Costco Connection - January 2009

Homegrown values

Herman Miller also believes in producing homegrown furniture. In an age of manufacturing overseas, Herman Miller products sold in the U.S. are made in the U.S. (Furniture sold overseas is manufactured in England or China.) Mojzak notes, “One hundred percent of the chairs that we sell in the U.S. are designed and assembled with the help of suppliers within 75 miles of Zeeland.” Because Herman Miller’s lines are manufactured in its own backyard, problems on the assembly line can be quickly addressed to meet the company’s exacting quality standards.

For example, when its Caper line of chairs were being produced, a quality engineer noted that the pneumatic cylinder, a part that enables the chair to go up and down, was faulty. The cylinder would get momentarily stuck, which meant the chair didn’t lift or depress smoothly. The engineer called attention to the flaw and the supplier replaced the cylinders, solving the problem.

“Employees are empowered to find solutions to ensure quality, just like the engineer who stopped the assembly line to fix a problem,” Mojzak says.

A century-old ethic lives on

Michael Ramirez, director of corporate social responsibility, says Herman Miller lives up to its mission of helping the community in a variety of ways, including its commitment to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2020, meeting 70 percent of its current power needs through green energy and giving each employee 16 hours a year off to volunteer.

Recently assembly workers suggested a campaign to collect recyclable bottles and cans throughout the company, which resulted in donating $1,800 to purchase HydrAid water filters, produced by the nonprofit International Aid, to purify water for poor communities. “We want employees engaged and want them to have a voice,” Ramirez says.

The company’s commitment to its employees makes good business sense. It enables them to attract the best and the brightest, who then develop innovative products. “It’s our competitive edge. We don’t just want to be a furniture company; we want to create a better world through the environment, office and community,” Ramirez says. “That’s the Herman Miller way of doing business.” C