Parliament
building with
PEFC-
certified
office equipment
from Bene

Historic parliament building reopens with PEFC-certified office equipment from Bene

On 12 January 2013, the historic parliament building was officially reopened after several years of renovation. The PEFC-certified furniture manufacturer Bene from Lower Austria won the tender to furnish the offices thanks to its sustainable use of wood, among other things. The offices are now equipped with modern furniture that bears the PEFC seal for sustainable forest management. After almost five years of renovation and modernisation, the Parliament on the Ring reopened its doors on 12 January and welcomed numerous guests to the open days on 14 and 15 January. In addition to the extensively remodelled National Council chamber and the Federal Council chamber, the offices in the historic building were also refurbished. The special feature: Bene's furnishings, including cupboards and height-adjustable desks with roller cabinets, bear the PEFC seal and are guaranteed to come from sustainable forestry. The dark grey oak veneer looks both elegant and restrained, which supports calm and concentrated work.

"Amajor package as part of the building refurbishment was, of course, the procurement of new furniture," explains Karl-Heinz Grundböck, spokesperson for the parliamentary directorate. In his opinion, it is particularly important to focus on sustainability, which is why the Bene company was successful in the tendering process. "Parliament is about shaping the future for the community. Sustainability is also about the future, so that we can secure the living conditions we have for future generations," says Grundböck.

Bene GmbH focusses on sustainability and regionality

Manfred Huber, Managing Director of Bene GmbH, is delighted with the highly symbolic order: "We like to set a good example and take responsibility for future generations. It is therefore a matter of course for us that products made from sustainable raw materials and sustainable production are used in the Parliament's offices."

Bene, a PEFC-certified company based in Waidhofen/Ybbs, Lower Austria, since 2009, has been manufacturing furniture since 1790 and is closely linked to the region. Bene is fully committed to a transparent value chain from forest to product and, thanks to these ambitions, won the 2021 PEFC Award for Sustainability in the "CoC - Chain of Custody" category.