EMECO

Wilton Carlyle Dinges at his Electric Machine and Equipment Company (now Emeco) and employed local steel workers. The first order came in 1944, and the 1006 Navy Chair was used for warships and naval vessels. Thanks to World War II, business was booming, demand for the chairs was high, and Emeco boldly supplied the U.S. Navy with quality chairs. Life on a naval ship in a time of raging war is tough - salt water, salt air, the occasional torpedo exploding next to you, it requires very durable material. Emeco has managed to develop a method, consisting of 77 steps, that makes ordinary aluminium extremely strong. 1006 Navy Chair has therefore been a solid, smart and durable chair from the start. And what works for one demanding environment will eventually suit many, many more, which is why today Navy chairs grace restaurants, hotels and offices around the world.

Iconic EMECO chairs

The Navy chair was of such high quality that it was almost indestructible. In 1945, the war ended and if the chair, and by extension the company, was to survive on the market, it needed to find a new use for the chair. Gregg Buchbinder took the helm of the company and noticed that architects and designers were using the Navy Chair in a very new and modern way, in fact, commissions for the 1006 Navy chair were pouring in, even from famous design names such as Ettore Sottsassa, Giorgio Armani and the daring young French designer Philippe Starck. One of the first design projects to use Navy chairs was the Paramount, an eclectic design-focused hotel in New York. The Navy chair was a turning point - for the first time it had a different, non-unitary use.

Iconic designer Phillipe Starck

At the start of the new millennium, the collaboration between Phillipe Starck and Emeco is in full swing. Both parties are keenly exploring new ways of seating until the Hudson Chairis born. The style of the chair is clean, reductive and its simple design does not disturb the surroundings, on the contrary, it blends in beautifully. If we refer to the Hudson Chair as beautiful, that's a very understated term. Less than a year later, the Hudson is also in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Architect Frank Gehry commissioned 125 Hudson chairs for his studio. Gregg personally delivers them. The result of their meeting is the "Superlight" chair. Another chair, Nine-0 , is presented at the Salone De Mobile 2008.

It started with scrap aluminum. At that time, it didn't mean going green, recycled aluminium was just the right material for the job. Now, like coke bottles, industrial sweepers, used wood or energy-saving concrete, aluminium scrap has taken a much more modern position. People are increasingly appreciating eco-friendly materials. The 111 Navy was a revolutionary piece; its creation required new science and a lot of hard work, but if the project had succeeded, Emeco could have saved tons of scrap from landfills. 111 Navy is a chair that goes far beyond recycling. Emeco has inspired many designers to think of original projects using recycled materials and many famous and influential designers such as Philippe Starck, Konstatntin Grcice and Jasper Morrison have succeeded.

EMECO writes history

Emeco was founded in 1944 to produce lightweight, non-corrosive, fireproof and torpedo chairs for the US Navy. The classic naval chair was built to last at least one hundred and fifty years. Today, Emeco continues to lead the industry, researching and innovating ways to use consumer and industrial waste and other environmentally responsible resources to create simple, timeless furniture that meets strict environmental standards. All products are made in the USA. Emeco complies with all applicable U.S. federal and Pennsylvania state laws regarding employment, labor and, most importantly, the environment. They are committed to protecting the environment by choosing materials, methods and processes that offer the least risk to the environment without compromising design, quality or affordability. Our commitment to sustainability and minimizing our impact on the environment goes far beyond relevant laws and regulations. We have begun to measure and declare the CO2 emissions of our products, as knowing our carbon footprint is the first step to reducing it. Like nutrition labels on food, for example, carbon footprint labelling is designed to help people make more informed decisions.