Xerox Selects HON As Exclusive Furniture Provider for Office Makeover Contest

Business Wire, May 18, 2004

Business Editors

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2004

One deserving small office in America soon will be ditching its old desks and tearing down cramped cubicles to welcome a fashionable new set of furniture from The HON Company, which is now working with Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) and Entrepreneur Magazine to give a makeover to the nation's most obsolete small office.

One of the largest office furniture manufacturers in the United States, The HON Company has been selected to supply a full suite of stylish, functional furnishings to the winner of the "Help! My Office is Obsolete!" contest, launched in March by Xerox and Entrepreneur.

In addition to office furniture, the contest winner will receive a Xerox document technology assessment, Xerox office technology, and makeover and design consultation services from Thom Filicia, interior designer from the hit show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

"The right office furniture can make a dramatic difference in productivity," said Jeff Jollay, vice president of marketing, The HON Company. "In a recent survey we conducted of more than 1,200 office workers, we found that 70 percent of them believe their furniture affects how they do their job. Because furniture makes such an impact on workers' daily lives, we'll work with Xerox and Thom Filicia to provide the contest winner with professional office furniture that facilitates efficiency and fits perfectly within the winner's newly designed space."

The HON Company is an operating company of HNI Corporation (formerly HON INDUSTRIES), which was selected in March as one of America's Most Admired Companies in the furniture industry by Fortune magazine in 2004, and named the 2003 Dealers' Choice Manufacturer of the year by The Office Furniture Dealers Alliance. The HON Company is a leader in the design and manufacturing of office furniture that looks good and enhances productivity and comfort. Offering flexible, well-designed solutions for the everyday work environment, the company's full line includes chairs, desks, panel systems and files in a wide array of styles, colors and finishes for any professional office.

"Initial response to our office makeover contest has been phenomenal, and the addition of HON furniture makes the contest even more enticing. Their expertise in furniture, coupled with Xerox's expertise in technology and services, will help transform the nation's most obsolete office into a model workplace," said Diane McGarry, Xerox chief marketing officer. "With the right work processes, technology and environment, the winner will be able to work better and smarter."

Contestants can find complete contest rules and enter online through June 30 by visiting www.entrepreneur.com/helpmyofficeisobsolete. Entries must be submitted by a full-time employee age 18 or older of a continental U.S.-based company that has an office environment of 10-50 employees, and has been in business for at least one year. Only one entry can be submitted per company. Home offices are ineligible.

Winners will be published in the November issue of Entrepreneur Magazine.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about Xerox, visit www.xerox.com/news. XEROX(R), The Document Company(R) and the digital X(R) are trademarks of XEROX CORPORATION.