La-Z-Boy
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008) |
 |
|
| Type | Public (NYSE: LZB) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Furnishings |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Headquarters | Monroe, Michigan, U.S. |
| Key people | Edward M. Knabusch Edwin J. Shoemaker |
| Products | Upholstered furniture and casegoods |
| Revenue | $2 billion USD |
| Website | www.la-z-boy.com |
La-Z-Boy Incorporated is a furniture manufacturer based in Monroe, Michigan, USA which makes home furniture, including upholstered recliners, sofas, stationary chairs, and sleeper sofas. The company employs more than 11,000 people.
La-Z-Boy furniture is sold in thousands of retail residential outlets in the United States and Canada, and is manufactured and distributed under license in other countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey and South Africa.[1] La-Z-Boy holds US and international patents on more than 200 different styles and mechanisms.
La-Z-Boy Incorporated is divided into three reportable operating segments: the Upholstery Group, the Casegoods Group and the Retail Group. The Upholstery Group primarily manufactures and sells upholstered furniture to furniture retailers and proprietary stores. This includes recliners and motion furniture, sofas, loveseats, chairs, ottomans and sleeper sofas. The Casegoods Group primarily sells manufactured or imported wood furniture to furniture retailers, including tables, chairs, entertainment centers, headboards, dressers, accent pieces and some coordinated upholstered furniture. The Retail Group consists of 70 company-owned stores in the US. The Retail Group sells mainly upholstered furniture to end consumers through the retail network.
La-Z-Boy includes various companies and brands including La-Z-Boy Residential, La-Z-Boy Kids, La-Z-Boy Hospitality, Lea Furniture, American Drew, Kincaid Furniture, Bauhaus USA Furniture, Hammary Furniture and England Furniture Incorporated.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1928 cousins Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker partnered and invested in the furniture business in the small town of Monroe, Michigan. They set out to design a chair for what they called "nature’s way of relaxing."[2] Using orange crates to mock-up and refine their idea, they invented a wood-slat porch chair with a reclining mechanism. Knabusch and Shoemaker then upholstered their innovation and marketed it as a year-round chair. The chair was a success; they held a contest to name it—La-Z-Boy was the winner.[1]
In 1969, after years primarily as a manufacturer of recliners, La-Z-Boy started designing other products including reclining sofas, sleep sofas and modular groups. In 1983 La-Z-Boy introduced its first line of stationary sofas and occasional chairs, later offering a full line of home furnishings.[1]
[edit] Licensed manufacturers
In 1970 Morgan Furniture of Takapuna, New Zealand, founded by Jack Morgan, commenced manufacture of the La-Z-Boy recliner for Australia and New Zealand. In September 2007 his son Graham Morgan announced that the company was to import the furniture from China and Thailand with the loss of around 200 Auckland manufacturing jobs.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Our History - Official La-Z-Boy Website
- ^ Taylor, Cliff (16 September 2007). "La-Z-Boy shifts to China". The New Zealand Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/economy/news/article.cfm?c_id=34&objectid=10463800. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
