Kimball International Launches ‘Creating Places to Belong’ Initiative

Furniture manufacturer Kimball International recently announced the launch of its “Creating Places to Belong” initiative with the goal of making employees feel valued and connected to their workplace, according to a news release. The company launched a microsite and an interactive playbook developed through research and conversations with customers that contains tools, stories, insights, inspiration, and conversation about what it means to create a welcoming environment.

“As employers, we know that we are providing something much more than a workspace,” said Kimball International Chief Operating Officer Kourtney Smith. “We are really providing places for people to belong.”

Alongside its workplace campaign, Kimball has also launched Education and Health versions of “Creating Places to Belong.” The data-driven insights, personal video interviews, and solution suggestions all lead to the message that “the right spaces create connections,” according to the news release. A mix of environments can support a variety of tasks, whether collaborative or solo projects. Factors like hybrid environments, prioritizing flexibility, focusing on inclusion and belonging, and supporting mental health and overall well-being all lead to employees feeling at home in their space, the news release reports.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • 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.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.