Archive for the ‘eco friendly school furniture’ Category

Paragon Top Picks: School Furniture Resources Online

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05//31//2011 //Mark Hubbard
Posted in: eco friendly school furniture, education technology solutions, green school furniture manufacturing, innovative furniture design, paragon furniture, school furniture, space planning

Top School Furniture Resources OnlineSeems like the “smartest” folks we often know are the same folks who have the greatest internal and external resources.  Only a couple decades ago, only the hives with the largest stockpiles of honey could afford access.  But now, with all these incredible advancements in technology, the honeycomb has been leveled to such a degree that virtually all of us have an unfettered flight path directly to some of the richest information resources imaginable. At Paragon, we RELY on the ability to mine the very best ideas available…many of which bubble up from within our talent pool…and many of which come from customers, suppliers, competitors, product testers, industry reporters, and many more.  For those you who honor us with your patronage, we thought you might like to see some of the resources we consider most useful in our day-in/day-out activities here at Paragon.  Check these links out and we’re sure you’ll find the nectar just as sweet (alright…alright…I’m done with the whole honeybee metaphor…I only did it to show my retired teacher mother that I paid attention in her class…once).  Beezout!

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Posted in eco friendly school furniture, education technology solutions, green school furniture manufacturing, innovative furniture design, paragon furniture, school furniture, space planning | No Comments »

Paragon Supports Heart of America… READ-IT and you can too!

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04//18//2011 //Steve Pryor
Posted in: eco friendly school furniture, intuitive by paragon furniture, library furniture, paragon community involvement, paragon furniture, school furniture

Heart of America - READesignFounded in 1997, The Heart of America Foundation (HOA) began with one mission. To “teach the values at the heart of America and help people, particularly children, learn that they help themselves when they help others.”

Combining volunteerism and literacy, the focus of HOA is to provide children in need everywhere with the tools to read, succeed and make a difference.

Just walk into the library of a school that has benefitted from a READesign from Heart of America. The READesign® Library Makeover program engages volunteers, especially local youth, as well as corporate team members and other members of the community, in service and community involvement through library beautification and improvement activities, book distributions and one-on-one reading activities with children. The project provides tangible results in the form of a revitalized library, as well as the intangible results of engaging people in caring, compassionate community service to children in need.

Paragon has been a proud supporter of the READesign and is taking the commitment one step further. Now you contribute to Heart Of America every time you buy a READ-IT table. The generational friendly reading table that is part of our acclaimed Intuitive line, will be our flagship for promoting literacy.

Now, every time you buy a READ-IT table, Paragon will donate $5 from each sale towards the tireless efforts of Heart of America.

We can’t think of a better organization to support.

For more information on Heart of America and the work they do, please visit http://www.heartofamerica.org/

Heart of America - READ-IT table

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Posted in eco friendly school furniture, intuitive by paragon furniture, library furniture, paragon community involvement, paragon furniture, school furniture | No Comments »

5…4…3…2…1…Impact!

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03//18//2011 //Mark Hubbard
Posted in: classroom furniture, eco friendly school furniture, innovative furniture design, paragon furniture

Impact On Learning

This week, the Peter Li Education Group, publishers of educational industry-focused magazines School Panning & Management and College Planning & Management, released a special multimedia program entitled “Impact On Learning.”

To kick off the program, Editor, Deb Moore and her team of researchers, inculcate their findings in a thirty-one page examination of various case studies surrounding the impact of the physical environment on a student’s ability to learn and (equally important) an instructor’s ability to teach.

The publication’s first real-world look at how the physical properties of a school are planned, manufactured and delivered features the winning (and not in the Charlie Sheen kind of way!) combination of Paragon Furniture and Contrax Furnishings on the Cedar Creek High School project in Cedar Creek, TX (part of the Bastrop ISD).

The key takeaways from the project snapshot are:
• Open environments where learning can break out in any and all spaces.
• Student collaboration requires flexible furniture that can reconfigure on the fly.
• A clear Supplier-Project Manager-End user communication channel greatly increases a project’s success rate.
To read more about the Cedar Creek High School project, check out www.planning4education.com, keyword “Impact on Learning.”

Posted in classroom furniture, eco friendly school furniture, innovative furniture design, paragon furniture | No Comments »

Paragon Furniture’s Hubbard Announces The Company Is Taking Over!

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10//10//2010 //Mark Hubbard
Posted in: eco friendly school furniture, paragon furniture

THIS JUST IN… BREAKING NEWS!!!  LOOK OUT EDUCATIONAL FURNITURE WORLD!!!

Paragon's Hubbard takes overARLINGTON, TX (aka the Philtrum of DFW) – In a statement issued at 3:50pm CST, Wednesday, Oct 6th, Paragon Furniture President, Mark Hubbard, announced the company is going to become the leading supplier of furniture built for education and training environments.  Curiously, the statement was issued only moments after right handed flame-throwing Texas Ranger pitcher, Neftali Feliz, recorded the final out in game 1 of the Rangers 5-1 American League Division Series win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Clearly buoyed by only the 2nd playoff victory in Texas Rangers’ history, Hubbard said, “Ya man, we’re just going to lace ‘em up, go out there and play our game to the bestus of our ability.”  In describing Paragon’s strategy for what would be unprecedented growth in a mature industry, Hubbard answered with a question of his own: “We finally figured out that we can only grow if we sell more than we used to.  So, we’ve decided we’re going to do more selling and take over the world, like Hans Gruber commanded the feathered hairstyle in ‘Die Hard’, you know what I’m sayin’?” 

Misquoting President John F. Kennedy, Hubbard attempted to rally Paragon employees, while speaking in Irish accent: “Ask not what Paragon can do for you – ask everybody you know to do more buying from Paragon.”  Undeterred by the audible and collective groan from the audience, Hubbard went on to parody Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA,” by substituting “Please Buy From Us Today.” 

Asked about Paragon’s unsurpassed reputation for making quality computer lab tables, school desks, workstations, library shelving, and media cabinets, Hubbard credited the hard work of all Paragon employees (excluding himself), double rainbows, and pine tar. 

For more about Paragon Furniture and its world domination plan, please visit www.paragoninc.com.

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Posted in eco friendly school furniture, paragon furniture | 1 Comment »

Ideas: the currency in which we trade

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04//23//2010 //Mark Hubbard
Posted in: custom school furniture, eco friendly school furniture, education technology solutions, green school furniture manufacturing, innovative furniture design, intuitive by paragon furniture, paragon furniture

LEARN-IT school desk with accessory bookboxEvery now and then great ideas come along.  You know, like Heaven, Vegas, hair bands, and funnel cakes.  Man, those are real eureka moments when you discover practical uses for those ideas.  It’s sweeter still to not only benefit from great ideas but to catch that productive spark thrown from the mind’s Catherine Wheel and be the origin of them.

As product makers, we’re sustained by turning our ideas into solutions.  Doing so keeps us light on our feet and leaning into the creative trade winds.  We also rely largely on the ideas of our customer; these are the folks with the practical knowledge of what does and doesn’t work in the real world. 

Every time I pass through our showroom and see the new INTUitIVe by Paragon table series (aka “it”), I am reminded that the secret spring to product success is coiled around design, durability, and function.   Our LEARN-IT school desk, for example, couples great looks and hardiness in a 14 gauge steel, custom milled 2×1 ¾” “D-round” leg tube shape, 1 ¼” thick 45lb medium density particle board top core material, and riveted aluminum end cap.  Function imbues LEARN-IT with our patent pending glass nylon bezel sleeve with 8 points of contact within leg insert. 

Recently, we developed a 16 gauge perforated steel book/laptop storage compartment in two vertical depths that can be used with our LEARN-IT (picture shown), TEAM-IT, COLLABORATE-IT, and COMPUTE-IT.   We don’t distinguish these days between a classroom and the ol’ computer lab.  Instead, we see learning spaces where computing is as common as a no. 2 pencil and the Swingline stapler.  We’re experimenting with different paints for this accessory…matching with plastic chair…a look we haven’t seen much.

From elementary schools and college campuses to office environments, Paragon’s eco friendly school furniture is delivering lifetime warranty solutions.  So, here’s another great idea:  Check out our INTUitIVE series where you’ll see furniture moving forward!

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Posted in custom school furniture, eco friendly school furniture, education technology solutions, green school furniture manufacturing, innovative furniture design, intuitive by paragon furniture, paragon furniture | 2 Comments »

Google : Topeka :: WooHoo : Planet Paragon

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04//01//2010 //Liz Ensign
Posted in: custom school furniture, eco friendly school furniture, green school furniture manufacturing, innovative furniture design, intuitive by paragon furniture, paragon furniture

Hitchhiker's Guide To Planet Paragon

Watch our new rockin’ photo slideshow to find out why everyone on Planet Paragon is singing “WOOHOO!”

Click to play Paragon Furniture Rocks slideshow
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Posted in custom school furniture, eco friendly school furniture, green school furniture manufacturing, innovative furniture design, intuitive by paragon furniture, paragon furniture | 1 Comment »

Marching to the beat of a different summer

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02//05//2010 //Mark Hubbard
Posted in: eco friendly school furniture, innovative furniture design, paragon furniture, quality school furniture

Marching to the beat of a different summer

There’s definitely a different rhythm leading into the 2010 school furniture sales season. Times are tough and spending is guarded. Husking away all the bad economic news to find the green shoots of opportunity takes more energy and focus than our industry has required in many years. So let’s grab our trowels and dig in!

Scarcity of sales opportunity has a way of making us all reassess our value, right? More than ever, we at Paragon are asking ourselves what compels a customer to sell our product over another. For 26 years, we have held to the business imperative that everything we do must improve our deliverable in some way. In 2010, in these lean times, those of us here on Planet Paragon feel more confident than ever that our products and services present extraordinary value. Here’s why:

• Quality product comes with a lifetime structural warranty against defects in materials, construction or workmanship. Long life cycle product results in higher return on investment as measured by years in-service.

• Customer Service: We do what we say we’re going to do with enthusiasm and genuine appreciation for the opportunity to serve. And when things occasionally don’t go perfectly, we fix problems quickly to minimize any negative impact to the customer.

• Customized solutions based on customer specifications, scope of job, and manufacturing capacity.

• We offer shipping options that minimize cost while ensuring safe and proper handling of your order.

• Environmental stewardship: Paragon passed the strict testing standards for low-emitting furniture in schools and as result qualifies for MAS Certified Green®. Let us help with you LEED qualifying school projects.

With spending on school furniture more scrutinized than ever, we can’t help but think investing in long-term solutions has never made more sense than right now. Presenting high quality, long-life-cycle products instead of cheap alternatives with a higher risk to fail, and at extraordinary frictional cost to relationships, requires an understanding of value. It takes making the case to a customer that investing in well-made products yields a higher return on every dollar spent. It takes marching to the beat of a different summer.

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Posted in eco friendly school furniture, innovative furniture design, paragon furniture, quality school furniture | 5 Comments »

Paragon and Green Certification

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01//28//2010 //Steve Pryor
Posted in: eco friendly school furniture, green school furniture manufacturing

Paragon's eco friendly school furniture meets MAS certified green standards.

Everyone wants to be green….but what does this mean when it comes to furniture?  At Paragon, we are accountable to an independent third-party to ensure that we are certified for low-VOC emissions.  VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds.  Simply put, the lower the emissions of VOCs , the better the indoor air quality.  Improved indoor air quality leads to better and healthier environments for learning and working.

Paragon partnered with Material Analytical Sciences, the creators of the MAS Green Certification, because of their dedication to test using standardized scientific methods (ASTM, ANSI and CEN).  You would be surprised to find out that some green certifications are based on their own self-created standards.

So, do you want to put on your lab coat and black rimmed glasses with white tape on the nose bridge?  It isn’t as fun as making a volcano with baking soda for the science fair but science is important when it comes to truly being green.  Green is often unseen and as a manufacturer trying to be accountable to you, we know when it makes sense to call the experts.

You can know with confidence that Paragon’s furniture can be used for your projects that require LEED for Schools.  We also meet the stringent CHPS EQ 2.3.5 credit.

Feel free to contact us to find out more information about our green initiatives have affected all areas of our production.  As a US manufacturer, we are well aware of need to lead in the area of environmental stewardship.

Oh… and make sure you wear safety glasses if you decide to go Vesuvius with the baking soda.

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Posted in eco friendly school furniture, green school furniture manufacturing | 1 Comment »