as a producer of high-quality furniture. This set the standard for the rest of the market.
“We were the first chair supplier to offer a five-year warranty, and others followed us,” David says. “Then we were the first to offer a 10-year warranty. Others followed us again.”
Evolutions in commercial seating
The reseller and retail market has also evolved since our early days. Furniture brands now play a much more active role in the after-sale process and engagement with customers.
Chris says: “In the early days, resellers or retailers held their own stock, they would buy quantities of seating from us, assemble it, deliver it, and look after the after-sale service,” he says. “But now, Buro takes care of all of those tasks directly.”
The retail market has also changed significantly since the 90s. Most of the prominent local mum-and-dad retailers from those days have been snapped up by big-box retailers and office suppliers.
“They now commission suppliers to put the product together, do branding, and service and maintain the brand,” Chris says. “Retailers now look to companies like Buro for expertise as seating specialists, as we understand international trends and work with the best supply partners.”
Over the years our furniture collection has diversified with Konfurb products such as the modular Konfurb Arco Series, designed for collaboration and connection in workspaces, but can also be reconfigured for public seating where more privacy is needed.
Our legendary conferences
What’s the secret to our success? Our close-knit team. Some of our most memorable moments over the years have happened at our company conferences. Our get-togethers have helped us build a strong workplace culture.
“My most memorable moments were the times we spent together as a team,” says Chris. “In the early days, our conferences were twice a year, and they were so important in establishing a credible team that loved being together and understood our mission.”
“That was a big focus of ours, to develop great team relationships,” Chris adds. “Those times spent together outside of the business to have fun created some great life experiences.”
“My favourite conference would be the one in Queenstown,” says key account manager Stephen Worsley. “It’s hard to have a bad conference in Queenstown, it’s a fun place, so I was very lucky to get to organise that one.”
Tim Howard, our general manager, adds: “Over the years, our conferences have been a great opportunity to get together with the people you’ve known for so many years and grown to love. It’s a chance to reconnect, celebrate success, and have a really good time.
“For me, it’s all about getting everyone together to celebrate who we are and what makes us unique. We’ve built an amazing team and our conferences have certainly helped me to recharge,” says Tim.
Team conferences have helped to bring the Buro team together over the years.
Leaving a legacy
Our top team of dedicated ergonomic experts has laid the foundation for a successful 30 years in business. Here’s to another 30 and beyond.
“Our success and longevity has a lot to do with our team culture and environment,” Chris says. “That continues today. It was always a wonderful place to work, and so many people who left would end up coming back.”
While we’re a much bigger operation than in 1994, Tim says people remain the heart of the business.
“In my time, I’ve noticed that Buro is all about the people. If I look at our business today, we’re all empowered employees who are really passionate about making a difference, with a great customer focus. We all have a desire to make the workspace a healthier place.”
Buro founder David adds: “I’m very proud that Buro has reached 30 years. It’s a fantastic achievement. That’s the legacy I left behind; for it to be a sustainable, profitable business with good systems in place. I never wanted a business that was reliant on me. Buro is still seen as trustworthy, having a great product, and having good, credible, honest, reliable people. That has continued on from 30 years ago.”
Our chairman Andrew Nugent says Buro will continue to blaze a trail in the industry, innovate, and try new things to improve ergonomics in New Zealand.
“I value our willingness to try different things and the belief that we can do whatever we choose to do. Our ability to focus on what we want to achieve, to care for our people, and to focus on customers.”
“Those core elements remain central to our business, and they will be core going forward,” Andrew says. “Lots has changed around us and in our business over the years, but our long-term values remain the same.”
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