1930
Herman Miller, like many companies, faces failure amid the turmoil of the Great Depression. De Pree, looking for a way to save the company, meets Gilbert Rohde, a designer from New York, at Herman Miller's Grand Rapids showroom. Rohde convinces De Pree to move away from traditional furniture and to focus on products better suited to the changing needs and life styles of Americans.
1933
Herman Miller debuts its Rohde-designed furniture at the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago.
1937
D.J. De Pree turns the Herman Miller Clock Company over to his brother-in-law, Howard Miller, who renames it the Howard Miller Clock Company.
1939
Herman Miller opens a showroom in Chicago's Merchandise Mart.
|
