Alu Design marine chair lands Star Trek role

Alu Design operator's chair ... soon to appear in a movie theater near you

JULY 12, 2016 — A marine chair designed by Kristiansand, Norway, based Alu Design & Services AS for offshore drilling operators is just so cool looking that it keeps winning movie roles.

Alu Design’s MH OCH 300 operator chair is following up an appearance in the 2014 movie Transformers: Age of Extinction, with appearances in a number of key scenes in Star Trek Beyond, to be released globally July 22.

The state-of-the-art molded aluminum chair was designed in 2012 to deliver the best possible working environment for drilling operators working on offshore rigs — combining comfort, durability, ease of installation and maintenance, with an intuitive access to controls.

Its appeal has since proven much wider than originally intended.

“We were first contacted by Paramount Pictures, which produces films for both the Transformers and Star Trek franchises, in 2013,” says Alu Design CEO Einar Ulrichsen. “They were looking for set furniture with breath-taking, futuristic designs to help bring their stories to life. During an online search the MH OCH 300 caught their eye.”

“They were so pleased with how it looked on film – and the actors were so happy with how it felt – that it became the natural choice for this new, space age cinematic experience,” adds Ulrichsen. “We are of course somewhat blown away by all this. To have our product in two productions, with such a massive global appeal, is, quite literally, out of this world.”

Alu Design supplied six MH OCH 300s to Paramount Pictures for a duration of 10 weeks. In their time in the U.S., the chairs shared the sets with actors such as Chris Pine, Simon Pegg and Idris Elba.

“It’s fantastic to have this kind of exposure,” says Alu Designs Marketing Director Frank Robertsen “but the original purpose of the chair is still our main concern. It was developed to provide an optimum working environment for demanding everyday tasks. With ergonomic standards and a user-friendly nature that is unmatched in the segment – alongside integrated instrumentation, such as touch screen technology and joystick control – it is, quite simply, the best chair for this crucial job.”

“That,” he concludes, “is what we’re really proud of.”Alongside its high-tech operator and pilot chairs for the marine industry,

Alu-Design & Services offers world-class pilot and operator chairs, and deck rails, to the marine, navy, offshore and commercial industries. Alongside its marine products, Alu Design also creates advanced seats for onshore tasks that demand the optimal comfort, durability and working environments.