New Reps in Florida

Westin Nielsen is proud to welcome two new local representatives from Contract Specialties, Inc. John and Scott Holzknecht are serving the South Florida Market throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties.

Scott Holzknecht

Scott was born in South Florida and he attended the University of Florida. In addition to being a manufacturers rep, Scott owned a construction company throughout the 1990s and a restaurant during the early 2000s. He is also a published author and has designed a multitude of marketing brochures. He has been married for thirty years and has three boys who eat a ton of his cooking. Scott enjoys surfing, golf, and snowboarding. 

Contact Information: scott@contract-specialties.com, 954-818-4527

John Holzknecht

John was born and raised in South Florida, growing up in the town of Davie before he went to college in Gainesville. His knack for business and entrepreneurial spirit came alive in high school when he started a commercial detailing and pressure cleaning company, which he successfully operated until attending college. He met his wife Michelle while at the University of Florida and they currently live in Coral Springs with their baby girl, Audrey. John has a passion for exercise and nutrition and hobbies that include traveling, reading, and spending time at the beach with his family. 

Contact Information: john@contract-specialties.com, 954-873-1978

Please feel free to contact Scott or John about current and upcoming projects, to request a binder, or to ask to sit in a sample. 

Do’s and Don’t’s: Filing a Freight Claim

Unishipper’s published an excellent article about the “how-to’s” of filing a freight claim. On the rare occasion that there is a problem with a Westin Nielsen shipment, follow these guidelines and also contact our office. 

Horizontal Slat Back Option

The Westin Nielsen Superior Chair, pictured above, is available with the horizontal slat back option. This back style is also available on our Dakota Chair.

Welcoming a New Baby into the Westin Nielsen Family

Rocking in a Westin Nielsen Rainier Summit Rocker

Bruce Olson, a member of Westin Nielsen’s sales team, welcomed his fourth grandchild, Samuel, into the world on Cinco de Mayo. His daughter and her husband are missionaries, but came back to the United States for the birth.

When Bruce went to visit his daughter and new grandson, he noticed that there was a Rainier Summit Rocker in her hospital room. There couldn’t have been a more fitting chair for him to relax in while rocking Samuel.

Congratulations on the new grandson, Bruce!

Chalet: Press Release

Introducing our newest stacking chair.

The Chalet.

Yes, the Chalet looks like the Lamineer-until you look closer. The back is a little longer with a little less curve in it. The Chalet has the same long lasting spring foundation that you expect from Westin-Nielsen. Chalet is available as an Armless, Standard Arm or Senior Arm chair. Chalet passes a 600lb drop test and a 1200lb static load test. Plus the Chalet stacks 7 high. Improvements in our manufacturing process allow us to offer this chair at a great price – only $425 COM List.

Bariatric Hip Chairs: Press Release

Don’t settle for hip chairs that don’t match your space.

Westin-Nielsen has eight designs that are complete PLUS SIZE SEATING solutions. See Rainier, Medina, Manitou, Basico, Dakota, Superior, Sandee, and Sita at our website.

Introducing

The Basico Bariatric Hip Chair.

Westin-Nielsen hip chairs are available in PLUS SIZES! You can choose the width – standard, +2″, and +4″ are in our prices lists. If you need something larger, contact us. As part of our Bariatric line of chairs, Basico passes a 600lb drop test and a 1200lb static load test. Available in PLUS SIZE.

PLUS SIZE SEATING – It doesn’t have to LOOK Bariatric!

Who Knows Your Chairs? Bruce Olson Does.

Westin-Nielsen is pleased to welcome our new Road Show Specialist, Bruce Olson.  In addition to all of the other skills and talents Bruce brings, he will be sharing Road Show duties with our president, Kurt Norman.  Bruce is a great addition to the Westin-Nielsen team and is busy making sure we answer your questions about our chairs and furniture.  Bruce will be on the road with Kurt during January and February getting acquainted with the Road Show.  Welcome Bruce when he stops by your facility with our Mobile Showroom.
 
In 2011 the Westin-Nielsen Mobile Showroom logged nearly 36,000 miles bringing our products to our customers. Adding Bruce to the team allows Kurt more time to work on new product development and re-introduce himself to all of us at the factory. 
After the wildly successful introduction of our Basico series in 2011 we look forward to more exciting products for you in 2012, starting with the introduction of the Sandee Chair which we announced this month.  See these chairs in person when Kurt and/or Bruce visit your area.

We’re on Facebook and Twitter!

Are you on Facebook or Twitter?  Follow us to find out what’s going on at Westin-Nielsen.  Click the links on the right side of our blog, or search for us on Facebook as Westin-Nielsen, or on Twitter we’re @westinnielsen.  We’re new, but we’re enjoying getting our feet wet!

The Sandee Chair Story

In an email sent to our contacts today, we announced the details of our Sandee chair.  Read on to find out more about our new chair and what it means to us.

The “Name This Chair” Chair

In June of 2010 we announced a collaborative project with the design team of Ira Keer and David Swanson, and unveiled drawings of a new seating line. We asked for your help in selecting a name for this new chair. We received over 100 entries, and went to work selecting the best one when….

Tragedy Strikes

On September 30 our friend and co-worker Sandee Heurung was killed in an automobile accident in Northern Minnesota. Sandee was the wife of our CFO, Jeff, the mother of two fine sons and hands-down the most fun-loving person anyone ever met. Sandee organized our company wide lunches, made sure we got Christmas cards out, circulated Birthday cards for our employees and made sure the freezer was stocked with popsicles when the hot weather hit each summer. We all miss her smile and enthusiasm, and there is a big hole in our lives that is hard to fill. And then a few people suggested….

An Opportunity

In the days and weeks after Sandee’s death several independent conversations led to the same question: “Can we name the new chair ‘Sandee’?” After talking it over with her family we decided to move forward with that plan. Sandee loved the concept of the “Name That Chair” contest and submitted several entries. Like her, the new chair is strong, versatile and attractive. And then we had another idea….

The Chair That Provides More Than a Seat

One of the charities that Sandee’s family designated for gifts was the Ronald McDonald House. Sandee was a long-time McDonalds manager, and had a great heart for kids. We’ve teamed up with Ronald McDonald House Minnesota to give you an opportunity to support kids and their families that are dealing with health issues. We will donate $10 for every seat sold in the new Sandee series. Your specification and order can now go further and help provide a safe and comfortable environment for families at a difficult point in their lives. You can learn more about the work of the Ronald McDonald House at their website, www.rmhc-um.org .  Pricing, specifications and images are available by visiting http://www.westinnielsen.com/seating-products/sandee . Samples will be available in mid-February and orders can be placed mid-February. Contact our representative in your area or the factory for more information.

And the Winner Is…

As part of the “Name This Chair” contest we promised the winner two of our Azuza chairs in the color of their choice. We thought about having a drawing from all of you that submitted an entry to determine a winner. In the end, we decided to donate 4 Azuza chairs and a table to the Ronald McDonald House. We are sure you’ll support our decision, and thank you for your participation.

What’s New in our Workshop?

Westin-Nielsen is in the process of moving into more production and office space, still remaining in the same building crafting the same great furniture, but utilizing space that better suits our needs.

Stay tuned for news about our new facilities, capabilities, and what this means for our valued customers and their chairs!