e2e Materials Engages Office Furniture Legends

ITHACA, N.Y. - e2e Materials, an innovative clean technology spinoff of Cornell University that develops products made from its advanced biocomposite materials used for the furniture and cabinet industries, today announced it has engaged the product design expertise of furniture industry legends Carl Gustav Magnusson and Emanuela Frattini Magnusson.

Regarded as one of the most acclaimed industrial designers today, Mr. Magnusson has left an indelible mark on a wide range of products, including those for Teknion, Knoll, and MoMA. For over three decades, Mr. Magnusson forged a career with Knoll, serving as director of design in Europe and North America. His designs--such as the RPM chair--remain a best seller to this day. During his Knoll tenure, he also initiated the Knoll Design Symposium at Cranbrook Academy of the Arts in Bloomfield Hills and co-founded the Knoll Museum in East Greenville, Penn., considered the most comprehensive collection of archival items assembled by any single furniture manufacturer.

"It's an honor to be involved with such an innovative clean tech company whose biocomposite-based materials will revolutionize the furniture industry," Mr. Magnusson said. "What's inspiring as a designer is that e2e is using soy-based biocomposites that will produce products that can be stronger, lighter, safer, cheaper and more sustainable than those made from other wood composites."

Mr. Magnusson's New York-based firm, CGM Design, serves furniture and automotive manufacturers in product development and design strategy. CGM Design is the recipient of 18 design awards in the past five years, most notably the Contract Magazine "Legends" Award.

Emanuela Frattini Magnusson is the founder and principal of EFM Design, an international award winning multi-disciplinary practice that spans architecture, interiors, product design, brand development, and graphics. Notable architectural projects include the Aqua townhouse development project in Miami, retail concepts for Russell Athletic, offices and showrooms for Knoll International, various art galleries and studios, a Times Square Hotel and restaurant, as well as number of residential projects in the United States and Europe, including the renovation of a Frank Lloyd Wright House in Rye, New York.

Ms. Magnusson is also the founder and principal designer of Articolo, a collection of European produced furniture, and of course, founder and CEO of Manù. She has also worked as the creative director for Spinneybeck leather. Ms. Magnusson is a board member and treasurer of Operation Design, a not-for-profit that promotes design education in public schools.

Throughout her career, Ms. Magnusson has created award- winning, top-selling products for leading manufacturers, including her Propeller(R)Tables for Knoll, and a collection of accessories sold exclusively through the Museum of Modern Art. She has also served as a visiting faculty member at Parsons School of Design and at Yale University School of Architecture. Her architectural and design work has been widely published in the United States and Europe. Trained in architecture at the Milan Politecnico, Ms. Magnusson holds an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business. She is also LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited.

"Securing the immense talents of the Magnusson's is a significant win for e2e Materials," said Patrick Govang, CEO of e2e Materials. "As two of the most decorated product designers in the world, they will apply their visionary product designs to a host of our biocomposite-based furniture products that will meet the sustainability, functional and aesthetic requirements of the most demanding clients and manufacturers."

Source: e2e Materials

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