May 18, 2026

In this issue… major dealer and manufacturer moves lead the week, including APG Office Furnishings merging with OfficeWorks and rebranding, plus leadership change at Bisley alongside a snapshot of its softer FY results and early 2026 improvement; McCoy Rockford plans Texas’s largest commercial furniture showroom in Houston, while Charles Cohen’s D&D Building defaults on a $150M loan amid broader portfolio stress. Workplace and real-estate coverage tracks rising fit-out costs (about $295/sf) and a widening AI-driven split in where tech tenants are leasing, as Atlanta is urged to pause new office construction and CMBS office distress climbs. Design features explore how voice-first AI dictation is making offices louder and how healing design is improving children’s hospitals. Products highlight new launches from Chemetal (metal ceiling systems), DARRAN (Cheval conference/credenza “quiet luxury”), and Matter Surfaces (PVC-free Verlune Arbor flooring), alongside Green Hides naming a new VP to drive design-market growth.