Knoll to Distribute Residential and Workplace Designs in India; Company Forms Partnership With Godrej Interio, India's Leading Manufacturer and Distributor of Office and Residential Furniture

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Knoll, Inc. today announced a partnership with Godrej Interio, India's leading home and office furniture distributor. Godrej Interio is a unit of Godrej Group.

As part of the agreement, Godrej Interio  will operate Knoll Experience Centers by Godrej Interio. Flagship Knoll Experience Centers are envisioned in  Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, replicating the signature showroom environments that Knoll has created in North America, Europe and the Middle East; the first Knoll Experience Center is expected to open in Mumbai in 2011. In addition, the partnership will leverage Godrej Interio's network of over 200 direct sales representatives throughout India.

Commenting on the partnership with Godrej, Andrew B. Cogan, CEO Knoll, stated: "We are excited to bring our unparalleled portfolio of international designs to India through a distinguished,  market-savvy partner. This initiative is an important stage in our international development, and we are sure that Indian consumers will love our classic and contemporary designs for the home and office."

Anil Mathur, COO, Godrej Interio, commented, "Our alliance with Knoll heralds the beginning of a new era in the evolution of interior décor in India. By bringing Knoll's world class designs to India, we will provide high quality and design products, to satisfy the imagination and aspiration of selective consumers. We are tremendously excited about this venture and our decision to partner with Knoll in India."

Joseph E. MacIsaac, President, Knoll International, added: "We believe our partnership with Godrej is an excellent fit for both companies. The presentation of Knoll products to the Indian market through the Knoll Experience Centers will offer architects and interior designers, local and multi-national corporate clients and the individual high-end consumer an engaging way to select and specify Knoll products."

Each Knoll Experience Center will showcase signature Knoll designs for residences and the workplace, including landmark collaborations with celebrated international architects and designers, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Isamu Noguchi, George Nakashima, Marcel Breuer, Warren Platner and Frank Gehry, individuals who have created some of the most influential designs of our time. The Experience Centers will also sell new designs by Cini Boeri, Ross Lovegrove and Joseph Paul D'Urso.  

Two recently introduced Knoll products for the workplace and home office, Generation by Knoll® and Antenna Workspaces®, will be also be sold through Godrej Interio and the Knoll Experience Centers.  Designed by Formway Design, Generation by Knoll ® takes elastic design—where a product rearranges itself in response to its user—to a new level.  Antenna Workspaces® reflects the freedom and mobility people seek in today's office, blending desks, tables, storage units and screens.

About Godrej Interio:

Godrej Interio is India's largest furniture brand. From manufacturing the humble Storwel cupboard 80 years back to being a vibrant, innovative brand with a diverse portfolio – it's been a brilliant, exciting journey for us. True to the Godrej mission to conserve the environment, we design products, set up processes and use raw materials that are eco-friendly to do our bit to preserve natural resources. We offer our customers home and office furniture, along with solutions for laboratories, hospitals and healthcare establishments, education and training institutes, shipyards and navy, auditoriums and stadiums. We are present across India through our 50 exclusive showrooms in 18 cities and through 800 dealer outlets. Godrej Interio is a business unit of Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. - part of the Godrej Group, one of India's largest engineering and consumer product groups.

About Knoll

Since 1938, Knoll has been recognized internationally for creating workplace and residential furnishings that inspire, evolve, and endure. Today, the Knoll commitment to modern design, understanding of the workplace, and dedication to sustainable design have yielded a unique portfolio of products that respond and adapt to changing needs. Knoll is aligned with the U.S. Green Building Council and can help companies, healthcare organizations, and educational institutions achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) workplace certification. Knoll is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk program.

SOURCE Knoll, Inc.