We are in difficult, trying times. Over the last few weeks, throughout the country, we have seen widespread unrest. All of the communities where Empire is a part of have been affected by the recent events. While we are opposed to any form of violence, our nation cannot turn a “blind eye” to intolerance, injustice and inequity, to any person, or group of people. As an industry leader, it is important to address this, and to clearly state: we are committed to the principle that each individual is entitled to humanity, safety, liberty, and security.

Empire is extremely proud of our diverse population of employees, made up of people from many backgrounds, races and ethnicities. This rich diversity makes us better as individuals and as a company. This diversity also assists us in every aspect of how we think and perform. Diversity makes us more innovative, and hopefully, helps us all embrace our differences for a common good.

While we are listening with open ears to the truths being communicated, we aren’t sitting idly by on the sidelines. Empire is committed to being part of the long overdue change in our country. This week we introduced our “90-day Charity Support Program,” in which we have identified certain charities to match employee donations dollar for dollar. We are proud to partner with these great organizations that serve a diverse community and are well known and respected.

Empire’s donations, combined with the donations of its employees, could lead to considerable monies donated to the respective charities, and Empire and its employees will be able to help support these important causes in a much-needed time in our nation’s history.

The charities in Empire’s Charity Program are as follows:

            1.         United Negro College Fund

            2.         United Way

            3.         National Urban League

We will consolidate all donations and make the matching donations on August 31, 2020.

Beyond the charity contributions, Empire has been committed to and will continue to uphold our equal opportunity employer status promoting diversity and inclusion within our own workplace.

It is our sincere hope and prayer that the universal outcry from these events will bring about tangible changes that will create a more just and inclusive society.

We wish everyone good health and safety during these trying times.

The Empire Management Team

We are all watching closely as the situation with the COVID-19 global pandemic unfolds. Day-by-day changes are affecting our daily lives and, in turn, our businesses.

Our goal is to keep you informed, through effective communications and this webpage, on the continually changing landscape we find ourselves in. If you’re a current customer with an on-going project, please bookmark this page and stay connected with us for important updates in the days, weeks and months to come.

We wish you and your loved ones good health during these uncertain times, and we thank you for your attention and continued support.

 

***

Update 3/24/20

Please read below for a critical update regarding Steelcase operations.

The Empire executive management team has been in contact with senior members of Steelcase over the past two days working through details of this current situation and what this means for our clients.

Here’s what we know.

The Governor of Michigan put a “shelter in place” order on the state, and as such, Steelcase Grand Rapids operation is now closed to all non-essential business* as of today, March 24.

(*Read more on what is considered an essential business by the State of Michigan, which is different than New York State, but affects NY clients.)

Current orders:

New Orders:

Exempt “Essential” Clients:

 

TO BE CLEAR: THE ONLY ORDERS DEEMED ESSENTIAL ARE THOSE FOR HEALTHCARE-RELATED BUSINESSES.

 

FOR NON-STEELCASE ORDERS:

STORAGE:

SHORT-TERM ALTERNATIVES:

We remain fully committed to supporting our client-base as well as design partners during this unprecedented time we are facing. Most importantly, we want you to know we are here for you, and we are in this together.

 

***

Update 3/20/20

PLEASE READ BELOW FOR AN IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR OUR NEW YORK/TRI-STATE CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS:

In light of today’s announcement by the Governor of New York enforcing 100% of all nonessential workers to stay home, Empire Office is taking the necessary steps to adhere to the guidelines put in place by our state officials.

Here are some critical updates:

Right now, communication is more important than ever. We are committed to providing regular updates here and invite you to bookmark this page to stay on top of critical information from our end.

We want to hear from you too, and encourage you to be in touch with your Empire sales rep to discuss updates to your upcoming projects and overall business operability status.

Our hope is that this restriction does not last long, and we can all get back to business as usual as soon as possible. We sincerely hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy in these uncertain times. We will be here to support you in any way we can.

Empire Office Leadership Team

***
Update 3/18/20

Dear Valued Customers and Partners,

We are continuing to monitor the effects of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and as such, we wanted to inform you of our updated plans for business continuity.

We are happy to report that our deliveries are operating as normal, with regular shipments being received on a daily basis at all of our warehouse locations. Installations are also progressing as scheduled, and our crews in the field are taking extreme precautions to limit any exposure. Client meetings are still taking place, although many are now happening virtually.

Here’s what’s new:

Our commitment to the safety of our employees as well as our continued business operations remains our top priorities at this time. We will follow closely any new announcements from Federal and Local governments and will continue to keep you up to date as things progress.

We also invite you to communicate any changes from your end as well. Delays in schedules or operations due to corporate or building requirements as well as other pre-furniture installations and suppliers are important pieces of information for us to be able to plan ahead as well.

We have set up this special page on our website to ensure updated information is always readily accessible. Please bookmark this page and refer back to it often. We will continue to send emails with updates as needed.

Be safe and healthy, and please reach out with any questions or concerns regarding the information contained here. Thank you for your continued support.

Empire Office Leadership Team

 

***
Update 3/9/20

As promised, we are continuing to monitor the unique situation with COVID-19. As predicted, the virus continues to spread, and we continuously watch the impact it might have on our employees, our customers, and our industry.

We are currently operating as “business as usual,” but we are watching the situation as it continues to develop. We have put precautions in place to keep our employees healthy, including a thorough cleaning of our offices by professional cleaning crews on a nightly basis and antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizers distributed and available to all employees. We have restricted travel and are strictly enforcing a work from home policy for employees not feeling well.

Our primary supplier, Steelcase, also continues to operate as “business as usual,” and they see no disruption in their supply chain as their North American production is made in North America (US and Mexico). They have very little to no impact related to any Asian supply issues. This fact was verified with Steelcase again this morning.

A quote from the Steelcase announcement:
“Our global supply chain continues to meet customer commitments. Our operations teams across the globe remain focused on the single goal of no customer disruptions. Throughout our three regions, teams are monitoring daily inventory levels and are analyzing multiple tiers within our supply chains in search of any parts or materials that may be at-risk. We have evaluated our 30-day, 60-day and 90-day supply and have already taken actions to reduce risk.“

If circumstances require us to do so, we could leverage our position as Steelcase’s largest dealer to assist our clients.

We are also staying connected with all other top suppliers to ensure they are also operating as “business as usual.” We will advise if we hear of any significant disruptions to the operations of our top vendors.

As this is a developing event with local and global effects, we continue to closely monitor and make the required adjustments to our operating plan. We will continue to update you as the situation further develops. If you have any questions or concerns, we will be happy to address and assist.

We encourage you to stay up to date with the latest updates provided by the CDC here.

Thank you for your continued support and trust in Empire. We look forward to continuing to provide the same level of service our clients are accustomed to, even in these challenging times.

Sincerely,

The Empire Leadership Team

Inspiration and tips in your inbox

Sign up for our monthly report with the latest on our finds.


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
EMPIRE OFFICE INC. HQ

654 Madison Avenue, 14th FL
New York, NY 10065 info@empireoffice.com|212-607-5500


Atlanta|Hollywood|Orlando

Secaucus|Tampa


      

INSPIRATIONS & INSIGHTS
News
Steelcase 360 Research