Furniture Manufacturing

Furniture Manufacturing

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry manufacture household, office, and institutional furniture and related products, including mattresses. Major companies include Herman Miller, HNI, La-Z-Boy, Leggett & Platt, Steelcase, and Tempur Sealy (all based in the US), along with Hunter Douglas and IKEA (both in the Netherlands), Kokuyo and Okamura Corporation (both in Japan), and Samson Holding (China).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

The volume of home furniture sold depends heavily on the level of home sales, while office furniture sales depend on the health of the US economy overall. The profitability of individual companies is closely linked to volume, since many costs are fixed. Large companies enjoy economies of scale in purchasing. Small companies can compete effectively if they produce specialty items or high-quality workmanship that can sell for a premium price. Some segments, such as mattress manufacturing and office furniture manufacturing, are highly concentrated, but the US industry as a whole is fragmented: the largest 50 companies generate about 40% of revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major product categories include household furniture (about 40% of US industry revenue); institutional furniture (about 15%); office furniture (about 20%); mattresses, shades, and blinds (about 10%); and custom architectural woodwork and millwork (about 15%).