ABOUT VS AMERICA
VS is a privately owned leading furniture manufacturer founded in 1898 in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany. With a growing portfolio of more than 2,000 innovative products, VS’ agile, ergonomic, and sustainable furniture solutions allow for the creation of flexible learning environments.
VS America has showrooms in Charlotte, NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston, with warehouses located in Charlotte and Houston.
We craft unique furniture solutions so educators can...
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
Create their own adaptable environments
Simultaneously support a variety of teaching and learning styles
Fulfill the needs of each individual student
VS COMPANY TIMELINE
20th Century School Bench
VS partnered with architect Wilhelm Rettig to develop what would end up being the most successful school bench in Germany at the time. This innovation was so groundbreaking, it quickly spread throughout all of Europe. The elevated footrest made it easier to both sit down and get up from the school bench, and facilitated more efficient classroom cleaning – an important contribution to school hygiene.
1898
Brussels World Fair
Co-creation with progressive, furniture-focused architects took school out of the Imperial period. At the 1910 World Fair in Brussels, VS, in cooperation with Werkbund architect Bruno Paul, presented a holistically designed, future-oriented classroom.
1910
Maria Montessori
In the 20th century, Maria Montessori developed education reform for infants and elementary school children by supporting children in discovering for themselves their strengths and abilities. The original VS Berlin firm had sole rights to manufacture and distribute Montessori furniture and teaching materials in Germany in 1913.
1913
The Birth of the World's
Most Successful Student Chair
Schools were just waiting for this idea. And after welcoming it in, they kept it for decades. The skid-frame chair, produced in the 1950s first of all wood, then later in tubular steel, grew into a long-term success – with more than 6 million sold, it is the most-sold student chair in the world. It all began with co-creation: VS developed the skid-frame chair in creative collaboration with architect Karl Nothhelfer.
1952
LIGNOdur Tabletop
An exceptionally robust homogeneous beech molded, solid surface consisting of approximately 95% recycled natural materials (beech wood shavings and natural resins). This material is created through a process of heating and compressing the raw materials with a mold, therein releasing natural resins from the beech wood shavings to act as a natural binding agent. This tabletop is resistant to breaking, cracking, deforming, or delaminating.
1960
Freeform Table
with Günter Behnisch
What an unusual desk! Nothing like it had ever been seen in an office before: The desk, designed by Günter Behnisch, really stands out thanks to its characteristic freeform top. Co-created with VS, this single desk turned into a whole, attractive office furniture system. Even the German Bundestag was won over by it, equipping all its administrative offices and various federal ministries with it.
1986
Co-Creating with Design Legend
Starting in 1994, VS developed various chair families together with Verner Panton. They soon became classics and are still a typical part of the decor of numerous schools and administrations. The star item among them is the PantoSwing cantilever chair with its light, tubular steel frame and colorful air-cushioned seat – no-nonsense and totally ergonomic. Amazingly simple – simply ingenious!
1994
Museum Opens
Opened 1998, in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany, the VS museum celebrates school furniture from the end of the 19th century till today. It showcases the history of school furniture and architecture in context with different educational aspirations.
1998
VS America Established
VS America, Inc. was established and incorporated in the U.S. in 2003. Charlotte, NC was chosen as the location for the company's American headquarters.
2003
The Third Teacher
Rooms influence the behavior of the people in them. This is why, in education, rooms are called “the third teacher.” VS, in collaboration with OWP/P Architecture from the USA and Canadian design consultancy Bruce Mau Design, published a unique book dealing with the educational dimension of architecture and aesthetics and providing impetus for improving learning and work environments.
2008
2008
Dynamic Sitting
and Creative Thinking
Hokki, the innovative, dynamic stool, makes sitting a fun game. With its convex base, it can move in all directions, thereby encouraging a continual change of posture that keeps people of all ages engaged. No wonder that wherever Hokki is to be found, it becomes the public’s darling. VS developed this idea by designer John Harding into a success story.
2010
Neutra Furniture Collection
In the beginning, all we had were furniture sketches and drawings by Richard J. Neutra, the star architect who, with his houses, put his stamp on California modernism. Together with Neutra’s son, Dion, VS worked to bring these furniture designs back to life, or build them for the first time. One-off items or mini-series that Neutra had developed for the homes of his customers are now manufactured and sold exclusively by VS.
2014
New Freedom for Schools
How to allow rooms to quickly adapt to changing work situations: Simple – with the Shift+ school furniture range. It encourages the teacher and students to use furniture as needed and to feel at home in learning environments they create themselves. This school furniture for today and tomorrow was designed together with architect David A. Stubbs II in a process of co-creation – and with no end of creative passion.
2014
Ergonomic Conference
Room Concept
How can furniture provide the greatest possible scope for people’s basic movement needs? To find the answers to this question, VS works hand in hand with ergonomic experts. This cooperation has resulted in movement-promoting furnishing concepts – for example, for the work environment, the AGR-certified conference room concept.
2016
U.S. Warehouses
Since 2017, VS America has opened more than 180,000 square feet of warehouse space in Charlotte, NC and Houston, Texas.
2017-2019
ONE SIZE
DOES NOT
FIT ALL
It's crucial that each student has a chair and table which suits their height.
ERGONOMICS
With ergonomic furniture in classrooms, students can sit dynamically and experience physical, mental, and developmental benefits
Physical well-being and flexibility help create ideal conditions for authentic learning, both individually and collaboratively
VS offers chairs and tables in varying sizes, or that are easily adjusted to the appropriate height, so every student has their perfect fit
ERGODYNAMIC
Creating learning spaces that
inspire motion.
DID YOU KNOW?
MOVEMENT IS KEY
Students need furniture in which they can be free to move
Physical activity is not only healthy - it’s smart
Even small movements, such as fidgeting, improve test scores
Spontaneous movement is the only way children develop fully
VS products inspire motion - helping create stimulating learning spaces
Movement is integrated into instruction to maintain attention and concentration
UNIQUE GLIDES
+ TABLETOPS
2- Component Universal Glides
Designed with Armstrong flooring
Patented anti-tip 2-component universal glides highly recommended for hard floors
The glides are certified to not damage floors
LIGNOdur Tabletop
Patented tabletop made from beech wood shavings pressed under heat
Especially durable, wear-resistant, and scratchproof
Virtually indestructible and made of recycled materials
CERTIFICATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
VS products have been awarded a range of quality and environmental certificates by external institutes:
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GS label for tested safety
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GREENGUARD certificate
-
LGA pollutant-tested label
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AGR Healthy Back Campaign quality label (Aktion gesunder Rücken e.V.)
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BIFMA Level 3 sustainability certificate
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Cradle to Cradle certificate
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PEFC certificate for wood from sustainably managed forests
One of the first companies to receive level 3 certification from European furniture association FEMB
Environmental management system according to DIN EN ISO 14001:2015
Energy management system according to DIN EN ISO 50001:2011
UN Global Compact voluntary member – VS serves as a role model in the compliance with ethical, social, and ecological standards of business practices
