ON TODAY’S DATE 10 years ago the Nasdaq 100 index, a basket of mostly technology stocks, was poised to double in price over

three years. The late-1990s stock boom led to a financing boom, whereby companies raised easy money for expansion by issuing shares. The financing boom led to, among other things, an office furniture boom as young managers splurged on futuristic chairs and workstations.

We might be on the verge of an echo-boom in office furniture. According to Matthew McCall, a stock analyst with BB&T Capital Markets, the average life cycle for office furniture is about 10 years. Also, while home building has stalled, contractors are still hammering away on new offices. Last year residential construction fell 2%, but commercial construction rose 16% and public construction increased 10%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.