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Events

Date Title Category Image
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
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
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
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
1939

Our First Chairs

Metal Office Furniture Co. begins chair production in a section of the Desk Plant (Plant #2). Since 1926, we had been sourcing chairs for customers; this is our first entry into the manufacture of our...

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Products
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
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

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
1962

50th Anniversary Celebration

As Steelcase celebrates our 50th anniversary (pictured), we are expanding across North America with a new facility in La Mirada, California and an expansion to the plant in Don Mills, Ontario, Canada.

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Company
1968

World’s Largest Manufacturer

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

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Industry
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
1985

Stow & Davis Furniture Co. Acquired

Steelcase acquires Stow & Davis Furniture Co., a well-respected manufacturer of wood office furniture, based in Grand Rapids, MI. The acquisition provides us with an additional 1 million square...

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Company
1986

Sensor® Chair Introduced

The Sensor® chair is introduced at NeoCon. An ergonomic chair scaled in three sizes, Sensor is designed to sense and support the body’s movements. Developed in concert with West German designer Wolfgang...

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Products
1987

Steelcase Inc. Turns 75

Steelcase reaches the 75-year milestone. We are the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of office furniture, systems furniture, office lighting and computer-assisted programs for those who plan,...

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Company
06/1987

Steelcase Design Partnership® Forms

Steelcase Inc. forms the Steelcase Design Partnership®, a group of high-design oriented office furniture companies serving special market niches. Under the umbrella of The Steelcase Design Partnership...

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Company
02/18/1998

Steelcase Goes Public

Steelcase becomes a publicly traded company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SCS.

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Company
03/16/2012

Steelcase Celebrates 100 Years

Steelcase completes a century of industry, innovation and expansion. From simple beginnings as a manufacturer of safes and files for the Macey Company, to the designing and creation of our own metal and...

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Company

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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