Herman Miller: Alliance with Legrand

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Marking a significant milestone in the future of commercial building energy efficiency, two industry powerhouses - Herman Miller, Inc. (Nasdaq: MLHR - News), a leading global provider of interior furnishings and related technologies and services, and Legrand North America, an innovative manufacturer of electrical and network infrastructure solutions - today announced a strategic alliance designed to broaden the reach of energy management strategies to fuel the adoption of flexible, sustainable spaces, ultimately reducing real estate and building operating costs while improving worker productivity.

The companies noted that demand for more energy efficient solutions is intensifying, with commercial buildings currently accounting for 18 percent of the nation's total energy consumption(1), and energy dependence and management topping the agendas of key influencers.

Under the terms of the agreement, technology from Herman Miller's Convia(R), Inc. subsidiary will be embedded into Wiremold(R) wire and cable management systems from Legrand. These include modular power and lighting distribution systems, floor boxes, poke-thru devices and architectural columns, which provide flexible, accessible power distribution to building owners and managers. Convia technology integrates a facility's power delivery and other infrastructure and technology applications, including lighting, HVAC, and occupancy and daylight harvesting sensors into an energy efficient, easy-to manage platform. Under the new alliance, "Convia-enabled" Wiremold systems will enhance this capability by adding control and monitoring of office plug loads (the amount of energy drawn by devices from an electrical outlet) and lighting loads. The "Convia-enabled" Wiremold offering provides a truly integrated control solution for end-to-end power applications. "Convia-enabled" building infrastructure products will be marketed and sold by Legrand to building specifiers and owners through its network of over 2,000 electrical distributors. In addition, the two companies will continue to advance energy management strategies through the ongoing development of innovations that leverage the Convia technology for the built environment.

"Buildings are rigid, yet change is constant," said Brian Walker, CEO, Herman Miller. "While technology continues to change our lives and how we work, building infrastructures have remained static, relatively inflexible, and largely unable to keep up with the evolving needs of the people and organizations who occupy them. Our partnership with Legrand supports the adoption of energy management strategies across organizations with technologies that work together seamlessly, and can be easily programmed and adjusted as needs change. By combining Herman Miller's expertise in problem-solving design in furnishings and interiors technology with Legrand's superior wire and cable management for building infrastructure and its deep distribution network, we can successfully deliver the ultimate solution to maximize energy efficiency across all parts of a building."

"At Legrand, our culture is grounded in innovations that translate into customer benefits," said John Selldorff, CEO, Legrand North America. "This alliance allows us to enhance the capabilities of our current Wiremold system. The result is a modular, flexible wiring system now equipped to support energy conservation."

Industry Leaders' Expertise Enables End-to-End Energy Management

Herman Miller, known worldwide for its forward-thinking furniture design, has made significant strides in the realm of smart building platforms and programmable technology since the launch of its Convia, Inc. subsidiary and signature product in 2006. Recognized for its energy management strategies - including the 2009 Frost & Sullivan Industry Innovation and Advancement of the Year Award, 2008 CoreNet Global Innovator Award, 2007 Gold Best of NeoCon(R), and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design's GOOD DESIGN(R) Award - Convia recently secured several high-profile projects including the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Convia technology will be integral to the Legrand product offerings as well as the forthcoming Herman Miller Energy Manager workstation solution, which will bring energy management strategies to the individual worker level, allowing for plug load control, and the measurement and management of energy consumption in workstations.

Recognized for more than 100 years and considered the premier brand for electrical distribution products, Wiremold/Legrand offers an extensive range of wire and cable pathway solutions for commercial, institutional and residential buildings. The Vista(R) Architectural Column was awarded the Gold Best of NeoCon award in the workplace technologies category when it was introduced in 2002. Other innovative products, such as DS4000(R) Raceway, the Evolution(TM) Poke-Thru and the multi-service floor box, have been honored by industry publications including Consulting-Specifying Engineer and EC&M as products of the year.

"Together we can create products that truly address all the needs of our customers and allow for end-to-end power applications," adds Walker. "Roughly 80 percent of people say they are uncomfortable with their workspace. When you consider that 50,000 commercial buildings are demolished each year, and that 45 percent of the world's greenhouse gases are produced by commercial and industrial buildings(2), it's clear we need to rethink how our buildings are created, used and changed. This alliance will enable us to offer solutions that give occupants more control over their energy consumption, and help them keep up with the fast pace of change in a digital society."

About Herman Miller

Herman Miller works for a better world around you - with inventive designs, technologies and related services that improve the human experience wherever people work, heal, learn, and live. Its curiosity, ingenuity, and design excellence create award-winning products and services, resulting in more than $2 billion in revenue in fiscal 2008. The company's Convia, Inc. subsidiary offers agile and modular building platforms that enable radically flexible spaces and easy adaptation to address evolving user needs and new technologies. Innovative business practices and a commitment to social responsibility have also established Herman Miller as a recognized global company. In 2009, Herman Miller was again cited by FORTUNE as both the "Most Admired" in its industry and among the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in America, while Fast Company named Herman Miller among the innovative "Companies to Watch." Herman Miller is a component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol MLHR.

www.hermanmiller.com

About Legrand

The Legrand Group is the global specialist in products and systems for electrical installations and information networks where people live and work. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for use in commercial, industrial and residential markets makes it a benchmark for suppliers worldwide. Innovation for a steady flow of new products with high added value is a prime vector for growth. Backed by sound business and financial structures, Legrand is actively expanding its presence in fast-growing geographical zones and market segments that include lighting controls, energy savings and home automation, through a sustained stream of targeted, self-financed acquisitions and other initiatives. The Legrand Group employed 34,800 people around the globe and reported sales of euro 4.2 billion in 2008. The company is listed on Euronext Paris and is a component stock of indexes including the SBF120, FTSE4Good and MSCI World (ISIN code FR0010307819). In 2000, Legrand acquired The Wiremold Company, headquartered in West Harford, Conn. Today, Wiremold/Legrand is the leader in wire and cable management systems, including metal and nonmetallic raceways, power-poles, poke-thru devices, floor boxes, Walker® infloor systems, plug-in outlet centers, firestopping systems, and innovative architectural columns.

(1) U.S. Department of Energy www.energy.gov/news2009/7251.htm

(2) Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas and Sinks: 1990-2005. "USEPA#430-R-07-002, Table 2-16: U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Economic Sector and Gas with Electricity-Related Emissions" April 2007 www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html
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