COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 2512

Wood Household Furniture, Upholstered

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

18companies1902–1981founding years18still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBassett Furniture Industries, Inc.FoundedBassett Furniture Industries, Inc.
1902
FoundedDrexel Heritage Furnishings Inc.FoundedDrexel Heritage Furnishings Inc.
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedThomasville Furniture Industries, Inc.FoundedThomasville Furniture Industries, Inc.
1904
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedFlexsteel Industries Inc.FoundedFlexsteel Industries Inc.
1918
FoundedBroyhill Furniture Industries, Inc.FoundedBroyhill Furniture Industries, Inc.
1926
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedEthan Allen Interiors, Inc.FoundedEthan Allen Interiors, Inc.
1932
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedBush Industries, Inc.FoundedBush Industries, Inc.
1959
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
FoundedKrause's Furniture, Inc.FoundedKrause's Furniture, Inc.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedLADD Furniture, Inc.FoundedLADD Furniture, Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1902
Bassett furniture is sold through major retailers, with 14 percent of the company's revenue coming from J.C.
Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1902
Bassett furniture is sold through major retailers, with 14 percent of the company's revenue coming from J.C.
Drexel Heritage Furnishings Inc. →
Active · founded 1903
Based in the foothills of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, Drexel Heritage Furnishings Inc.
Drexel Heritage Furnishings Inc. →
Active · founded 1903
Based in the foothills of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, Drexel Heritage Furnishings Inc.
Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1904
Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc.
Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1904
Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc.
Flexsteel Industries Inc. →
Active · founded 1918
Flexsteel Industries Inc.
Flexsteel Industries Inc. →
Active · founded 1918
Flexsteel Industries Inc.
Broyhill Furniture Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Broyhill Furniture Industries, Inc.
Broyhill Furniture Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Broyhill Furniture Industries, Inc.
Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
Ethan Allen, Interiors, Inc.
Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
Ethan Allen, Interiors, Inc.
Bush Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
Bush Industries, Inc.
Bush Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
Bush Industries, Inc.
Krause's Furniture, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Krause's Furniture, Inc.
Krause's Furniture, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Krause's Furniture, Inc.
LADD Furniture, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
LADD Furniture, Inc., one of the largest residential furniture manufacturers in the United States, designs,…
LADD Furniture, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
LADD Furniture, Inc., one of the largest residential furniture manufacturers in the United States, designs,…
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