Ever see the Mac Guy / PC guy commercials and think, “Yeah, I’m a Mac person, I can relate.” Or, “Nope, I’m definitely a PC.” What if you are both?

Adria Richards, local tech guru and founder of ButYoureAGirl, AskAdria and Freshworkshops, gives you a glimpse behind the scenes of the multi platform user in her post, My Triple Screen setup for Dell with Windows 7 and Macbook Pro.  

Adria takes you through the tech that makes it possible for her to work her magic; tech which includes Ergotron LX Arms to give her monitors some height-adjustment and movement. It’s a comprehensive look at all the tools she uses, worth the read.

Steve Reinecke, Sr. Global Director, Healthcare & Education Industry @ Ergotron

What does “Made in China” mean to you? To me, up until a few years ago, it meant cheap and low quality.  Or worse yet, dirty factories with employees being paid pennies an hour.  These impressions were completely debunked when I had the pleasure of being the first Ergotron commercial sales person to visit our Dongguan City factory in China in 2006.

Last month I had the occasion to visit again, and not only was I amazed by the growth of the facility in just three years (back then commercial products only took up 10% of the space; now it’s much more), I was also completely taken with the modern, high-tech facility this factory has become. 

Our factory is the cleanest factory I have ever seen and I have been in quite a few globally.  The number of quality control staff running around this place constantly testing and doing analysis of products is astounding. 

We have two very large testing areas where robotic arms test our products, with many of our products being tested to over 50,000 cycles.  Yes, 50,000 cycles without failure.  If a user adjusts an Ergotron product 25 times a day that’s over 5 years of use. 

The local Chinese government even uses the Ergotron factory as a showplace on how to run a factory in China and we are always ready for an inspection or plant tour.

Ergotron owns this factory run by Craig Thomas, General Manager, an American who has lived in China for many years.  He does a great job and encourages everyone in the factory to dig deeper within themselves and improve their lives through hard work. 

There is always room for advancement at Ergotron, and that extends to the China factory. Not limited strictly to manufacturing, it houses dozens of engineers, program managers, procurement staff, purchasers, human resources, and information technology specialists. 

Our factory communicates daily with our offices in the USA via phone and video conference; so in a sense, the global Ergotron team is literally working around the clock to manufacture its products. 

Nine to five doesn’t really exist at Ergotron.
 
What’s great about the growth as well, even though we have more products being manufactured in China, our USA employee count has not decreased as a result.  Actually it has increased.  

Terms like “world class,” “passion,” and “dominate” are over used in business.  I purposely try to avoid using them because of this fact.  I have a different perspective about this now after my visits to the plant. 

This is definitely one of those times where I feel especially passionate about giving you a peek inside this world-class facility where over 900 Ergotron employees are creating premium, high-quality, and entirely affordable products to help us dominate in the markets we serve.

Sounds like marketing-speak? See for yourself.  If you are ever in Dongguan City, be sure to contact Ergotron and come over for a visit. I’d like you see our factory and experience it first-hand.

If you can’t tell already, I am really proud to tell people that many of our products are made in our China facility and to show pictures of all the great employees there.

Please contact me if you would like to know more about our products and our outstanding manufacturing and distribution facilities.

As CES draws to a close, we wanted to stop and look back at some of the great people we met at the show. Here are a few of their pics. Enjoy!

  Thanks for stopping by, and for another great year at CES!

What’s happening at CES?

Ergotron is unveiling it’s latest cinematic adventure in LX Arm: It’s Alive! Tester Guy meets his match on the warehouse floor when the new LX arm wakes up to its full-motion capabilities. Don’t miss this action thriller now live at CES and on Youtube:

Bit by bit the Ergotron team is checking in with Mother Goose. Per Nate Johnston, Events Specialist, ”It comes and goes, over all pretty steady.” Very succinct, Nate!

One big message at the show is for you to “undock those buttocks” and start moving around more at work. Here is Nancy Gregson (@ngregson) and Christine Berquam (@ergofun) helping a visitor Tweet2Win. Stop by and say, “Hi!”

@ergosteve, aka Steve Reinecke, Sr. Global Director, Healthcare & Education Industry @ Ergotron, is seen here proudly displaying our WorkFit workstation. More to come soon from Steve regarding his recent visit to Ergotron’s China manufacturing facility.

The Ergotron team, get to know them!

South Hall 1, Las Vegas Convention Center

Check back later for more pics from the show!

Nancy Gregson, Sr. Global Events Manager @ Ergotron

As I returned to my hotel room after another day of set-up at CES, I heard on the news a story called “every bagel has a hole.”  The story detailed a bagel shop that recently had a truck drive through it. 

This really made me think about how some things in our lives can be as obvious as the bagel statement.  Like why we are here at CES.

The statement might be “every exhibitor has a booth” or “every exhibitor has a mission.” Yes. And beyond the obvious answers that our booth number is 21253 and that we are here in Las Vegas to set up for an event, our real mission is to do one thing…get people to move. 

It is really that simple. 

As I built multiple WorkFit units today I couldn’t help but sing, “You’ve got to move it, move it.”  But I think it is more than that.

We want to help make people healthier choices throughout their day and ultimately, to enjoy their work. I would go so far as to say we want to make people happy in their every day lives.

Maybe I should be humming, “Dream. Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream.”

Stop by the booth. Let’s talk about it.

As we wrapping up for the night, three gentlemen circled our WorkFit Dual workstation.  They were obviously captivated. I smiled and found my internal monologue override my Philly roots when I said, “Awesome, eh?” I guess I am officially a Minnesotan. 

 And, yes, it is also official, Siegfried and Roy have retired. 

 Good night from Vegas!

Nancy Gregson, Sr. Global Events Manager @ Ergotron

Set up began today for ‘Tron at CES in Las Vegas and the only thing on everyone’s mind was the weather. 

Leaving sub-zero temps in Minnesota to 60s is heavenly. We are also enjoying the short lines (for now) on the Monorail to the Las Vegas Convention Center. I’ve noticed people at the pool or playing tennis. Oh what you take for granted when you don’t want to be outside. We’re loving it.

Once we reached the show floor, we were happy to see that all the crates had arrived. Yeah!

Time to make our way through the unpacking process.  Today is all about emptying crates and positioning the products in their proper homes for the next several days.

Cool, just found the all black Neo-Flex® Dual Desk Stand. This thing sure is gorgeous!

Here’s a peek at the new graphics that got a facelift for the show.  

Our very own cinematic “Tester Guy” from Ergotron’s movie selection (see http://movies.ergotron.com)  is well represented.  We also have a large image of fellow marketer, Bob Hill. You can see him down all the aisles. (Follow this pic when you come Thursday, Bob. We luv ya!)

Looking around the floor, it seems smaller than years passed. The union workers that I’ve spoken with agree, saying they were not as busy. Nonetheless, it’s an interesting experience watching a trade show of this size come together.

And it’s going to be a great show. 

Our first clue? Ergotron is situated next to the “ButtKicker” booth. Awesome, bring it on! Should be fun since we”ll all be wearing shirts that say, “Undock Your Buttocks.” More about that later.

Overall Nate, Jorge, and I had a great day. On our joint Monorail ride back to the hotel, we all had to chuckle.  There was a woman security guard who was all bustled up in a big coat with a heater at her feet.  It was below zero back in Minnesota when we left. Oh, she has no idea….
 
Until tomorrow!

Michelle Judd, Global Communications Manager @ Ergotron

PCGamesHardware.com recently published a post on multi display mount systems featuring a review by Ibrin, WSGF Founder (Widescreengamingforum.com), “Ergotron Neo-Flex HD 7 DS100 Triple Monitor Stand Review at WSGF.”  

We highlighted Ibrin’s initial request for upgrade parts in our post, “Get your arms around this one,”  pointing to Ibrin’s Youtube review of his original solution. When we spoke with Ibrin last he was moving from 22″ to 24″ monitors and was looking to mod some new parts with his existing set-up.

No doubt about it. He’s got an engineer’s eye and heart for the challenge.

Here is his video review, but take a look at his post as well. It is extremely informative and covers the ins and outs of his experience, and his recommendations for the gamer community on getting displays off desks.

He says, “The freedom to make better use of your desk space is damn-near a liberating experience.”    

Ibrin mentions he wishes we made a Wall Mount product for those gamers with Surround Gaming rigs. Have no fear, the right people here at Ergotron are getting the message. The first step sometimes is just to ask.

Have a new product idea that will solve your set up challenges? Let us know.

Jane Payfer, CMO @ Ergotron

True confessions here,  my grandmother was a teacher. My mother was a teacher.  My aunt was a teacher. My cousin is a teacher. My brother is a principal, and still a teacher, and yes, in some unofficial capacity, I am a teacher too, having graduated many, many years ago with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree.

I had a diploma, but never the gift of patience required to be successful in a classroom full of inquiring minds and frequently, squirming bodies. I was in the classroom, but not for long.  After starting my own family, I took refuge in corporate life.

Which makes this TeachWell Mobile Digital Platform launch especially dear to my heart.  It brings me back around fully to where I started: in classrooms, learning how to make a better world through the education of our children.

About two years ago, Ergotron started working with teachers to uncover what they  needed to be more effective in their classrooms. Teachers taught us how tough it is to integrate all the different sources of educational content they use in their lesson planning, preparation, and in their classrooms. 

While a lot of content is still “paper based,” much is now digital content, whether online or from a stored media source like CDs and DVDs. There are a lot of different kinds of devices needed to share and present all this content, computers, digital cameras/visualisers, CD and DVD players, projectors.  

About a year and a half ago, we thought we had a pretty good grasp of the technical challenges they were facing, when we uncovered another challenge. Not only were there too many gadgets in the rooms – the hardware used to access the digital content was stashed away inconveniently in too many places. Some of the playback devices were shared resources, locked away in the “AV” room. Other teachers purchased their own players, but didn’t have enough space in the classroom to store them away when not in use. The end result was the same. It was frequently too hard to access the hodge podge playback devices, get them powered up and turned on, when it came time to actually use them.

In addition, traditional desks were physical  barriers between teachers and students. Most of them are monstrosities older than the teachers who use them, taking up way too much space for the limited storage function they provide. They hinder the collaboration and interaction necessary to keep students’ attentive and enraptured with subject matter.  Worse yet,  it takes precious time to get out from behind them, and even the most organized educator feels  tethered to them,  with frequent trips back and forth to pick up the tools necessary to get through a class:  markers, laser pointer, tissues. Exacerbating the situation further,  audio visual carts haven’t changed or improved since the ‘60’s even though  the technology they support has gone from film strips to 35mm proctors to DVD players.

What this means, in real practical language, is that precious teaching time may be wasted on “technical difficulties.”

The reality is there isn’t much teaching time to waste.  A study done by Richard Rossmiller, University of Wisconsin Department of Educational Administration Chairman, illuminated this issue, showing that only 364 hours of a typical U.S. school year of of 1,080 hours were actually spent in “time-on-task.”  And this was in 1983!

My brother’s 1998  masters’ thesis reinforced Professor Rossmiller’s findings, with an average of only  40% of the class period in Washington state schools spent conveying new educational information.  The other 60% of the time was spent getting students ready to learn, books open, in disciplinary discussions, and, you guessed it, trying to get multi-media content working. No wonder our students’ test scores are in decline.

Students are losing out, not because we don’t have enough “good” teachers, or because our teachers “don’t know how to teach,” but because teachers may be getting bogged down and caught up focusing on the technical “how to” instead of the content “what.” 

Having solved a similar situation for today’s nurses, Ergotron knew there had to be a better is way.

The TeachWell Digital Platform was born.

A little over a year ago, we had a pretty good specification of what TeachWell would need to be.  To be sure it would provide the best functionality it could for our teachers who are giving the best they’ve got, every day, we spent the past year refining, testing, and perfecting the concept.

So, that’s exactly Ergotron’s hope for TeachWell. 

That when using it, the good teachers in our schools can get back to teaching.  Our students will be more engaged in the learning process.  The deep well of digital content used by today’s 21^st Century Educators, will be taught well, ensuring the knowledge transfer has impact.  The lessons are learned.  The subject matter is conquered.  And the teachers’ physical well-being isn’t compromised in the process.

This is the goal of TeachWell.

From Ergotron. 

Steve Adams, Senior Web Designer @ Ergotron

Try searching the web for “computer ergonomics” and you’ll find plenty of handy charts and tips:

• Tools for Planning Your Space(from Computingcomfort.org)
• Guide to setting up an Ergonomic Computer Station (from about.com)
• How to Set Up an Ergonomically Correct Workstation(from wikihow.com)
• What Happens If You Ignore the Importance of Posture?(from safecomputingtips.com)
• 4 Steps to Setting Up Your Computer Workstation(from ergonomics.ulca.edu)
• How to Set Up An Affordable Ergonomic Computer Desk(from ehow.com)

Notice a common theme? Each page focuses on maintaining proper posture. You’ll find the correct arrangement for an entire workstation, from the angle of a monitor screen to the configuration of a chair. Good information to be sure. 

But what happens when you dutifully follow those guidelines? Do you find ergonomic bliss? Do you experience computing so comfortable that you do it just to get an endorphin rush?

Of course the answer is “No”—because comfortable computing is much more than good posture.

Sitting in the same position all day, day after day, is a recipe for injury. As reported at Canada.com, “Sitting too long is the most common mistake employees are making.” In fact, even if a monitor and keyboard are at the ideal height and you have an ergonomic chair, the effect of so-called “static loading” will take its toll as muscles begin to atrophy. This is because, as a physiologist would describe, “The musculoskeletal system is unsuited for prolonged static work because the body cannot supply fresh nutrients to the stressed tissues.”

Indeed, the sad reality is as Peter Gibbs observed to Michael Bolton in the movie Office Space: “Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day!”

So how does one find computing comfort?

Naturally, first set up your workstation according to the posture guidelines. But that is just the starting point.

The next step is to create a workspace and routine that accommodates movements your body wants to make throughout the day:

1. Use adjustable arms and trays to reposition your monitor and keyboard to where you are moving.
2. Better yet, periodically stand while working whenever you feel like it. Create a sit/stand workstation.
3. Take rest breaks: make excuses for quick walks—to the water cooler or wherever.

Once upon a time I pretended to be a mannequin for the sake of ergonomics and my body rebelled with shouts of pain and stiffness. But now I move—sometimes I stand, other times I sit, and there are all sorts of twists and turns continually happening in my cube. Heck, I even slouch now and then! And happily, all is well.

Michelle Judd, Global Communications Manager @ Ergotron

Like a scene in Caddy Shack, heads are beginning to pop up above the Ergotron cube walls like gophers on the golf course. Employees are beginning to integrate our latest innovation, the WorkFit C-Mod workstation, into their cubes.

It has spurred some interesting discussions. Chuck in finance has been sitting for 30 years in his career. Marge in operations has been sitting since 1974. Do the math. I’ve been sitting 22 years. And you?

We’re calling it a “cubelife uprising” and rightly so. Whether it is 20 years or 20 months, being chained to the chair makes for some great lyrics in a blues song, but may not do much for our overall well being.

So what IS all the buzz about regarding height-adjustable computing?

Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ, in ‘gadget’ episode, gadget 131 – Sit, Stand, Work…with the Ergotron WorkFit!, will show you. He does an amazing job, and even addresses a few of his cons about the product. Take a look: 

Workers unite? Maybe not. But what could it look like to build the perfect compensation package for your job? Let’s see. Four weeks vacation, stock options, and oh yeah, maybe a WorkFit? 

I’m just saying.

Thanks, Fr. Robert! Another informative review.