CEO Chat with Bruce Platzman of AIS

02/01/21 • 40 min

For many of us in the office furniture industry, we didn’t plan to be here. Instead we found our way here by accident and never left. The same is true for Bruce Platzman, CEO and president of AIS. After finishing college at a prestigious business school, he had an interview with an office furniture company and never looked back.

About ten years into his career, he founded AIS and has since helped to build it into one of the leading furniture companies in the industry. He’s sharing how the company has evolved over the years and what they’ve done to stay relevant in a constantly changing market.

One of the things that really sets AIS apart is their willingness to adapt. When something stops working they’re quick to innovate and look at ways to change what they’re already doing to better fit the market. One of the most evident examples is their shift into mask making in 2020.

They’ve now been declared an essential business and have not had to shut down at all during the pandemic. In a year of decline, they’ve actually continued to see growth while at the same time creating a huge impact for our nation.

Listen as Bruce talks about the changes the pandemic has wrought on the nation, his projections for the future of the industry, and why giving back means so much to him and the company.

This is truly an amazing conversation with someone who has been in this industry for over 40 years. You won’t want to miss out on his insights and his wealth of knowledge.

In this episode:

[02:05] Welcome to the show, Bruce!

[02:30] Bruce shares his journey in the office furniture industry.

[04:13] Listen, as Bruce gives a brief overview of AIS and what they do today.

[08:23] Bruce discusses how AIS has evolved over the years.

[09:42] Bruce speaks about what has fueled the significant growth of the company.

[12:04] A quick story from when I worked for Bruce at AIS.

[13:55] Bruce talks about what he believes sets AIS apart from other companies in the industry.

[15:35] AIS is considered an essential business, so they haven’t had to close down during COVID.

[19:23] Bruce shares that they have continued to push forward with plans they had before the pandemic.

[20:56] Bruce speaks about how they have been able to support their customers and employees while they work from home.

[25:59] Bruce shares an idea on how to reduce cars on the road by offering incentives for allowing employees to work from home one day a week post pandemic.

[27:31] Listen as Bruce speaks about the philanthropic programs they are involved in.

[33:24] Learn about the two awards AIS won in 2020.

[35:40] Bruce shares some final thoughts about the industry.

[39:12] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

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