Zeeland furniture startup in ‘launch and accessibility mode’ after $1.5M capital raise

A Zeeland furniture startup that seeks to play into the growing home office trend has secured $1.5 million in capital from investors around Michigan.

Quint Workspaces LLC, formed in 2020 by office furniture industry veteran Don Goeman, plans to use the early-stage funding to support new product development, expand delivery services to major markets, and enhance e-commerce capabilities.

“This round of funding moves Quint fully into launch and accessibility mode allowing us to quickly deliver affordable, high quality products to our new and existing customers,” said Goeman, the founder and CEO of Quint Workspaces who intends to open a new office and production facility in West Michigan later this year.

“The value of our products and manufacturing approach is already being validated by our customers, and our business model is proving to be scalable and ready to expand throughout the country,” he said.

Goeman previously worked for 40 years at the former Herman Miller Inc., now MillerKnoll Inc. He served as executive vice president of research, design and development from 2005 to 2019 before forming Quint Workspaces.

Investors in the early-stage capital round include Grand Rapids-based Michigan Capital Network, Invest Detroit Ventures, Michigan Rise in East Lansing, and Detroit-based Invest Michigan, plus individual investors.

Quint Workspaces specializes in ergonomic chairs, desks, storage components and privacy screens specifically designed for a home office as more people today work from home, as well as for small to mid-sized companies. The company previously raised more than $1 million in startup seed funding in late 2020.

In Quint Workspaces, Michigan Capital Network sees a “smart and strategic startup because of Don’s office furniture expertise and his commitment to designing quality products,” said Managing Partner Jody Vanderwel.

“Quint is filling a rapidly evolving demand in the workspace and office solutions market, and no one understands that industry better than Don Goeman and his team,” Vanderwel said.

A September 2021 report by Portland, Ore.-based Allied Market Research estimates the home office furniture market globally will more than double from $3.03 billion in 2020 to $7.61 billion by 2030. Part of the growth is driven by the COVID-19 pandemic of the last two and a half years that gave “immense traction” to the work-from-home movement, according to the Allied Market Research report.

Vanderwel “has been engaged” with Quint Workspaces since the early stages of the company’s development in the fall of 2020, Goeman said.

Vanderwel is part of Herman Miller’s founding family and the daughter of the late Max DePree, the company’s one-time chairman and CEO. Vanderwel served as Herman Miller’s corporate counsel and vice president for corporate giving, then joined Grand Angels in 2005. Grand Angels is now part of Michigan Capital Network.

Vanderwel’s “strategic input has really helped us navigate several startup challenges,” Goeman said.

This article was originally published in MIBiz at: https://mibiz.com/sections/small-business/zeeland-furniture-startup-in-launch-and-accessibility-mode-after-1-5m-capital-raise