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The HON Company

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The HON Company
Company typePublic (NYSE: HNI)
Founded(1944)
Headquarters Muscatine, Iowa USA
Key people
Stan A. Askren, Chairman & CEO; Jerry Dittmer, President; C. Maxwell Stanley, Clement T. Hanson and H. Wood Miller, Founders
ProductsOffice furniture, chairs, filing, workstations, tables, desks and education furniture
Websitewww.hon.com
File:SmartLink with watermark.jpg
SmartLink™ Education Furniture
File:Attune with watermark.jpg
Attune™ Laminate Desking
File:F3 with watermark.jpg
F3™ Seating
File:Initiate with watermark.jpg
Initiate® Workstation

Overview

The HON Company designs and manufactures office furniture solutions including chairs, filing, workstations, tables, desks and education furniture. Headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa, The HON Company has manufacturing facilities strategically located throughout the United States, and offers its products through a nationwide network of dealers and retailers.

The HON Company is the largest operating company of HNI Corporation (NYSE: HNI), the second-largest office furniture manufacturer in North America. Sister companies include Allsteel, Gunlocke, HBF, Paoli, Maxon, Hearth & Home Technologies and Omni Workspace.

The HON Company has manufacturing facilities located in Muscatine; Cedartown, GA; and Florence, AL; as well as distribution centers in Muscatine and Lithia Springs, GA. Showrooms are located in Muscatine; New York, NY; Chicago, IL; Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C.

History

The HON Company was incorporated as The Home-O-Nize Company on January 6, 1944 by brothers-in-law C. Maxwell Stanley and Clement T. Hanson along with H. Wood Miller. The company was founded with the intent of providing employment for those returning from duty in WW II.[1]

The Home-O-Nize Company began in the production of kitchen cabinets; first in Davenport, IA and then in the old US Button Company factory in downtown Muscatine. Following the short-lived production of kitchen cabinets, the company began manufacturing aluminum gas bottle hoods on contract for Stampings, Inc. With the scrap left-over from the hoods they made flower identification labels, beverage coasters, and recipe card file boxes. For a brief period The Home-O-Nize Company also produced pick-up attachments for John Deere / Deere & Company combines, Iowa Corn Pickers for Associated Manufacturers Inc., and did contract work for local companies such as Red Jacket, Carver Pump, Collins Radio, G.W. Timmerman and Peter Products. In the end it was the recipe file boxes that paved the way for The Home-O-Nize Company’s entry into the office furniture and supply industry.[1]

In the early 1950’s the office products division of The Home-O-Nize Company became The H-O-N Division, and in 1967 it officially became The HON Company. Their parent company, Home-O-Nize, changed its name to HON INDUSTRIES Inc. in 1968 and changed again to its current name, HNI, in 2004.[1]

In 1980 The HON Company moved from the HON INDUSTRIES Inc. headquarters at 414 East Third Street in Muscatine into its current headquarters at 200 Oak Street, the former home of the Huttig Manufacturing Company.[1]

Products

The HON Company provides workplace furniture from the backroom to the boardroom of small-and medium-sized businesses. Its core product offering includes[2]:

Workstations: Cubicles and panel systems for shared work environments.

Desks: Wood veneer, laminate and steel finishes.

Chairs: Task, executive, conference room, ergonomic solutions, reception areas, healthcare and education seating.

Tables: Veneer and laminate conference, training and utility tables for boardrooms, breakrooms, classrooms and reception areas.

Storage: Pedestals, lateral and vertical files, personal storage solutions and bookcases.

Environmental Responsibility

In 1947 The HON Company started out making products from pieces of scrap metal generated from its contract businesses. More than 60 years later, The HON Company practices a comprehensive program to conserve raw materials and reduce waste. Today, environmental management is firmly engrained in all of The HON Company’s manufacturing processes. The HON Company defines waste as anything that does not bring value to the customer, and life cycle considerations are a significant part of all product development efforts.[2]

In 2006, The HON Company became the world's first office furniture manufacturer to have products certified by the SCS Indoor Advantage program. Virtually all manufactured products emit chemical compounds into the air; Indoor Advantage evaluates these emissions in an effort to help improve the air quality within enclosed indoor environments. [3]

Awards

[4]

  • Building Operating Management Magazine, Reader’s Choice Award, 2008 – The F3™ chair with ilira® stretch back recognized as one of the year’s top products by building owners and facility managers.
  • Buildings Magazine, Product Innovations Award, Grand Prize, Workplace Flexibility, 2008 – SmartLink™ classroom furniture named innovative solution for successful building application.
  • Buildings Magazine, Project Innovations Award, Citation of Excellence, 2008 – The HON Company’s Chicago Showroom received the honor for its refreshed space at the Merchandise Mart.
  • Contract Magazine, Best of NeoCon® Award, Silver, Education Solutions, 2008 – SmartLink™ classroom furniture earned top honors in the category at NeoCon 2008.
  • Design Journal’s Awards for Design Excellence (ADEX), 2007-2008 – The HON Company’s F3™ chair chair with ilira® stretch back and the Initiate® with Nature Core™ segmented panel system attained Platinum honors, one of the most prestigious honors in the design industry.
  • IndustryWeek, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 – HNI Corporation was recognized as one of the 50 Best Manufacturing Companies.
  • IndustryWeek, One of the 10 Best Manufacturing Facilities in North America, 2005 – awarded to The HON Company’s Cedartown, GA, plant .
  • Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing: 2007– for the South Gate manufacturing plant in Los Angeles; 2005 – for the Richmond, VA, manufacturing facility and 2003 – for the Cedartown, GA, manufacturing facility.
  • Forbes Magazine, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999 – HNI Corporation was listed among the "400 Best Big Companies In America."
  • United Stationers Recognizes The HON Company, 2006 – The HON Company was recognized with four awards from United Stationers, designating the company as a preferred supplier in filing, storage, seating and desks.
  • Dealer’s Choice Manufacturer of the Year Award, 2008, 2005, 2004, 2003; Circle of Excellence Awards, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 – The Office Furniture Dealers Alliance (OFDA) recognized The HON Company with the Manufacturer of the Year Award for its training, service and support and management. It received four Circle of Excellence awards in the categories of training, technology, service and support.
  • Service Quality Measurement Group (SQM) Recognizes The HON Company, 2006 – For the second year in a row, The HON Company's customer service department was recognized for achieving excellence in providing world class customer satisfaction.
  • Georgia Manufacturer of the Year, 2006 – awarded to The HON Company’s Cedartown, GA, plant by the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.


References

  1. ^ a b c d Rodengen, Jeffrey. True to our Vision. Ft. Lauderdale: Write Stuff Enterprises, Inc. 2004.
  2. ^ a b The HON Company’s Fact Sheet, honcompany.com, retrieved 2009-11-10
  3. ^ The HON Company’s Environmental Site, honcompany.com, retrieved 2009-11-10
  4. ^ The HON Company’s Company Backgrounder, honcompany.com, retrieved 2009-11-10
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