Last month, Global Furniture Group rolled out a red carpet of sorts for a cocktail reception celebrating its 50 years in business. The leading manufacturer and distributor of office, healthcare and education furniture welcomed customers, dealers and partners into its North American headquarters in Toronto with a blue carpet in its branding hue.

Attendees got the opportunity to tour Global’s new flagship showroom, which was designed by Johnson Chou. The showroom features the furniture manufacturer and distributor’s full range of products in a variety of vignettes that highlight the latest workplace trends.

A Mad Men-style vignette displayed Global’s Corby line of wood veneer desks, tables and storage elements. The collection generated a lot of buzz at NeoCon thanks to its retro appeal, which is on trend with the resurgence of mid-century modern design.

It’s a fitting era to recall, given that Saul Feldberg founded Global with his wife, Toby, in 1966. Feldberg began the business with the simple goal of making an affordable, high-quality chair.

Saul and Toby were on hand at the event, as was their eldest son, David, who is credited with driving Global’s early growth. In remarks to the crowd, current CEO Joel Feldberg expressed excitement about the future direction of the company, now a diversified player in the contract furniture industry, while recognizing its roots.

“The entrepreneurial spirit of my father still defines the culture of our company. So does our commitment to our family of employees, our dealers, our customers, many of which reach back to the founding of our company, and to the community and environment in which we live and work,” he said. “It is these values that will define us as we continue to build our business one relationship at a time.”