Kirei and its parent company Carnegie have revealed that John Stein, founder of Kirei—a sustainable design materials and acoustic solutions business—has passed away.
Stein founded Kirei over 20 years ago, with a mission to prove that the highest quality design materials and acoustic solutions could be delivered in an environmentally positive way. Under his leadership, Kirei became an innovator and industry leader—producing a range of award-winning acoustic products developed from post-consumer recycled PET bottles.
Stein was passionate about business and the environment, and Kirei was the perfect way for him to combine those two passions. Stein was also one of the great characters of the industry. He was a lifelong surfer and huge music fan. Stein enjoyed travel and early in his career was a copywriter. He always held a love for words, carefully naming his company Kirei—Japanese for beautiful, clean and pure.
Gordon Boggis, CEO, Carnegie said, “Everybody at Kirei and the broader Carnegie family is devastated by this loss. John was a visionary in our industry. His energy and passion established Kirei as a leader in its field, proving that high-performance acoustic products could be delivered sustainably. It is that passion to always do good for our planet while delivering a great experience for our clients that we’ll preserve as John’s lasting legacy.”
