66 | MANUFACTURING Crestline Furniture Systems CRESTLINE .CO.NZ/ WORKPLACE FURNITURE SYSTEMS EXPERTS AT WORK Company continues to flourish Recent projects include Tauranga City Council’s main office fit-out on Devonport Road. T T Sue Russell “We’re very conscious of what has been achieved since the early days of trading pioneered by Owen and we’re looking forward to continuing to evolve and adapt in an exciting industry....” There’s something intrinsically valuable, yet hard to ground in words, that happens when a family-owned business, carrying the impulse from its founding, grows from humble beginnings into a nationally recognised brand. Such is the biography of Crestline Furniture Systems, starting life in 1987, when the company forged a way forward through the uncertainty of the share market crash, trading refurbished second-hand furniture, seizing opportunities to build the business and its reputation along the way. This legacy still features prominently in the company today that hallmarks its special character, and which, as third generation Ryan Renton says, underpins the company’s values and way of doing business. “We know everyone has good days and tough ones, and the environment we work in can make a real difference to both. That’s why we keep this front of mind in everything we design, creating workplaces where people enjoy being with their colleagues and where Monday mornings are something to look forward to.” Right from the start, wired into the company’s DNA today, is this commitment to really listen and understand what clients need, and for the last 40 years they’ve served the commercial sector with this mindset, understanding just how critical the work environment is to the success of any business. He puts much of Crestline’s growth down to its people, ‘experts at work’ who bring together deep industry knowledge and a genuine willingness to help. It’s an approach that has seen the business grow to four showrooms across Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and, more recently, Christchurch. Crestline Furniture belongs to the ‘All of Government supply panel’, which recognises businesses capable of supplying the standard required of Government agencies and to deliver projects at scale, something Ryan says is the result of a track-record of innovative thinking and proven performance. Teams of designers, inhouse and in professional partnerships, sit at the heart of the company’s capabilities. One designer, Scott Fitzsimons, in collaboration with Crestline Furniture Systems is breaking new ground with the launch of an environmentally sustainable sofa, the SF-01, created from the aspiration to evolve soft upholstery furniture into something far more sustainable. The breakthrough modular design uses non-toxic materials and avoids the glues and permanently bonded layers found in traditional sofas. Its strawboard frame clips together, while removable covers and natural latex cushioning can be individually replaced or renewed, extending the life of the sofa indefinitely. “This is really exciting with the SF-01 having been nominated for an international furniture design award.” Interactions with clients begin with gaining a thorough understanding of their wants, needs and visions for their project. “We like to think that we’re there to help clients clarify their priorities, what it is they aspire to for their teams in the workspace.” When a company is considering an office move, approaching a lease decision, outgrowing their current space, or simply finding that their workplace no longer supports the way their team wants to work, he and the team are there to help. Projects recently crossing the desk include Tauranga City Council’s main office fit-out on Devonport Road and supply and installation of flexible, sustainable furniture solutions for the Manawataki o Te Papa Library and Community Hub project in the city, completing later this year. Next year promises to be a milestone one, blowing out 40 candles on the cake, a moment Ryan says provides an opportunity to acknowledge how far the business has come while looking ahead to the next 40 years. “We’re very conscious of what has been achieved since the early days of trading pioneered by Owen and we’re looking forward to continuing to evolve and adapt in an exciting industry, providing clients with our understanding, support and expertise. “It’s what keeps us turning up for work on Monday!”
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