Expert Q&As

We spoke with Glenn Marthens, owner of Milton Terry Associates, Inc., about the benefits of green furniture.

Can you tell our readers about the history of Milton Terry Associates, Inc.?
Milton Terry started in 1975 and was originally owned by a man named Paul Terry. I began doing deliveries for the company in 1981 while I was going to college for marketing. When I graduated in 1983, I was offered a job. By 1986, I bought the business. Initially, we sold 90 percent pre-owned furniture and 10 percent new furniture. Today, we're a designing firm and we sell 90 percent new furniture and 10 percent pre-owned furniture. We've come a long way. Right now we're also on the forefront of the green movement.

What would you do for a new client who is looking to set up an office?
First, we would do an analysis of what the client needs and what they're currently using. Sometimes people come to me after the walls are already built, but we like to get in there early so we can determine where the walls will be built based on what they need. Certain departments have certain needs, and other departments have other needs. So, the size of the rooms and work stations may vary from department to department.

I think we accelerate productivity in an office because of the functionality of the way we design our space. If you do things right, you can make a difference in how productive an office will be.

Can you give our readers a quick crash-course in green furniture?
Sure. We buy products that are Green Guard certified. Green Guard tests furniture for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). 90 percent of the furniture that we purchase today has been tested for that. We also sell furniture that has been manufactured within a 500-mile radius. Buying locally produced products cuts down on fossil fuel consumption because they don't have to travel as far to reach consumers. Those are two big factors: eliminating dangerous toxins and buying locally.

At what point did you see green furniture take off? What was the catalyst for the new demand?
One reason demand is going up is because the price is dropping. I couldn't really do anything until my manufacturers decided to take the lead. Hon is the largest manufacturer of office furniture in the world. Global Industries is number five. They are in the forefront of becoming greener. Global Industries has a 300,000 square foot manufacturing facility and they use just one, five-yard dumpster. That to me is just amazing. Think of all of the stuff that they produce and there's barely any garbage coming out. It's all reclaimed; 99 percent of the paint overspray is reclaimed, all of the extra scrap metal is reclaimed, and all of the extra plastic is recycled. They've also owned two recycling facilities for over 12 years. As green products become more prevalent, the price is dropping. So, as they became greener, I become greener. I can now go to the A&D community and give them the products that they were looking for.

Green furniture can also be used to gain LEED points. I have myself and one other staff member going for our LEED certification. We're hoping that this will help us to better coach people seeking LEED accreditation.

Where are you located?
We're located at 95 Chamberline Road in Oakridge New Jersey.

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