Herman Miller, officially MillerKnoll, Inc., is an American company that produces

office furniture Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating ( tables), storing items, eating and/or working with an item, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). ...

equipment Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tools or other objects commonly used to achieve a particular objective. Different job Work or labor (or labour in British English) is intentional activity people perform to support the needs and ...

, and home furnishings, including the

Aeron chair The Aeron chair is an office chair sold by Herman Miller (manufacturer), Herman Miller, first released in 1994. In 2010, it was called "America's best-selling chair". It is featured in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. It was desig ...

Noguchi table The Noguchi table is a piece of modernist furniture first produced in the mid-20th century. Introduced by Herman Miller in 1947, it was designed in the United States by Japanese American artist and industrial designer Isamu Noguchi. The Noguchi t ...

Marshmallow sofa Marshmallow Love Seat #5670, commonly known as the Marshmallow sofa, is a modernist sofa produced by the American furniture company Herman Miller, that was originally manufactured between 1956 and 1961. It is considered the most iconic of all mod ...

, and the

Eames Lounge Chair The Eames Lounge Chair and ottoman are furnishings made of molded plywood and leather, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for the Herman Miller furniture company. They are officially titled Eames Lounge (670) and Ottoman (671) and were released in ...

. Herman Miller is also credited with the 1968 invention of the office

cubicle A cubicle is a partially enclosed office workspace that is separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually tall. Its purpose is to isolate office workers and managers from the sights and noises of an open workspace so that ...

(originally known as the "

Action Office The Action Office is a series of furniture designed by Robert Propst, and manufactured and marketed by Herman Miller. First introduced in 1964 as the ''Action Office I'' product line, then superseded by the ''Action Office II'' series, it is an i ...

") under then-director of research Robert Propst. Eameslounch

History

Herman Miller was founded in 1905 as the Star Furniture Co. Initially the company produced furniture, especially bedroom suites, in historic revival styles. In 1919, it was renamed the Michigan Star Furniture Co. under then-president Dirk Jan De Pree. De Pree and his father-in-law, Herman Miller, purchased 51% of the company stock in 1923 and renamed it the Herman Miller Furniture Company. The company reformed as Herman Miller, Inc. in 1960. With the coming of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, the company faced bankruptcy until De Pree met

Gilbert Rohde Gilbert Rohde (1894–1944), whose career as a furniture and industrial designer helped to define American modernism during its first phase from the late 1920s to World War II, is best known today for inaugurating modern design at Herman Miller ...

, an up-and-coming

modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

designer. Rohde convinced De Pree that the furniture industry's focus on historical reproduction furniture in lieu of new designs was not only out of touch with the consumer, but fundamentally dishonest in the practices used to make furniture pieces appear older and of higher quality than they were. De Pree acquired the rights to Rohde's modernist furniture designs in exchange for a 3 percent royalty on any furniture sold. In 1933, Herman Miller debuted a line of modern furniture at the

Century of Progress A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositi ...

exposition in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. In 1941, the company opened a showroom in the

Merchandise Mart The Merchandise Mart (or the Merch Mart, or the Mart) is a commercial building located in downtown Chicago, Illinois. When it was opened in 1930, it was the largest building in the world, with of floor space. The Art Deco structure is locate ...

in Chicago, and another in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Under Rohde's supervision, Herman Miller entered the contract office furniture market in 1942, with the introduction of the "Modular Executive Office" Group (EOG). Rohde died in 1944 and was replaced by

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

George Nelson, who joined the firm as director of design in 1945. Over the next four decades Nelson influenced Herman Miller through both his personal designs and the designers that he recruited, including

Isamu Noguchi was an American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public artworks, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several ...

Charles and Ray Eames Charles Eames ( Charles Eames, Jr) and Ray Eames ( Ray-Bernice Eames) were an American married couple of industrial designers who made significant historical contributions to the development of modern architecture and furniture through the work of ...

, and textile designer

Alexander Girard Alexander Girard (May 24, 1907 – December 31, 1993), affectionately known as Sandro, was an architect, interior designer, furniture designer, industrial designer, and a textile designer. Early life He was born in New York City to an American ...

. Beginning in the late 1940s, the period under Nelson's guidance saw Herman Miller produce some of the company's most recognizable pieces of furniture, including the ''

'', ''

'', ''Ball clock'' (actually produced by

Howard Miller Clock Company The Howard Miller Company is a Zeeland, Michigan, based manufacturer of longcase clocks and other home furnishings. History Howard Miller Clock Company was founded in 1926, as the Herman Miller Clock Company division of office furniture manufact ...

), and the ''Sling sofa''. De Pree continued to serve as Herman Miller CEO until 1961, when he was forced by illness to step down. He was succeeded by his son, Hugh De Pree, who served as CEO until the mid-1980s. Hugh De Pree was succeeded by his brother

Max De Pree Max De Pree (October 28, 1924 – August 8, 2017) was an American businessman and writer. A son of D. J. De Pree, founder of Herman Miller office furniture company, he and his brother Hugh De Pree assumed leadership of the company in the early 196 ...

, who held the position until 1990. In 1961, Herman Miller set up the Herman Miller Research Division, based in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

. This division developed the "

" line in 1964 under the supervision of Robert Propst and with the design assistance of George Nelson's New York design studio. Though the initial line, known as "Action Office I", was not a success, it led Propst to develop the "Action Office II" line, which introduced the office

. In 1978, Action Office II was renamed simply "Action Office". Herman Miller's line of Action Office products generated sales of over $5 billion . George Nelson's influence at Herman Miller gradually declined during the 1970s as new designers joined the company, including

Don Chadwick Donald "Don" T. Chadwick (born 1936) is an American industrial designer specializing in office seating. __NOTOC__ Early life He was born in Los Angeles and developed an interest in furniture making from his grandfather, a cabinetmaker. He studie ...

and

Bill Stumpf William Eugene Stumpf (March 1, 1936 – August 30, 2006) was an American furniture designer who helped design the Aeron, Embody and Ergon chairs for Herman Miller. It was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where Stumpf, working with s ...

, who in the 1990s developed the highly-successful

. In 1981, Herman Miller started to work with the Italian designer

Clino T. Castelli Clino Trini Castelli (born Civitavecchia, 1944) is an Italian industrial designer and artist. He has used the concept of "noform" through his work in Environmental design, environmental and industrial design, developed through the application of ...

on the process of designing physical environments, a so-called Design Primario. Designer Tom Newhouse introduced the "Newhouse Group" of free-standing furniture in 1987, and assisted with the "Ethospace" wall panel system for the Action Office line. Ray Wilkes designed the "Modular Seating Group", popularly known as the ''Chicklet Chairs''. In 2010, the firm acquired Colebrook Bosson Saunders, a designer and manufacturer of ergonomic furniture. The acquisition of

Knoll In geography, knoll is another term for a knowe or hillock, a small, low, round natural hill or mound. Knoll may also refer to: Places * Knoll Camp, site of an Iron Age hill fort Hampshire, England, United Kingdom * Knoll Lake, Leonard Canyon, A ...

by Herman Miller was announced in April 2021 in a $1.8 billion deal. The acquisition closed July 19, 2021. In July 2021, the company rebranded as MillerKnoll.

Brands

In addition to Herman Miller and Knoll, the company owns notable brands including Design Within Reach, Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Dates Weiser, Edelman Leather,

Holly Hunt Holly Hunt is an American designer. She is the founder and CEO of Holly Hunt Design (now a subsidiary MillerKnoll, Inc.), a company that designs, produces and showcases custom made product including indoor and outdoor furniture, lighting, rugs, ...

, Hay, Maharam, and

Muuto Muuto is a Scandinavian design company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The product range includes furniture and other design products. History Muuto was founded by Kristian Byrge and Peter Bonnen in 2006. Byrge had previously been involved in the f ...

Workplace

According to ''CNN Money'', , Herman Miller was ranked as the second most admired company in the Home Equipment, Furnishing division. In March 2008, Herman Miller settled an antitrust lawsuit with the states of New York, Michigan, and Illinois for $750,000. The lawsuit focused on Herman Miller's use of a suggested retail pricing policy.

Sustainability

Herman Miller has engaged in a number of initiatives to promote

sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

. The company has developed a technique of mixing

sawdust Sawdust (or wood dust) is a by-product or waste product of woodworking operations such as sawing, sanding, milling, planing, and routing. It is composed of small chippings of wood. These operations can be performed by woodworking machinery, ...

with

chicken manure Chicken manure is the feces of chickens used as an organic fertilizer, especially for soil low in nitrogen. Of all animal manures, it has the highest amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Chicken manure is sometimes pelletized for ...

to produce

topsoil Topsoil is the upper layer of soil. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. Description Topsoil is composed of mineral particles and organic matt ...

. Management of the company has expressed concerns about

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

, and the company was using 27%

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

. Herman Miller calls its driving sustainability initiative "Perfect Vision" and it put the strategy in place in 2004. These targets include zero landfill disposal, zero

hazardous waste Hazardous waste is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. Hazardous waste is a type of dangerous goods. They usually have one or more of the following hazardous traits: ignitability, reactivity, co ...

generation, zero air emissions (

VOCs Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapour pressure at room temperature. High vapor pressure correlates with a low boiling point, which relates to the number of the sample's molecules in the surrounding air, a ...

), zero process water discharge, 100% green electrical energy use, company buildings constructed to a minimum

LEED Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

certification, and 100% of sales from DfE-approved products. Herman Miller helped fund the start of the

United States Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a private 501(c)3, membership-based non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in building design, construction, and op ...

, and hired architect William McDonough + Partners to design a factory incorporating

green design Environmentally sustainable design (also called environmentally conscious design, eco-design, etc.) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of ecological sustainability ...

principles. The building is known as the "Greenhouse", and is an example of

green building Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planni ...

. The building won the following awards: *AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Environmental Buildings, 1997 *Business Week/Architectural Record Good Design Is Good Business Award, 1997 *AIA Central Virginia Honor Award, 1998 *International Development Research Council, Award for Distinguished Service in Environmental Planning, 1995

Notable products

Seating

Eames Lounge Chair Wood The Eames Lounge Chair Wood (LCW) (also known as Low Chair Wood or Eames Plywood Lounge Chair) is a low seated easy chair designed by husband and wife team Charles and Ray Eames. The chair was designed using technology for molding plywood that ...

(1946) – designed by

(1954) – designed by

Irving Harper Irving Harper (July 14, 1916 – August 4, 2015) was an American industrial designer.
, metropolismag. ...

and Ottoman (1956) – designed by Charles and Ray Eames *

Eames Aluminum Group The Eames Aluminum Group series is a line of furniture designed by the office of Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1958. It is an icon of office furniture and a "high-status symbol of modern design". History The chair was originally c ...

Chairs (1958) – designed by Charles and Ray Eames *Eames Airport Seating – tandem sling seating found in Dulles and O'Hare and many other airports (1962), designed by Charles and Ray Eames *Equa 2 (1984) – designed by

and

Aeron Chair The Aeron chair is an office chair sold by Herman Miller (manufacturer), Herman Miller, first released in 1994. In 2010, it was called "America's best-selling chair". It is featured in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection. It was desig ...

(1987) – designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick *Ergon 3 (1995) – designed by Bill Stumpf * Mirra 1 (2003) – designed by Studio 7.5 *Celle (2005) – designed by Jerome Caruso *Embody (2008) – designed by Bill Stumpf and Jeff Weber *Setu (2009) – designed by Studio 7.5 *Sayl (2010) – designed by

Yves Behar Yves may refer to: * Yves, Charente-Maritime, a commune of the Charente-Maritime department in France * Yves (given name), including a list of people with the name * ''Yves'' (single album), a single album by Loona * ''Yves'' (film), a 2019 Fre ...

*Mirra 2 (2013) – designed by Studio 7.5 *Cosm (2018) – designed by Studio 7.5 *Keyn Chair Group (2018) – designed by forpeople *Vantum (2022) - Collaboration with

Logitech Logitech International S.A. ( ; often shortened to Logi) is a Swiss multinational manufacturer of computer peripherals and software, with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Newark, California. The company has offices throughout Europe, ...

Tables/desks

(1948) – designed by

*The Burdick Group modular desk system (1980) - designed by

Bruce Burdick Bruce Burdick (1933–2021) was an American designer and founder of the Burdick Group. He is known for The Burdick Group modular desk system, and designing various museum exhibits around the world, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhib ...

References

External links

*
The Herman Miller Consortium Collection
at

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

Library is a historic, digital, product collection originally accumulated as part of Herman Miller's corporate archives in a digitized, searchable format.
CNN'.com: "Cubicles: The great mistake"

Youtube.com: "Comments on Herman Miller"
— by designer

Yves Béhar Yves Béhar (born 1967) is a Swiss-born American designer, entrepreneur, and educator. He is the founder and principal designer of Fuseproject, an industrial design and brand development firm. Béhar is also co-founder and Chief Creative Office ...

"Herman Miller Embody Office Chair Review", ''The Tech Reviewer''
{{Charles and Ray Eames Furniture companies of the United States Design companies of the United States Industrial design firms Companies listed on the Nasdaq Companies based in Stamford, Connecticut Companies based in Fairfield County, Connecticut Companies based in Connecticut