BioFit debuts new chair in Chicago

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Ed Metzger shows off
BioFit’s new chair. (Photo: J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune)

"A chair is still a chair even when there’s no one sittin’ there," begins a Luther Vandross
song.
Local manufacturer BioFit has developed a line of workplace chairs which its officials believe is more
than ordinary, especially when someone is sitting there.
According to Edward Metzger, president of BioFit, the MVMT line (pronounced movement) addresses needs of
facilities within some specialty markets.
Today in Chicago, BioFit is debuting MVMT chairs at NeoCon, a major trade show for commercial interiors.

Focusing on ergonomics the chair has been designed to move with the technician or other worker while they
use it.
Metzger indicated the various adjustments including one which tilts the chair slightly forward to keep
the back in contact with the user as they work at a computer or lab station.
Beyond that a MVMT chair also has been designed for sterile and sensitive areas so the chair is also safe
without someone using it.
Metzger said officials in designing this line with award-winning designer Bruce Fifield, of Studio
Fifield in Milan, Italy, wanted to address the needs of those who use the chair. The collection focuses
initially on specialty markets such as laboratories and technology areas where static and/or cleanliness
are vital such as "clean rooms." The manufacturing of the chair also features a new process
for the rural Bowling Green facility, a special machine heats a glue which molds the upholstery to the
foam form and assures the seat retains its shape.
Metzger says the beginnings of this line dates back to 2007 with the company’s growth stra tegy. By
seeking input from prospective customers, they found this "missing gap in workplace seating."

The chair has been developed with users across the globe in mind. Ideas and prototypes have been
researched with input from Paris, Singapore and other European and Asian cities as well as American
sites. Metzger said the VOC (voice of customers) indicated they needed a more attractive and efficient
chair.
Designers went to Ford Headquarters in the Detroit area and sat and watched people while they worked. The
chair was designed to meet those needs as they moved left and right, back and forward, truly in every
direction.
The chair components are designed to minimize if not eliminate any static for static-sensitive areas.
Metzger said the chairs can also be fitted with covers to keep all metal parts covered and hermetically
sealed to minimize any susceptibility to rust. The specialty vinyl used is also easy to clean and
maintain that cleanliness as to not contaminate a sterile environment.
"We have placed painstaking detail in this product to adapt to the environment. We are very excited
about this, I’m on pins and needles," Metzger said.
The seats are fully adjustable, and purchasers have the option of designing their own chairs through
adding or modifying various components based on their needs.
The president indicated there is strong interest from those working in the semi-conductor field,
pharmaceuticals as well as a company which creates artificial heart valves and other components.
"This chair is extremely comfortable and meets the needs of customers across the world,"
Metzger said. "There is a real potential for growth as no one is addressing the market."
He anticipates this line to double their seating sales. After that, "then we can see phenomenal
growth."
Metzger said one of the complaints regarding multiple movement chairs is knowing what the various
controls on the chair can do and how to use them. A QR code will be placed on each chair, allowing users
to scan the code and bring up the user manual. That manual can also be stored on the computer where the
chair is being used.
While initially designed for specialty environs, Metzger said they are already making plans for cloth
covers or mesh backs to allow the line to be expanded into a larger market.
There are only various prototypes available currently, Metzger hopes to have the line in full production
by October.
For more information on the MVMT line or BioFit, visit www.biofit.com or call 800-597-0246.

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