Bretford® Furniture Integral to Vibrant Educational Layout At THINC College & Career Academy in LaGrange, GA
31 July 2015 - 7:13AM
Business Wire
Bretford EDU 2.0 Line of Smart, Agile
Furniture Selected for Use in New Workplace Learning Center; Grand
Opening to Community July 30; Classes Begin August 10
Bretford Manufacturing, Inc.®, a U.S.-based manufacturer of
technology-enabled furniture for 21st century learning and business
environments, together with Loy’s Office Supplies today announced a
partnership with THINC College & Career Academy, a
charter-based school with a workplace curriculum designed for high
school-aged students within Troup County in LaGrange, GA. The
vibrant, modern learning center - fully equipped with the Bretford
EDU 2.0 line of smart, agile furniture – is being shown to the
community during a grand opening on July 30 and is officially open
for classes at the start of the school year on August 10.
The THINC academic model is unique, technology-rich, and
responsive to student and teacher needs. Combining critical
thinking and business, THINC Academy meshes academic and workforce
requirements through leading-edge technology, nimble classroom
space, virtual learning, and project-based assignments. Housed
within West Georgia Technical College and funded by local
businesses, THINC Academy includes 14 work-style classrooms that
focus on different career paths with additional open areas such as
a coffee shop and lobby. High school students within the community
can attend up to two courses per day, either in the morning or
afternoon.
“This is definitely one of our most exciting partnerships to
date as we have the opportunity to show how the furniture can
create a lively, agile workspace where students can learn hands-on
and really prepare for their future,” explained Chris Petrick, CEO
for Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. “Students at THINC won’t be
sitting in a room taking notes. Instead they will be using their
devices, working in teams, and changing the learning environment
based on the need. Our EDU 2.0 line of furniture enables this style
of teaching and learning to give students and staff limitless
possibilities for success.”
“In Troup County we have a 72 percent graduation rate, which
means 300 students drop out of high school per year,” said Dr.
Kathy Carlisle, CEO of THINC College and Career Academy. “The
Bretford furniture offers the flexibility needed to help keep our
students engaged and involved in their work projects. Those
projects help prepare them for work and college and that is our key
focus.”
According to Dr. Christopher Williams, principal of THINC
College & Career Academy, “Every one of the courses offered at
THINC requires group work. The Bretford furniture allows for
collaboration with built-in power for laptops, tablets, and
smartphones. Most of the furniture is mobile and reconfigurable for
different uses throughout the school.” He added, “The furniture
helps create an environment focused on shaping the students to be
‘work savvy’ and this makes these students highly desirable to
businesses and universities.”
Bretford EDU 2.0 products used within THINC College & Career
Academy include:
• MOTIV™ Modular and Freestanding Soft Seating
• MOTIV Occasional Tables
• EXPLORE® Chairs and Stools
• EXPLORE Series Tables
• EXPLORE Presentation Shuttles
• EXPLORE Instructor’s Tech Desks
• Core™ Series Carts
“Troup County is at the center of a regional economic
development boom where hundreds of employers need highly skilled
individuals to fill essential positions,” said Chad Williams, vice
president, Loy’s Office Supplies. “THINC needed furniture that
could adapt and change over the next 24 months and the Bretford
furniture is designed to do just that. The Bretford EDU 2.0
products specified throughout the school were delivered on time and
within the school’s budget. In fact, they are already in use for
meetings and other activities going on at the school.”
“Many of the surfaces and materials in the school were donated
by companies within the community so we had the opportunity to work
with a lot of fun colors and patterns, which enabled us to design a
professional yet creative look and feel in each area of the
building,” said Ashley Smith, architect intern at Smith Design
Group, Inc. of LaGrange, Georgia. “Bretford has great furniture
lines that work well in each of these areas. We were able to use
Bretford’s Customization Services to match the furniture colors
with modular carpet tiles provided by Interface® and the cabinetry.
At the same time, the chairs and tables can be rearranged or moved
into other areas of the school and fit in just fine. And the
Bretford pieces we chose are flexible and sustainable so they will
continue to work as the school evolves.”
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Bretford Manufacturing, Inc.Cindy
Eggebrecht847-801-1611ceggebrecht@bretford.comorTLS
Communications, Inc.Traci
Schaefer630-269-45687tschaefer@tlscommunications.com