Sauder Woodworking Co.

Exporter
PO Box 156, Archbold, OH 43502-0156, United States
(800)523-3987, (419)446-2711, (419)446-3692 fax, http://www.sauder.com

Primary SIC: Wood Household Furniture, Primary NAICS: Nonupholstered Wood Household Furniture Manufacturing
Description: Manufacturing: Ready-to-assemble wooden and church furniture and shelving, and seating for education, healthcare and government agencies. More

Family-owned and operated Sauder was founded in 1934 by Erie Sauder. The company is currently the country's leading manufacturer of RTA (ready-to-assemble) furniture and the eighth largest furniture manufacturer in North America. Sauder ships over $510 million of RTA furniture annually and does business in more than 70 countries worldwide. They are also the world's largest supplier of seating to churches and synagogues. The company's products include desks, computer workstations, wardrobes, bookcases, end tables, and entertainment centers. Sauder's subsidiary, Archbold Container, makes corrugated packaging and displays. The products are sold through mass merchandisers and other retailers. The company is currently ranked at 479 by Forbes with more than 3,200 employees and sales of more than $500,000,000. In 1934 Erie Sauder started a woodworking business in a barn behind his Archbold, Ohio home. There was some success building custom cabinets and church pews. A local church commissioned Erie to produce a set of pews in solid oak, marking the start of Sauder Manufacturing. In 1940, a traveling salesman saw a few of Sauder's tables while passing through Archbold on his way to a furniture show in Chicago. He took some of the tables with him and called the Sauders the next day to order 25,000. The Sauders did not have the manpower or industrial capabilities to fill the order. They had help from friends and relatives and a local bank offered financial support, helping the Sauder's fill the order and becoming incorporated. Twice, the Sauder factory burned to the ground. Each time, the company was rebuilt. In 1951, a retailer asked the company to design a piece of furniture that could be shipped and stored in flat boxes. They came up with a snap-together table packaged in a box with its own handle that not only met the customer's request, but also marked the beginning of the ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture industry. The companies top competitors include Bush Industries, IKEA, and O'Sullivan Industries.