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Events

Date Title Category Image
03/14/1912 - 01/15/1914

A.W. Hompe Elected President

Two days prior to the official founding of the Metal Office Furniture Co.,  Alexander W. Hompe, president of The Macey Co., is elected president and chairman of the board.  He resigns in 1914, handing...

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Leadership
03/16/1912

MOFC Incorporated

The Metal Office Furniture Co. is incorporated after Peter M. Wege moves to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  With the help of 11 investors, Wege's dream of competing in "The Furniture City" amongst wood furniture...

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Company
1914

Victor Wastebasket Introduced

The introduction of the Victor, a steel wastebasket, is a win-win for all parties. This fireproof product quickly becomes a top seller for Metal Office Furniture Co. Due to the low manufacturing costs...

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Products
1914

Bent Steel and Resistance Welding Demonstrated

A demonstration of the combination of bending steel at a right angle and resistance welding in both the Victor wastebasket and a series of file cabinets. The combination enables file cabinet drawers to...

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Products
1914 - 1943

P.M. Wege Elected President

Peter Martin Wege is elected president of Metal Office Furniture Co. (MOFC) in 1914 when MOFC separates from Macey Furniture Company.  He takes the reigns from Alexander W. Hompe and will hold the position...

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Leadership
1915

First Desk Sale

Our product line offerings in 1915 are safe deposit vault equipment, lockers, strong boxes, steel shelving, and wastebaskets.  However, this doesn't stop Metal Office Furniture Co. from submitting a bid...

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Products
1921

The Birth of the Brand

Turner Advertising in Chicago promotes the Steelcase® trademark to emphasize the durability of Metal Office Furniture Co. products and adds the tagline, “Found Where Business Succeeds”— an advertising...

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Company
1922

Dealer Network Launched

Metal Office Furniture Co. is one of the first companies known to build an official dealer organization. Our first dealer is in St. Louis, Missouri. By 1968 we will have nearly 900 dealers in all 50 states...

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Industry
1924

Desk Strength and Durability

The 621 desk is designed to be fireproof and because of our manufacturing process, is able to support up to 6,000 pounds. Steel furniture is gaining acceptance, and this is Metal Office Furniture Co.’s...

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Products
1927

On Board with Lucky Lindy

Metal Office Furniture Co. makes and installs a custom-built desk aboard the Tri-motor plane that Charles Lindbergh uses for publicity tours around the United States after his transatlantic flight. The...

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Products
11/26/1928

Entrance into the International Market

The Steelcase trademark makes its first appearance in Argentina, with brochures for 1200 Line file cabinets printed in Spanish. This marks our entry into the international market.

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Company
1930

Acquisition of Doehler Metal Furniture Company

Metal Office Furniture Co. acquires Doehler Metal Furniture Co. This acquisition enables us to remain solvent during the Depression by manufacturing metal household and hospital furniture (our first foray...

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Company
circa 1932

Specialty Desk Introduced

The growing office industry creates new demands for worksurfaces.  Metal Office Furniture Co. introduces the Burroughs machine desk, designed specifically to accommodate the Burroughs adding machine....

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Products
1932

“Century of Progress” Desk

The "Century of Progress" desk is designed for the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. It introduces the island base.

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Products
1934

Suspension File Patent

Metal Office Furniture Co. patents suspension file cabinets and introduces double-wall drawers for added ease and durability.

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Products
1937

Frank Lloyd Wright-Designed Furniture for S.C. Johnson Wax Building

Metal Office Furniture Co. manufactures office furniture for the S.C. Johnson Wax Building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Racine, Wisconsin. As a result of a two-year design and production partnership...

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Products
1942

Naval Contracts Won

Metal Office Furniture Co. wins a $254,000 contract to make lightweight, sturdy steel furnishings for U.S. Naval cruiser class ships. As a result of the war, all manufacturing of steel furniture for commercial...

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Products
1943 - 1961

W.D. Idema Elected President & General Manager

Walter D. Idema, one of the original founders, is elected President and General Manager of Metal Office Furniture Co., succeeding Peter M. Wege after his retirement. Idema's previous history with the Company...

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Leadership
1945

First with Standard and Interchangeable Parts

Metal Office Furniture Co. is the first furniture maker with a complete standardization and interchangeability of parts, allowing for more than 200 different arrangements of desks and tables.

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Products
1946

Multiple 15 Desk Introduced

Metal Office Furniture Co. introduces a postwar desk that has been in design since 1942. “Multiple 15” is designed on 15-inch dimensions, allowing for better space planning in open offices. By 1960...

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Products
1948

Dealer Office Planning Assistance Pioneered

Hunting-Roberts Co., the California distributor of Steelcase furniture, pioneers office planning, establishing a new area of dealer assistance that is soon followed by the entire industry.

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Industry
12/27/1951

Steelcase Foundation Formed

A form for a Trust Indenture is submitted for the establishment of a charitable foundation to be known as “The Metal Office Furniture Company Foundation.” Over time, the Company has donated a portion...

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Communities
1952

Convertibles Introduced

Metal Office Furniture Co. introduces Convertibles. These products provide users with more storage space, wider knee-space and greater stability for electric typewriters and calculating machines, while...

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Products
1953

Sunshine Styling Color an Industry First

Metal Office Furniture Co. expands the palette for metal office furniture with Sunshine Styling. The new colors, inspired by David D. Hunting’s trip to Arizona, are Desert Sage, Blond Tan, Mist Green,...

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Products
1954

First to Add Typewriter Auxiliary Unit

Metal Office Furniture Co. is the first to replace the standard box drawer for the typewriter with an auxiliary table or shelf. The 41-ATT and 41-TS auxiliary units attach to pedestal desk, and are designed...

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Products
1954

Steelcase Canada Ltd. Founded

Fred A. Bell founds Steelcase Canada Ltd. in Don Mills, Ontario (a suburb of Toronto), the first operation located outside of the United States. The facility includes 15,000 square feet of showroom and...

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Company
12/01/1954

Company Name Change: Steelcase Inc.

The Company name officially becomes Steelcase Inc., differentiating it from competitors who use variations of “metal office furniture” in their names. This change allows us to capitalize on our successful...

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Company
1955

Jewel Tea Desk: A First

Steelcase creates the Jewel Tea Desk in a collaboration with Harper Richards and A. Epstein & Sons for the new Jewel Tea Building. It's the first straight-line, contemporary metal desk to have wood...

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Products
1956

Flight Line Desks for the Office of the Future

Steelcase introduces the Flight Line of desks – square-cornered, contemporary-designed steel desks with one-inch square tubular legs exposed top to base. Flight Line reflects the Space Age zeitgeist...

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Products
1958

1300 Line Desks Introduced

Steelcase introduces the 1300 Line of contemporary desks, credenzas, and cabinets. The 1300 Line is the first desk to offer either a stainless steel binding on the top edge or a Textolite self-edged top....

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Products
03/1959

Electrical Connections in Desks Introduced

Steelcase introduces back panels for desks that include an apparatus board for electrical and telephone connections. Our Swingstallation back panel allows for easy access to the apparatus board.

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Products
04/1959

Growing Home Office Market

The Office at Home is a growing phenomenon and a potential market for Steelcase dealers.  Before the advent of the personal computer and fax machine, the home office was used mostly by heads of household...

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Industry
1961 - 1966

W.C. Davis Elected President

Wendell C. Davis is elected President of Steelcase Inc. (and appointed as a director). Davis comes from Cribben and Sexton Company in Chicago. While Davis came to Steelcase under a 5-year agreement, he...

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Leadership
07/1961

Acrylic Paints Introduced

Steelcase begins to use acrylic paints on products, a first within the industry. A water-based paint, acrylic is more environmentally friendly than the oil-based paints previously used on our lines.

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Sustainability
09/13/1961

Datacase Introduced

At the 50-Year Anniversary Dealer Meeting, “Accent on Excellence,” a complete line of Datacase data processing auxiliaries is announced. This line is designed to accommodate the requirements of customers'...

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Products
1963

Steelcase Coordinated Offices Introduced

A national advertising campaign introduces Steelcase Coordinated Offices (SCO). The message: Steelcase can meet all office furniture needs, including color coordination and installation.

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Products
1966 - 1988

R.C. Pew Elected President & CEO

Robert C. Pew (II) is elected President of Steelcase Inc.  In 1980, the title changes to "Chief Executive Officer." Pew's history with the company includes: manufacturing expediter (1952); superintendent...

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Leadership
10/03/1966

Broadsides Lateral Files Introduced

The 860 Series Broadsides Lateral Files are introduced. This is an industry first, beating out a competitor who claims to have been the first with lateral files in 1967. Soon Broadsides will be incorporated...

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Products
1968

World’s Largest Manufacturer

Steelcase is designated the world’s largest manufacturer of office furniture.

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Industry
1968

Mobiles Introduced

Steelcase introduces the Mobiles office suite – merging  Multiple 15, Sunshine Styling and Convertibles. Coupled with Movable Walls (panels that efficiently divide space for workers in an open office...

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Products
1971

Fabric Cutting Technology Better for the Environment

A new fabric-cutting press is added, eliminating much of the hand-cutting for upholstery fabric.  This new technology helps speed production, offers greater uniformity and less waste.

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Sustainability
06/1972

Designs in Wood Introduced

With the purchase of Hardwood Designs in California and plans to build a wood furniture plant in North Carolina, Steelcase prepares to introduce Designs in Wood.

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Company
1973

Series 9000® Introduced

Steelcase introduces Series 9000®, soon to become the world’s leading systems furniture line and garnering multiple awards. With the explosion of the "white collar" worker and computerized offices,...

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Products
06/15/1973 - 11/30/1973

Sears Tower Installation

Steelcase executes the largest single shipment in the industry: 43,565 pieces of furniture in 400 truck loads for 7,000 Sears & Roebuck employees in over 44 floors of Chicago's Sears Tower. The Sears...

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Company
06/19/1974

430 Chair Introduced

The Series 430 office chair, called "The chair that loves people," is introduced at NeoCon. It sets a new standard in office seating design through the use of comfort contouring, driven by the increasing...

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Products
08/05/1974

Steelcase/ Strafor S.A. Joint Venture Formed

Steelcase, in a 50% joint venture agreement with Strafor-Facom (a division of Forges de Strasbourg), forms Steelcase/ Strafor S.A. This new arrangement allows for the manufacture of Steelcase chairs in...

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Company
1975

Paperflo® Introduced

Paperflo®, the industry’s first modular paper-handling system for use with systems furniture, is introduced. A key attribute is keeping work accessible. Timothy, a cartoon tiger, is one of many successful...

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Products
1976

Lighting Evaluation Laboratory Opens

The first Lighting Evaluation Laboratory is established by Steelcase in Grand Rapids to find ways to cut office energy costs.

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Sustainability
1977

Middle East Dealer Organization Established

Steelcase is the first major U.S. office furniture manufacturer to establish an extensive dealer distribution organization in the Middle East, covering Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

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Industry
1977

Begin Testing Speech Privacy

The Acoustics Lab opens in Grand Rapids – making Steelcase the first to test speech privacy in simulated open office conditions.

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Industry

1955

Available in the Archives

    If you are a Steelcase Employee addition information is available at FactFile. For more information contact archives@steelcase.com.

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