Haworth (company)
Encyclopedia
Haworth designs and manufactures adaptable workspaces, including raised floor
s, movable walls, systems furniture, seating, storage and wood casegoods
. Family-owned and privately held, Haworth is headquartered in Holland, Michigan
in the United States
. Haworth serves markets in more than 120 countries through a global network of 600 dealers. The company had net sales of US $1.4 billion in 2005. More recently, 2010 sales came in at US $1.21 billion.
In 1976, Modern Products’ name was changed to Haworth. and the company began focusing exclusively on office furniture systems. In the early 1980s, when office seating was added to Haworth product offering being built at the Allegan, Michigan
Haworth Plant, the company continued its movement toward providing complete workspace solutions. Later in this decade, Haworth pursued an aggressive expansion in North America, Europe, and Asia. During the next two decades, Haworth developed several industry firsts — from the first mobile office system to panel-to-panel cabling systems. Haworth also earned awards for its business and design practices, such as environmental sustainability, leadership, community service, and member job satisfaction.
In 1996 Steelcase was found at fault in a patent infringement suit brought by SMED. Steelcase was ordered to pay $211.5 million in damages and interest.
The company reached $1 billion in annual revenue in 1994, and passed the $2 billion mark in 2000. The acquisitions of SMED and InterfaceAR further strengthened SMED’s workspace solutions. And later that year SMED was bought out by Haworth. The family-owned private Haworth, Inc. operates in more than 120 countries and employs nearly 6,000 people.
Founder Gerrard Wendell (G.W.) Haworth died October 25, 2006 at the age of 95. He was an alumnus of Western Michigan University
and the namesake of its business school.
.
Raised floor
A raised floor or access floor are types of floor that provide an elevated structural floor above a solid substrate to create a hidden void for the passage of mechanical and electrical services...
s, movable walls, systems furniture, seating, storage and wood casegoods
Casegoods
Casegoods are one of the two classifications of furniture: upholstery and casegoods. Upholstery refers to furniture that has fabric or leather and padding stretched over a frame. Casegoods generally refers to furniture made of hard materials, such as wood, metal, glass or plastic. Examples of...
. Family-owned and privately held, Haworth is headquartered in Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Haworth serves markets in more than 120 countries through a global network of 600 dealers. The company had net sales of US $1.4 billion in 2005. More recently, 2010 sales came in at US $1.21 billion.
History
The company began in 1948 as Modern Products. In 1954, the focus of Modern Products shifted toward office environments, in response to the development of modular office partitions, the predecessors of today’s panel systems.In 1976, Modern Products’ name was changed to Haworth. and the company began focusing exclusively on office furniture systems. In the early 1980s, when office seating was added to Haworth product offering being built at the Allegan, Michigan
Allegan, Michigan
Allegan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 4,838. It is the county seat of Allegan County. The city lies within Allegan Township, but is administratively autonomous....
Haworth Plant, the company continued its movement toward providing complete workspace solutions. Later in this decade, Haworth pursued an aggressive expansion in North America, Europe, and Asia. During the next two decades, Haworth developed several industry firsts — from the first mobile office system to panel-to-panel cabling systems. Haworth also earned awards for its business and design practices, such as environmental sustainability, leadership, community service, and member job satisfaction.
In 1996 Steelcase was found at fault in a patent infringement suit brought by SMED. Steelcase was ordered to pay $211.5 million in damages and interest.
The company reached $1 billion in annual revenue in 1994, and passed the $2 billion mark in 2000. The acquisitions of SMED and InterfaceAR further strengthened SMED’s workspace solutions. And later that year SMED was bought out by Haworth. The family-owned private Haworth, Inc. operates in more than 120 countries and employs nearly 6,000 people.
Founder Gerrard Wendell (G.W.) Haworth died October 25, 2006 at the age of 95. He was an alumnus of Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
and the namesake of its business school.
Ownership
Haworth, Inc. is a privately owned company. Based on estimated sales, it is the second largest manufacturer of office furniture behind SteelcaseSteelcase
Steelcase is an international office furniture company founded in 1912 in Grand Rapids, Michigan — as The Metal Office Furniture Company. The company at the time specialized in file cabinets and safes. Today, the company sells products related to interior architecture, furniture and technology...
.