Gregg Buchbinder

Navy Producer becomes Design Brand

In 1998 Gregg Buchbinder saw the potential in Emeco, a down-at-the heels military supplier in Hanover, Pennsylvania, USA. Buchbinder bought Emeco and over the years has collaborated with the world’s best designers and architects to transform Emeco from a U.S. Navy supplier into one of the top design furniture brands.

Buchbinder’s first collaboration was with renowned French designer Philippe Starck, and together Buchbinder and Starck have created many Emeco collections. A few of the other architects and designers Buchbinder collaborated with include Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, Ettore Sottsass, Jean Nouvel, and Jasper Morrison.

Buchbinder entered into a joint venture agreement with Coca-Cola to help the environment. Emeco developed recycling technology to create an authentic and long-lasting chair, modeled after the iconic 1006 Navy Chair, out of waste Coca-Cola plastic beverage bottles. The result is the “111 Navy Chair”, named for the 111 Coca-Cola recycled PET bottles that go into each chair. So far, Emeco has saved over 30 million bottles from going into the landfill and have also inspired many companies worldwide to use recycled PET for products they make.

Under Buchbinder’s leadership, Emeco remains focused on making chairs in America, using sustainably sourced reclaimed, recycled, and repurposed materials, and always making products that are made to last.