Ron Ostlund keeps a bag of potato chips in one of his desk drawers at his office at Riviera Pools. He stashes a jar of cashews there, too.

The snacks aren't for him. They're for the dogs roaming his office.  On any given day, the pool company's corporate office is jingling with the sound of dog collars from as many as eight pooches. The pups greet visitors at the front door. They stroll into and out of meetings. They beg for snacks, bark for attention and have free rein over desks, couches and chairs.  "They're spoiled rotten," Ostlund said, as he offered cashews to Jack, Panda and Riley, who patiently waited on all fours for a treat. "I've created monsters here."

It may sound disruptive or just plain crazy to allow dogs in the office, but Ostlund's company is among the nearly one in five that allows employees to bring pets to work, according to a 2008 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Almost a quarter of working Americans believe pets should be allowed in the workplace, the survey found.

Bob Vetere, APPMA president, said companies are now more open to pets in the workplace. He understands why.More...

Most start-up companies need inexpensive solutions for outfitting an office with furniture. For most companies going to a standard office supply store and putting in an order for as many pieces of furniture as they will need is a fairly simple solution. For a startup corporation this may not be possible just because of the cost factor involved. There are several solutions for a startup company to acquire less expensive office furniture and still maintain a professional veneer on their office.

Country, traditional, transitional, and wicker furniture are popular styles. Most of them are graced with innovative designs and are complemented by decorative and fine art.More...

Office furniture should let workers do their jobs in comfort. You feel like you are at home when you are in the office, and you don’t feel tired of work. Certainly it looks professional. Care should be taken so that the office furniture provide healthy working environment for the employees.

If you are looking to decorate you office you may want to shop around a bit before you decide on the style that you are looking for. Office furniture includes desks, sofas, chairs, computer chairs, and whatever else will fit into your comfortable decorated work area.

The costs of the furniture vary depending on the quality of the product. The furniture without any basic provisions will cost much less than sophisticated equipment that holds all the provisions. Depending on the cost, the customer can purchase a wide range of products.More...

It is the aim of most of the individuals to have a luxurious office where they can work up their professional graph. It is true that working from a plush office seems like a great prospect, but there are some other unseen aspects of this thought as well. Have you ever wondered what would be the plight of individuals who work long hours, sitting in one stationary position all day long, all year around?

Leading a sedentary life is not at all healthy. If not checked in time, this practice can have some serious repercussions on one’s health. This is the reason why most of the individuals who are forced to stay at one’s place, such as while working in the office often complain of back aches. Most of the individuals who suffer from back aches usually have an improper sitting posture. In such a scenario, an office chair back support is the perfect solution for individuals who want to practice caution after getting themselves treated for their back aches.More...

Our clients wanted to transform their den into a space that is inviting for guests to gather in during visits, while maintaining it's snug and warm feel for TV watching with the family.

We were asked to try and increase the seating capacity in this very small – 10'x12' – room without it feeling stuffy and overcrowded.

It was important the comfortable leather chairs stay put and that we work with the existing carpeting colour as the flooring was to remain.

The last request was for the room to maintain its masculine feel when everything was finished. More...

It isn’t everyday that we set out to buy our furniture, for after all, they are not some mere groceries that we seek at our nearest superstore every often. Since furniture is all about bringing on an aesthetically pleasant atmosphere to our homes, offices and shops, we need to apply careful thought and calculation on their choice. In the event of making a purchase for your workspace, you will be required to be more careful in choosing your office chairs and office desks.

When we talk about office furniture, we immediately visualise a typical workspace situation where the employees are working away to glory. Naturally, with different varieties showing their presence in the classification of the workers, their requirements also differ in terms of the office equipments, workstations, etc. To make it short, the seating arrangement and equipment dispersal also differ, thus forcing you to go for variety in office chairs and desks.More...

JANESVILLE — At the end of his junior year in high school, Jamin Arn knew exactly what he wanted to do, and it didn't involve his senior year and the two credits needed for a traditional high school graduation.

"I wanted to get out and get moving," said Arn, who as a 17-year-old left Kentucky and moved to Janesville to live with his grandparents.

A night course satisfied the two-credit conundrum. A job at Hardees confirmed for Arn that he what he really wanted was a business of his own.

Several entrepreneurial efforts later, Arn owns the Janesville-based OfficePro, a supplier of office products and furniture and commercial janitorial supplies.

Founded in 2003 in his basement, OfficePro closed 2007 with three-year revenue growth of 409 percent, good enough to land the company in the 883rd slot on Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies in the United States.

With several addresses behind it, including one at the former Parker Pen building, OfficePro is now at home in a 35,000-square-foot building at 615 N. Parker Drive, just south of Traxler Park. Arn's formation of OfficePro followed sales jobs with three other office supply companies, including Wagner's in Janesville and Beloit.

Rows of desks, chairs, tables and cubicle equipment are surrounded by reams of copier paper and other office odds and ends.

"It's not pretty, but it's not supposed to be," said the 31-year-old Arn.

A flashy showroom would only add to the company's overhead, a cost that would ultimately be paid by OfficePro's customers who range from Rockford to Wisconsin Dells and Delavan to Monroe.More...

THE idea for an international furniture-supply business was seeded when Richard Barker attended his sister's wedding.

He spotted an opportunity when he realised the marquee company had hired the chairs for the event, instead of supplying their own.

Now, eight years later, Hill Cross Furniture has grown to have a staff of 22, customers all over the globe and a turnover of £3m a year.

Major contracts have included supplying the International Olympic Committee with chairs for its lounge at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin - and providing the furniture for Duncan Bannatyne's hotel and health clubs.

The business is based on Mr Barker's former pig farm at North Cowton, near Darlington.

The married father-of-three said he had been looking to quit pig farming at the time of his sister's wedding.More...