Hni Corporation Company Profile

HNI Corporation is an Iowa corporation incorporated in 1944. The Corporation is a provider of office furniture and hearth products. Office furniture products include panel-based and freestanding furniture systems and complementary products such as seating, storage and tables. These products are sold primarily through a national system of dealers, wholesalers and office product distributors but also directly to end-user customers and federal, state and local governments. Hearth products include a full array of gas, wood and pellet burning fireplaces, inserts, stoves, facings and accessories. These products are sold through a national system of dealers and distributors, as well as Corporation-owned distribution and retail outlets.

Nine operating units, marketing under various brand names, participate in the office furniture industry. These operating units include: The HON Company LLC ("HON"), Allsteel Inc., Maxon Furniture Inc., The Gunlocke Company L.L.C., Paoli LLC, Hickory Business Furniture, LLC (“HBF”), Artco-Bell Corporation ("Artcobell"), HNI Hong Kong Limited (“Lamex”) and BP Ergo Limited ("BP Ergo"). Each of these operating units provides products which are sold through various channels of distribution and segments of the industry. HNI International Inc. (“HNI International”) sells office furniture products manufactured by the Corporation’s operating units in select markets outside the United States and Canada.

The operating unit Hearth & Home Technologies LLC (“Hearth & Home”) participates in the hearth products industry. The retail and distribution brand for this operating unit is Fireside Hearth & Home.

The Corporation has been committed to systematically eliminating waste through its process improvement approach known as Rapid Continuous Improvement (“RCI”), which focuses on streamlining design, manufacturing and administrative processes. The Corporations RCI program has contributed to increased productivity, lower costs, improved product quality and enhanced workplace safety. In addition, the Corporations RCI efforts enable it to offer short average lead times, from receipt of order to delivery and installation, for most products.

The Corporations product development efforts are focused on developing and providing relevant and differentiated solutions delivering quality, aesthetics and style.

An important element of the Corporations success has been its member-owner culture, which has enabled it to attract, develop, retain and motivate skilled, experienced and efficient members (i.e., employees). Each of the Corporations eligible members has the opportunity to own stock in the Corporation through a number of stock-based plans, including a member stock purchase plan and a profit-sharing retirement plan, which drives a unique level of commitment to the Corporation’s success throughout the workforce.

The U.S. office furniture market consists of two primary channels—the contract channel and the supplies-driven channel. The contract channel has traditionally been characterized by sales of office furniture and services to large corporations, primarily for new office facilities, relocations or department or office redesigns, which are frequently customized to meet specific client and designer preferences. Contract furniture is generally purchased through office furniture dealers who typically prepare a custom-designed office layout emphasizing image and design. The selling process is complex and lengthy and generally has several manufacturers competing for the same projects.

The supplies-driven channel of the market, in which the Corporation is a leader, primarily represents smaller orders of office furniture purchased by small/medium businesses on the basis of price, quality, selection and speed and reliability of delivery. Office products dealers, wholesalers and national office product distributors are the primary distribution channels in this market. Office furniture and products dealers publish content on the internet and periodic catalogs displaying office furniture and products from various manufacturers.

The Corporation also competes in the hearth products industry, where it is a market leader. Hearth products are typically purchased by builders during the construction of new homes and homeowners during the renovation of existing homes. Both types of purchases involve seasonality with remodel/retrofit activity being concentrated in the September to December time-frame. Distribution is primarily through independent dealers, who may buy direct from the manufacturer or from an intermediate distributor.

The Corporation’s strategy has a dual focus: working continuously to extract new growth from its core markets while identifying and developing new, adjacent potential areas of growth. The Corporation focuses on extracting new growth from each of its existing businesses by deepening its understanding of end-users, using new insights gained to refine branding, selling and marketing and developing new products to serve them better. The Corporation also pursues opportunities in potential growth drivers related to its core business, such as vertical markets or new distribution models