Innovating office environments for over 112 years

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1910

December 23, 1913
US Federal Reserve Established
July 28, 1914
World War I Begins
March 19, 1918
Time Zones are Established
November 11, 1918
End of World War I
A.W. Hompe Elected President
March 14, 1912
A.W. Hompe Elected President
MOFC Incorporated
March 16, 1912
MOFC Incorporated
First Products Manufactured for Macey
March 17, 1912
First Products Manufactured for Macey
Clestra Hauserman Founded
1913
Clestra Hauserman Founded
Victor Wastebasket Introduced
1914
Victor Wastebasket Introduced
Liberty Bond Boxes Introduced
1914
Liberty Bond Boxes Introduced
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1920

January 17, 1920
Prohibition Ban Begins
January 25, 1924
First Winter Olympic Games held in France
October 29, 1929
“Black Tuesday” Stock Market Crash
Commonwealth Top Customer
1920
Commonwealth Top Customer
First West Coast Sales Made
1921
First West Coast Sales Made
The Birth of the Brand
1921
The Birth of the Brand
Dealer Network Launched
1922
Dealer Network Launched
Desk Strength and Durability
1924
Desk Strength and Durability
Architect-Designed Office Space
1925
Architect-Designed Office Space
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1930

February 18, 1930
Pluto is discovered by US Astronomer
May 1934
Dust Storms Spread from the Dust Bowl Area
November 2, 1936
The BBC Television Service Launches
Acquisition of Doehler Metal Furniture Company
1930
Acquisition of Doehler Metal Furniture Company
“Century of Progress” Desk
1932
“Century of Progress” Desk
Production of Vegetable Spray Units
1932
Production of Vegetable Spray Units
Specialty Desk Introduced
1932
Specialty Desk Introduced
Employment Levels Maintained Despite Depression
1933
Employment Levels Maintained Despite Depression
Suspension File Patent
1934
Suspension File Patent
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1940

1941
Steel Rationed (WWII)
January 10, 1946
First Meeting of the United Nations
April 4, 1949
NATO, the North American Treaty Organization, is Formed
Naval Contracts Won
1942
Naval Contracts Won
W.D. Idema Elected President & General Manager
March 1, 1943
W.D. Idema Elected President & General Manager
Retirement Benefits Offered
1944
Retirement Benefits Offered
First with Standard and Interchangeable Parts
1945
First with Standard and Interchangeable Parts
Multiple 15 Desk Introduced
1946
Multiple 15 Desk Introduced
“Honeymoon in New York” Shuts Down the Chair Plant
April 22, 1947
“Honeymoon in New York” Shuts Down the Chair Plant
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1950

June 25, 1950
Korean War Begins
November 1, 1955
Vietnam War Begins
April 25, 1959
The St. Lawrence Seaway opens along Canada and the US
25 Year Club Organized
1950
25 Year Club Organized
Largest Post-War Order
1950
Largest Post-War Order
Steelcase Foundation Formed
December 27, 1951
Steelcase Foundation Formed
Convertibles Introduced
1952
Convertibles Introduced
Sunshine Styling Color an Industry First
1953
Sunshine Styling Color an Industry First
Community Chest Record Set
1953
Community Chest Record Set
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1960

August 13, 1961
Construction of the Berlin Wall Begins
October 14, 1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis Begins
July 20, 1969
The Apollo Program Completes its Mission - First Man Walks on the Moon
November 21, 1969
The Internet is Invented
2200 Line Desks Introduced
1960
2200 Line Desks Introduced
Original Factory Donated to The Salvation Army
September 1, 1960
Original Factory Donated to The Salvation Army
DesignTex® Founded
1961
DesignTex® Founded
W.C. Davis Elected President
March 1, 1961
W.C. Davis Elected President
Acrylic Paints Introduced
July 1961
Acrylic Paints Introduced
Datacase Introduced
September 13, 1961
Datacase Introduced
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1970

1973
First Cell Phone
October 1973
Oil Embargo Begins
April 30, 1975
Vietnam War Ends
September 1975
IBM 1500 PC
Steelcase Canada, Ltd. Expands
1970
Steelcase Canada, Ltd. Expands
Gardner Leaver Chair and Side Table Introduced
1971
Gardner Leaver Chair and Side Table Introduced
Fabric Cutting Technology Better for the Environment
1971
Fabric Cutting Technology Better for the Environment
Word Processing Center Opens
May 1971
Word Processing Center Opens
Designs in Wood Introduced
June 1972
Designs in Wood Introduced
Series 9000® Introduced
1973
Series 9000® Introduced
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1980

1980
Beginning of the Information Age
1989
World Wide Web
November 9, 1989
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Pohlschröder Joint Venture Formed in Germany
1980
Pohlschröder Joint Venture Formed in Germany
1980
Waste to Energy Facility
44th Street Corporate Headquarters Opens
1983
44th Street Corporate Headquarters Opens
National Environmental Award
1983
National Environmental Award
1983
NeoCon 15 - Products Launched
Stow & Davis Furniture Co. Acquired
1985
Stow & Davis Furniture Co. Acquired
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1990

August 2, 1990
Persian Gulf War Begins
November 20, 1993
NAFTA Passes the Senate
January 1, 1995
World Trade Organization Founded
Details® Founded
March 8, 1990
Details® Founded
J.K. Myers Elected President & CEO
December 3, 1990
J.K. Myers Elected President & CEO
Global Presence Expanded
1991
Global Presence Expanded
Details® "Wastebasket" Introduced
1991
Details® "Wastebasket" Introduced
First to Filter Effluent from Paint Tanks
1991
First to Filter Effluent from Paint Tanks
Furniture in 48 Hours Available
1992
Furniture in 48 Hours Available
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2000

September 11, 2001
9/11
2003
NAFTA and WTO Policies Implemented, Eliminating Trade Barriers
March 19, 2003
Invasion of Iraq
Steelcase University Learning Center Opens
2000
Steelcase University Learning Center Opens
DesignTex® Technology Wins Awards
2000
DesignTex® Technology Wins Awards
New Corporate Identity Introduced
2000
New Corporate Identity Introduced
E-Commerce Sales First Offered
2000
E-Commerce Sales First Offered
End of an Era: 454 Production Ceases
April 2000
End of an Era: 454 Production Ceases
2001
Launched our renewable energy purchasing efforts
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2010

June 23, 2016
United Kingdom Votes to Leave the European Union
January 23, 2017
US Withdraws from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
January 2018
President Trump Imposes a Series of Tariffs, Angering Trading Partners
Flexframe Workwall Introduced
2010
Flexframe Workwall Introduced
node® Chair Introduced
June 2010
node® Chair Introduced
EcoCradle Packaging
June 2010
EcoCradle Packaging
Community Support
2011
Community Support
NanoSphere Finish Added to Designtex® Finishes
April 28, 2011
NanoSphere Finish Added to Designtex® Finishes
WorkCafe Opens
August 16, 2011
WorkCafe Opens
More


2020

January 21, 2020
#1 Fortune Most Admired 2020
LexCo Collection Introduced
March 1, 2020
LexCo Collection Introduced
CF Series Introduced
April 1, 2021
CF Series Introduced
Work Tents Introduced
August 1, 2021
Work Tents Introduced
Sara Armbruster becomes 10th President and Chief Executive Officer
October 4, 2021
Sara Armbruster becomes 10th President and Chief Executive Officer
Amobi Agile Workspaces Introduced
April 1, 2022
Amobi Agile Workspaces Introduced
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We opened our doors in 1912 after 11 business men agreed to invest in Peter M. Wege's dream of opening a steel office furniture company in a city renowned for wood furniture. Since then we've experienced many changes, including our name, but our business vision of always looking toward the future has remained the same.

Here we'd like to share with you a few hundred of the thousands of noteworthy historical moments from our 112-year plus legacy.

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