Herman Miller Inc
Herman Miller Inc. is more than just an office furniture manufacturer; the company is also an innovator and is a main reason in how companies operate today. Developing ergonomic chairs that allow those who work in the office to work without contortion is efficient; developing, manufacturing, and producing the first office cubicles in 1968 that are widely used today is groundbreaking. When Herman Miller Inc. was appropriately named following the acquisition by Herman Miller at the request of current president Dirk Jan De Pree, the company already was developing a niche of how to approach the furniture business. Innovation and reinvention were popular terms during the roaring 20’s and De Pree was making them come true in more ways than just furniture. Having committed himself to the view of “all workers as individuals with special talents and potential”, De Pree treated workers with more respect and care than most at the time, and further demonstrated the importance of workers as people through the implementation of employee benefits and productivity incentive plans, such as the Scanlon Plan (Manz 2010). The company has been at the cutting edge with its designs in office furniture, which have received numerous awards, including the Equa chair receiving the prestigious Time Magazine honor, the Design of the Decade. The company, through the leadership of Max De Pree, continued to be employee friendly by establishing a plan where all employees could become shareholder, well before the ESOP (employee stock ownership plan) came into effect. Herman Miller has also been in the forefront as an environmentally sound company, as in 1990 when they became a founding member of the Tropical Forest Foundation (Manz 2010).
The company, while remaining innovative and front running, has experienced many trials and tribulations, including the Great Depression, the dot-com bubble burst, and a recession that has hurt most companies, not just furniture companies. However, through all the turmoil, the company as remained profitable and with the guidance and direction of current president and CEO Brian Walker, have established themselves in markets in all seven continents, as well as added focus to not just the business market, but the residential market as well (Walker 2011). New threats have emerged, however, that have caused the company to refocus and look for other avenues to insure a business that has been profitable for almost one hundred years remains profitable for hopefully one hundred more and beyond.
First and foremost, the employees have always been a strong component of the company and receive respect and benefits that others just don’t offer. The employees work well within their respective teams, and will not shy away when managers may make mistakes (Manz 2010). While the employees are expected to contribute and work to the best of their abilities, they are generously rewarded and continue to receive benefits during this