Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

BIFMA and EDmarket Form Partnership to Produce First-Ever Education Market Furniture Report

  • 01/31/18

Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) and the Education Market Association (EDmarket) recently announced their partnership to conduct an extensive study of furniture in the education market.

“We are excited to work with a well-established and trusted partner and representative in the contract furniture industry, whose forward-looking vision encompasses the education market,” said Jim McGarry, EDmarket President and CEO.

The extensive study will inform and serve as a conduit for feedback and input from key members of the industry in the education arena. This unique body of research will facilitate informed, strategic decision-making for the industry, based on market trends identified through the understanding of collected data, and provide a better comprehension of overall trends and where the industry is headed. The final report will be available to participating manufacturer companies, with an executive brief accessible to the public.

BIFMA Executive Director, Thomas Reardon, agreed with Jim, stating “This is a unique opportunity to explore a growth channel in our industry in a way that hasn’t been done before, with far-reaching impacts for future educational environments”.

As with other highly respected BIFMA industry reports, the data collection process will be strictly managed by BDO, ensuring accurate information. BDO is an independent, third party audit and accounting firm that will guarantee confidentiality and anonymity for participants and their company data.

About the Education Market Association (EDmarket) The Education Market Association connects people who want to succeed in the education market by providing events, resources and leadership to those serving education, for more than 100 years. For more information on the Education Market Association, visit www.edmarket.org.

About BIFMA BIFMA is the trade association for business and institutional furniture manufacturers. Since 1973, BIFMAʼs role has been to monitor the state of the industry, serve as a forum for member cooperation and collaboration, sponsor the development and refining of current and future standards, educate on their importance and application, and translate their necessary complexity into more easily understood and implemented formats. Visit www.bifma.org.


Featured

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • ed tech conference calendar

    Upcoming Awards, Events & Webinars

  • Longwood University Hits Construction Milestone on New Music Education Facility

    Longwood University in Farmville, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of its new music education and performance facility, according to a news release. The university partnered with development and construction firm Skanska on the 63,800-square-foot facility, which began construction in August 2025 and has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.