The Watercarrier Tradition

Watercarrier sculpture by Native American artist Allan Houser

Last Monday, in an annual celebration, we welcomed 92 new Watercarriers at Herman Miller. This tradition began in 1987 with Max De Pree, CEO at the time, who came up with the idea of honoring employees with 20 years of service. Of course it’s also an obligation for these people to pass on their experience and knowledge to younger people. This year, our chairman of the board, Mike Volkema, made just this point in his talk to the group. What made it all really meaningful for me: I became a Watercarrier. I must say, I felt honored and obliged—and I was reminded again of what a great community we have at Herman Miller.