Herman Miller has been thriving in the furniture and design market for over 100 years. Headquartered in Zeeland, Michigan, the Herman Miller brand has put out timeless classics that have inspired the office furniture world for decades. While this is one of the most famous furniture companies in the world, there may be some things you don’t know about it. In this blog, you’ll find out six thing you probably didn’t know about Herman Miller.
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6 Things You Didn’t Know About Herman Miller
- Name Origination
- How They Started
- The GreenHouse
- The Cubicle
- Herman Miller x Howard Miller
- Largest Manufacturer In The World
Herman Miller was founded as the “Star Furniture Company” in 1905. D.J. De Pree started at the company in 1909 at 18 years old as a clerk. Within ten years of starting, he became president of the company and four years later he convinced his father-in-law to help buy the company. He then named the company after his father-in-law, Herman Miller.
Herman Miller started out by selling high-end, traditional bedroom sets. They didn’t transition to selling office furniture until the emergence of their executive office group in 1942.
Herman Miller is one of the most green companies in the world – so green that they wouldn’t even kill a wasp. In the mid-1990s Herman Miller started a project to develop one of the most green manufacturing companies in the world, dubbed “The GreenHouse”. Shortly after starting the project, they noticed a lot of wasps around the building. Instead of hiring an exterminator, they brought in a ton of honeybees to deter the wasps instead of having to kill them.
In 1968, Herman Miller employee Robert Propst invented the cubicle. He pictured something very modular, customizable, with a lot of space and privacy that could meet every employee’s needs. Thus came the cubicle.
Howard Miller is known for making high-end clocks, such as wall clocks, grandfather clocks, table clocks etc. Formerly known as the “Herman Miller Clock Company”, D.J. De Pree handed his company over to Herman Miller’s son, Howard, who formed the Howard Miller Clock Company.
Herman Miller is now the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world, based on revenue. This title was previously held by Steelcase, but since the Herman Miller acquisition of Knoll in April 2020 for $1.8 billion, they have surpassed Steelcase.
Additional Herman Miller Resources
- Herman Miller Aeron Chair (Review / Rating / Pricing)
- 6 Best Herman Miller Aeron Chair Alternatives for 2025
- Herman Miller Aeron Mesh Office Chair 2025 Review + Pricing
- Herman Miller Aeron Chair vs Steelcase Gesture: Which is best?
- Herman Miller Aeron vs. Steelcase Leap: Which is best in 2025?
- Herman Miller Aeron Classic vs. Remastered (8 Differences)
