25 Years, One Company, One Industry: What the Office Looked Like Then vs. Now with Adam Wayne

What does the office furniture industry look like through the eyes of someone who's been in it for 25 years? That's exactly what Josh finds out in this episode with Adam Wayne, a seasoned veteran at Global Furniture Group — one of the largest privately held office furniture manufacturers in North America, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Adam traces Global's remarkable journey from founder Saul Feldberg starting the company in his garage to a billion-dollar enterprise with 3,500+ employees — and explains how the culture Saul built has survived being multigenerational and massive in a way most companies never manage. The conversation takes a nostalgic and genuinely funny turn as Josh and Adam map the evolution of the office from 2001 to 2026: from the days of asking about filing cabinets (nobody asks anymore) to the corner workstation insert that existed purely because CRT monitors were enormous. They talk about the shift from massive boardrooms to smaller, flexible meeting zones, the rise of height-adjustable desks, built-in power in seating, and the felt-topped cubicle ceiling that's quietly solving acoustic problems without a single permit. They also preview Global's new Fulton Market showroom opening at NeoCon in Chicago — the industry's biggest annual trade show — and talk about what it means to be at the forefront of a manufacturer moving from the Merchandise Mart to a cool industrial neighborhood that better reflects where design is headed.