[Edaily Kweon A-in Trainee Reporter] Leading domestic office furniture companies— KOAS(071950)and Fursys(016800)—posted mixed first-half results. KOAS emerged from a prolonged period of losses by posting a first-half profit through cost-cutting measures, while Fursys saw its profitability deteriorate as it failed to overcome sluggish domestic demand.

According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system on the 18th, KOAS’s revenue for the first half of this year was 37.2 billion won, a 19.1% increase from 31.2 billion won in the same period last year. While the company posted an operating loss of 2.2 billion won in the first half of last year, it returned to an operating profit of 1.1 billion won this year.

In contrast, Fursys’ revenue for the first half of this year was 185.2 billion won, a 0.5% decrease from the 186.1 billion won recorded in the same period last year. While revenue remained largely unchanged, profitability deteriorated. After posting an operating profit of 5.3 billion won in the first half of last year, the company posted an operating loss of 7.5 billion won this year, slipping into the red.

KOAS, which had been struggling with poor performance for several years, announced that it had successfully returned to profitability through efforts to normalize operations with a focus on profitability. The company explained that this was the result of a comprehensive reorganization of management following a change in its largest shareholder in 2024 and a full-scale push to improve profitability.

A KOAS official stated, “We expanded our order intake focused on high-value-added projects and continued efforts to streamline production, reduce fixed costs, and cut expenses company-wide,” adding, “We place great significance on the fact that this result stems from a concerted effort across all departments—including production, sales, and administration—to improve our business structure with a focus on profitability.” The official continued, “We will concentrate our company-wide capabilities in the second half of the year to further solidify our path to profitability,” and added, “We plan to target corporate demand for resource circulation and low-carbon procurement through the 45 models in our ‘Inspire Core’ series of office furniture, which is certified for carbon storage.”

In contrast, Fursys reported sluggish performance due to uncertainty in the domestic economy and the furniture market, as well as rising costs for raw materials and business operations. A Fursys official explained, “Although profitability declined, sales remained at a level similar to the same period last year, and net income increased year-over-year due to factors such as financial income.”

However, Fursys is pinning its hopes on the “Fursys Office Subscription Service,” launched last month. This service goes beyond simply renting office furniture to businesses; it provides comprehensive management of the office environment—including regular inspections and maintenance—for the duration of the contract. This shifts the focus away from one-time furniture sales toward building stable, long-term relationships with client companies.

Park Jeong-hee, CEO of Fursys, stated at a press conference last month, “I’ve long pondered whether we should think more about what comes next, rather than simply supplying furniture and calling it a day.” Ham Cheol-woo, Vice President of Fursys, also remarked, “In terms of short-term results, the subscription business naturally does not help in terms of operating profit or cash flow.” However, the company explains that the launch of this subscription service is an investment in future growth.