Zerocaster

| In NeoCon 2009 |

Some Surprising Innovation dots NeoCon Aisles
Tuesday June 16, 2009
by Rob Kirkbride

NeoCon is punctuated by glitz and glamour, but is there any substance behind the booths and
showrooms?

That's what I set out to solve on the second day of NeoCon: Is there any innovation happening at the
show or are all the products and components retreads of what's already come out (in some cases, over
and over again)?

This very unscientific search led me to many booths and showrooms and lead to some suprising
discoveries. The first is that not all the innovation is happening on the permenent showroom floors by the
major manufactuers. In fact, the seventh and eighth floors, which some view as a NeoCon afterthought,
are filled with small manufacturers making some pretty cool products.

Take, for example, Zerocaster. You might not give a chair caster much thought, but this company based in
Lone Tree, Colo. certainly does. It is launching the ZC09 at a modest booth on the seventh floor. The
ZC09 is a twin-wheel hubless caster for sale to OEM furniture manufacturers. Before you start yawning,
consider some of the innovations: the hubless design gives the caster a floating, transparent effect and it has
aluminum innner circles that can be cast in a rainbow of colors. That means you can match that stylish
sage, charcoal or tomato chair with matching aluminum casters.

"We've been listening to designers over the years and it is clear the design community is looking for more
options in their caster choices,"said Gerald Donakowski, Zerocaster marketing manager. "Currently,
casters are selected from a standard catalog after the design process is complete. We see the ZC09, with
color and finish options, to be the first caster designed into the overal aesthetic of the chair or office
product. The caster gives an OEM chair manufacturer the option of an exciting design identity where a
standard caster used to be."

The ZC09 will be made by Ocoonomowoc Manufacturing Co. in Wisconsin. The company is trying to
secure an exclusive deal with an OEM to begin shipping the product in the fall. High end seating
manuacturers would be foolish not to head to the seventh floor for a look.