CHICAGO - Asahi Kasei Plastics, which has developed a new biomaterial for the furniture industry - a polypropylene resin reinforced with cellulose tree fiber - teamed up at NeoCon 2014 with furniture manufacturer Izzy+ and performed a material makeover of the iconic Izzy Hannah.

Samples of the new biomaterial, which is not yet named, are available for visitors of NeoCon at Asahi Kasei Plastics. The company is also sponsoring a naming contest during the show. The winning entry will receive a new iPad Mini.

In 2007, Chuck Saylor, founder and president of izzy+, and designer Dennis Foley introduced the Hannah swivel tilt task chair, which earned a Best of NeoCon Editors’ Choice Award. (Original Hannah design by Dennis Foley and Jeffrey Gershune) The swivel-tilt design was developed in direct response to customers, who liked the Hannah stacking chair and café height chair but also wanted a version they could use at their desks.