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June 21, 2012 – Wieland, a nationally recognized and award-winning design and manufacturing firm of furniture for the healthcare industry, is pleased to announce that its newest design sleepToo® has won a Best of NeoCon Gold Award. It is the industry’s first sleep sofa to truly address the space constraints within the patient room by creating “a virtual  family room” within a modest footprint of just twenty square feet. Families can now rest, work, play, eat, sleep, and put their feet up without leaving the room.

The Best of NeoCon Awards are given in 40 categories and gold, silver or bronze are awarded. The Best of Show award is selected by all judges from 5 worthy products nominated by all nine teams. Wieland was called back as one of the finalists. Out of 364 entries, 80 total awards were given, 30 of them achieving Gold at the jury’s discretion. Not all categories have entries that merit an award. This is an amazing achievement considering that contract office furniture is the major focus of this conference.

In addition, Wieland was one of the finalists for the Buildings Magazine Product Innovation Award and sleepToo® was given a merit award. All of these accolades surrounding one product clearly point to the leadership in addressing the needs of healthcare environments through real innovation.

This is the third award for this truly revolutionary product. In the fall of 2011, Wieland was honored with a Nightingale Award at the Healthcare Design Conference and was also recognized with the Best of Competition Award. In the world of healthcare, there is no higher acclaim. The sleepToo® sleep sofa stood out amongst all categories of healthcare products as having an impact on the patient room.

The Wieland design team, led by Blair Wieland, has revolutionized the family zone of the patient room by integrating an adjustable height table with a traditional sleep sofa. This cantilevered table alone offers versatility beyond compare, allowing families and patients to utilize the surface as a dining, game, and work space or as additional seating when set at the lowest height. With healthcare environment demands in mind, it has been engineered to hold up to 300 pounds in the highest position and 500 pounds at bench height.

With the table in its lowest position, the pneumatically assisted sleep surface rises up smoothly at the push of a button and then easily folds forward to create a bed. The design allows for quick and easy cleaning between the seat, back and sleep surface. The overall contribution of sleepToo® to the patient room is to create a truly functional, inviting family zone within the same footprint as a conventional sofa. Wieland incorporates all essential lifestyle functions into one, comfort-driven, efficient, renewable product.

“We are especially pleased to bring sleepToo® to market,” stated Stan Schneider, national sales manager with Wieland. “Evidence-based design research has shown the importance of providing comfortable space for family members as part of the healthcare team. By design, sleepToo® offers more of what families need in helping their loved ones through the healing process, yet its characteristics are sensitive to the needs of the healthcare staff.”

Aesthetically, sleepToo® offers a simple, full front design that affords designers a clean look to fit with any architecture. Several models are completely customizable, by adding options such as ottomans, a variety of arm cap types, leg styles, and drawers available in thermoform, wood or fabric. The look and versatility is up to the designer.

Wieland is dedicated to environmental design and creates products that can be reconditioned rather than disposed of. All sleepToo®  components are fully renewable, meaning that each is readily and easily replaced, and upholstery may be removed and replaced without trouble. sleepToo® construction features a steel frame for greater stability and are backed by a 25-year warranty; mechanisms are intuitive and include a 10-year warranty.

sleepToo® made its debut at the Healthcare Design Conference and has already been specified and is in use around the globe. Wieland has also been recognized with a Gold Award for Allay, another revolutionary sleep sofa introduced in 2010.