Kimball International Wins Environmental LEED Award

Kimball International, Inc. (NASDAQ:KBALB - News) a global manufacturer and marketer of high-quality office furniture and durable electronics, announced today that it has earned the prestigious Gold level LEED-CI certification for environmentally responsible design from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The certification was for the company's new flagship showroom located in Jasper, Indiana.

LEED-CI (which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - Commercial Interiors) is the recognized standard for certifying high-performance "green" interiors that are healthy, productive places to work, are less costly to operate and maintain, and reduce environmental footprint, according to the USGBC. In the office furniture industry this is particularly important because it provides measurable guidelines for addressing clients' requests for sustainable products and office-place solutions. LEED-CI offers four levels of certification: baseline certified, followed by silver, gold and platinum certification, each level being predicated on specific design and environmental criteria.

Partnering with Kimball on the design of the facility was TVS Interiors of Chicago and Atlanta. "Kimball is the first company in Indiana to win LEED-CI certification," said Carlie Bullock-Jones, sustainable design team leader for TVS and member of the USGBC's Core Committee for the LEED-CI program. "It is such a pleasure to work with a company so solid in their commitment to sustainability," she added.

The completely renovated 35,500 sq. ft. showroom highlights Kimball's rich history and houses the Company's individual furniture brand showrooms: Kimball Office, National, and Kimball Hospitality. In addition to the Gold-rated showroom, TVS Interiors is also working with Kimball on sustainable-design projects in Chicago and New York.

"We're extremely honored to have received this Gold certification and appreciate the assistance of the TVS design team in this area," said Dan Miller, Kimball International Executive Vice President, and President, Furniture. "Concern for our environment and 'leading by example' in the promotion of environmentally responsible business practices is central to Kimball's corporate philosophy. This achievement concretely demonstrates how we help our clients realize their goals for the environment and LEED-CI certification."

To meet LEED-CI's rigorous standards, Kimball and TVS Interiors implemented several innovative and creative strategies, including recycling 96.5 percent of the project's waste materials. "It's a wonderful story... During the 'deconstruction' process, Kimball went so far as to carefully dismantle wood trims, ceiling tiles and grids, light fixtures, and donated these types of items to others in the local community," said Bullock-Jones. "During construction, the plan and goals were to reuse some building materials as well as recycling as much waste as possible. To be able to say that 96.5 percent of the project's construction waste was diverted from going into a landfill is quite remarkable!"

Other sustainable strategies for the showroom involved:

• Preservation of natural resources through the use of local, recycled and rapidly renewable materials;


• Optimization of occupants' well-being through the use of natural light and monitoring of thermal comfort;


• Minimization or elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in materials specified for paints, adhesives, carpets and composite wood materials;


• Utilization of GREENGUARD ®-certified furniture from Kimball Office and National, where appropriate;


• Lessening of the "heat island effect" by incorporating a white reflective roofing material;


• Reducing water consumption by incorporating low-flow plumbing.

TVS Interiors, Inc. is a nationally recognized interior design firm with offices in Atlanta and Chicago. The firm is known throughout the industry for its progressive interiors and has provided services for many "FORTUNE 100" clients. The firm is a corporate affiliate of the architectural firm TVS, recipient of the AIA 2002 Architecture Firm Award. TVS Interiors is consistently listed as one of the nation's top 100 interior design firms. For additional information, please visit www.tvsa.com.