Hickory Chair Factory Tour: Day One

The most fun part of visting Hickory Chair were the factory tours which we quickly learned were as much about the people who make the furniture as it was the furniture being made. More than 10 years ago, Hickory Chair switched it's manufacturing philosophy to lean manufacturing which "calls for a series of adjacent workstations, balanced and synchronized to leave no inventory between stations." More importantly, the employees are encouraged to work as a team and to contribute ideas and make changes that can improve the process. As I mentioned yesterday, this method doesn't lessen quality and in fact, it actually improves it.

The culture of continuous improvement is referred to as EDGE - Employees Dedicated to Growth and Excellence and as we walked through the factory, we saw evidence and heard stories that supported this practice. As the President Jay Reardon pointed out, Hickory Chair isn't Disneyland. They don't change anything just because a tour is coming through and so we got to see the production just as it is every other day. They didn't hide anything from us.

One of the other important aspects to Hickory Chair is that they are always thinking about their customers and how they can better serve them and because of their lean manufacturing process, they have been not had to raise prices in years.

Our tour began with the casegoods factory and I think everyone on the tour will agree that we learned more about wood and veneers that we ever could have in school! Veneer gets a bad wrap but veneers and inlays have always been used in making fine furniture to add movement and beauty especially to drawer fronts. Above are examples of different types of veneer grains. Just as no two people are a like, no two trees are a like and therefore, each piece of furniture will be unique and special. Veneers are also much more stable and better made than most people realize and won't ever peel.

Even simple ideas like a shadow tool board remind employees to return tools to their proper location so they can be found easily the next day. Organization is the key to any business.

Here is an example of beautiful inlaid veneer boards that will probably become table or dresser tops.

This photo reminds me of Santa's Workshop which could be a good nickname for Hickory Chair!

There are bulletin boards with reminders and helpful hints in every section of the factory. There are also no visible managers since there are processes in place that allow the employees to quickly see if they are on target to make their daily goals. There is no one breathing down their neck.

Unlike most factories, Hickory Chair has windows and lots of light which enable the workers to better see what they are doing and improves quality. It was over 80 degrees the day we visited by the temperature inside remained very comfortable too.

This table has holes in the top which suck any dust away from the workers.

As someone pointed out, the employees need to see photos of the furniture that is scheduled to be made that week and without them it would be like putting a puzzle together without a photo.

Something else that everyone noticed was how clean the factory looked. One person joked that it looked clean enough to eat off of or at least to observe the five second rule! A clean work space and floor also helps prevent accidents which is obviously very important.

Everything is well organized and labeled so new employees can easily find what they need.

Since almost all employees are cross trained, they are able to help out in other areas. If one person is caught up on their work, they can help someone else who is behind which prevents the line from backing up. An employee was out sick this day so someone else was able to step in and hand apply the inlays to these legs.

As everyone knows, finding the right antique for a client can be like finding a needle in a hay stack. It's very rare that you can find the exact right size or shape or something that's not ridiculously expensive. Hickory Chair reproduces many antique furniture styles and also employees the same techniques such as English dove tail joints which make sure that drawers remain strong for the life of the piece. They also have improved on many of the processes for making antique furniture so they are much better made than the originals and will last longer.

You can see the dove tail joints on these drawers. Hickory Chair also makes sure that the inside of their pieces look as good as the outside.

These Murano Chests are waiting to be taken to the finishing room which is actual on the floor above. In order to reduce the movement of the furniture and thus possible damage, a lift was built to move the furniture between the floors.

Here an employee tapes the drawers sides so that the finish is only applied to the drawer fronts.

This desk was spray finished and is now waiting for it's hardware.

I don't think most people realize how much hand work goes into making each piece of furniture. In this day when many things can be made cheaply in other countries, it's a point of pride that Hickory Chair is made with love in America.

Most people probably think of Hickory Chair as a place for traditional furniture but just as you can add custom details to a piece, you can also subtract them. If you remove the pediment on this cabinet, it would be clean lined and modern.

You can see the beautiful wood grain of the veneer on the front of this unfinished chest.

More pieces waiting to be finished are lined up and stacked.

This chest is having it's finished buffed by hand.

This Milo table was custom finished in gold leaf and even has the red undertones of gilt.

You can also request antique mirror to any casegood which helps make them look as good as real antiques.

After the tour, we were all asked what we were most impressed by and most everyone mentioned the cross training, the family atmosphere and the pride all of the employees take in their work. This is not mindless factory work and since they can produce furniture in small batches, it means that the employees do not get bored and the quality of their work improves.

I was also impressed that President Jay Reardon isn't sitting up in his office directing the operations from above. He walks the factory floor and knows all the employees by name and what hobbies they enjoy. The company also takes care of it's employees. They have a doctor come in twice a week since most visits to a doctor's office can take hours and here they can take 15 minutes. They have a mammogram truck that stops by and they also help employees earn their GED degrees. You can tell that everyone is happy to come to work because they are valued and respected and if they make a suggestion on Friday to improve a process, it could be in place by Monday.

What I really loved is that there is not the mentality of "this is how we have always done things so that's the way it is and we're not changing it." In this economy, it is only the companies that embrace change and look for opportunities to improve the way they do things who will survive. I think we can all learn something from Hickory Chair! Check back soon for the upholstery factory tour where I like to say the magic happens!

Not Your Grandmother's Hickory Chair

The original motto of Hickory Chair was "chairs made better than seems necessary" and the motto today could be "furniture made better than seems necessary." I wasn't that familiar with Hickory Chair before my visit to their factories and showroom and now I can't imagine how I designed without them! But what I thought was a simple tour turned out to be so much more than just about furniture. Everyone who was a part of this trip which is called Hickory Chair University was deeply impressed by the company's attention to detail and quality but also their lean manufacturing process and employee pride and ingenuity. There is so much that I learned while there that I wasn't quite sure where to start. But since someone already pointed out yesterday that the furniture didn't look like the Hickory Chair that they knew, I thought we should start with a look at the showroom and the really gorgeous furniture that they produce!

There really is something for everyone at Hickory Chair and if you don't see what you need, you can have it custom made. The tag line under Marketing Director Laura Holland's email reads, "If you can describe it, we will try to MAKE it" as well as "MADE not manufactured." I'll get more into how the furniture is made in my next post and how this is a company that isn't manufacturing a hundred of the same piece on an assembly line but making your furniture as you order it.

You can customize almost any piece and choose from 19 wood finishes; 24 paint finishes in weathered, vintage or rustic technique; 12 special paint finishes including gold and silver leaf; special handpainting by an artist; Antique Rub or Solid striping; hardware in antique brass, antique bronze, antique silver or Customer's Own Hardware (COH); 8 different skirt options; and monogramming of initials, words or motifs (your family crest is not a problem). I also forgot small, medium and large and deluxe nail trims in a myriad of finishes which can be places over 36 different colors of gimp or ribbon. Oh, and there are over 800 fabrics to choose from or you can send in your customer's own fabric. I haven't even mentioned the Silhouettes program where you can choose different arm styles, legs, custom depth and height, skirt or no skirt, casters or no caster, etc. The options are dizzying and exciting!

The styles range from American, French, Asian and European and have been designed by some of the best in the design world including noted American antique dealer and scholar Albert Sack, and interior designers Alexa Hampton, Mariette Himes Gomez, Thomas O'Brien and Suzanne Kasler.

I don't want to come off as someone who drank the Kool-Aid or who is only writing about Hickory Chair because they sent me to visit their company. I think you all know by now that as a New Yorker, I'm not easily impressed and that I only write about companies, designers and products that I can honestly endorse. I don't think any other furniture company could ever invite me to view their operation after Hickory Chair because I don't think anyone could come close to their quality and construction.

I have shopped at Aero in New York, Thomas O'Brien's Soho store but I never knew his furniture was made by Hickory Chair. I also have it on good authority that Chelsea Bed seen here was purchased by a certain interior designer for a certain house in Washington, DC. If Hickory Chair is good enough for the President, then I think it's good enough for you! It probably isn't a coincidence that they chose furniture that is made in America.

I saw a gentleman in the factory making this Beaufort Chair with caning and will share the photos soon.

I also heard that the Candler Bed by Suzanne Kasler was ordered for a certain white house. Hint hint. Oh, and someone likes ikat. Other designers have ordered this bed with shorter headboards, headboards only and also with a headboard and footboard the same height to make a daybed. I told you the sky is the limit.

Suzanne Kasler's line is all based on antiques that she found on her travels through Europe, mainly Paris. These pieces here look like they are finished in antique ivory but I really love her designs in Weathered French Grey. They are to die for!

Hickory Chair Creative Director, Ron Fiore, was challenged with styling the 5,000 square foot showroom and he accessorized this wall as a chic ladies bathroom. The mirrored dresser here could also be ordered without the mirrors or just a mirrored top or front. If you can dream it, they can make it.

In addition to regular mirror, you can special request antique mirror as well.

I'm not sure if this was the chair but one of them on the showroom floor swiveled but Hickory Chair offers eight different styles that swivel including low profile swivel chairs that don't require an added skirt now.

This breakfront has thirteen panes in each door that supposedly represent the thirteen original colonies. Ron Fiore had the artist hand paint Roman numerals and striping on the doors. You could also replace the mirror with glass as another option.

I didn't see this screen in the catalog but it looks gold leafed which is also a special painted finish option.

These Linwood Arm Chair by Suzanne Kasler are one of my favorite styles, especially in the Weathered French Grey finish. The Collier Dining Table features a quatrefoil stretcher that has become Suzanne's trademark.

Someone heard a rumor that Hickory Chair will soon start offering upholstered headboards and they pointed out that since they can upholster a screen, they should be able to upholster a headboard.

The Knole Sofa looks a little more modern upholstered in this fabric and can be custom made to measure from 28 to 120 inches as can all the sofa styles!

You can see another example of the special hand painting available from the artist at Hickory Chair. I also loved this striped fabric on these chairs #3235-34. We were asked for our "wishes" at the end of the last day and I forgot to ask for fabric names. As a visual person and interior designer, I can't remember numbers but I can remember a name!

This "sofa" was made by combining a left arm facing and a right arm facing sectional sofa end. The pieces lock together and are perfect for those New York apartments with small doors and freight elevators...or no elevators!

Many, if not all, the other participants in this Hickory Chair University owned a store or a showroom and this showroom was designed to look like a store in the mid-west when it was set up.

I can't believe that Hickory Chair can produce so many different styles of furniture and options and I'll get into how they do it in the next post.

The posts on this bed can be unscrewed so you can take them off and screw the finial into the footboard or switch them to make them shorter or taller in the front or back.

The Hallings Secretary by Thomas O'Brien has to be one the most iconic and popular items by Hickory Chair.

You can get a sense of the space of the showroom in this shot. It was fun to see the fabric and finish choices Ron Fiore made and how he put them all together.

This New Hampshire Bowfront Chest is part of the Albert Sack collection and is a reproduction of the original circa 1790-1810 chest.

These were another favorite chair especially with the striped fabric on the back. You also never have to worry about crooked fabric or unmatched seams. Hickory Chair will always center a pattern and match all sides.

I think you can see again in this photo the range of styles of furniture options and finishes and upholstery styles. As I mentioned before, I'm not easily impressed but I was blown away by Hickory Chair. I owe a big thank you to President Jay Reardon and Laura Holland for inviting me down to North Carolina to show me what they can do. I had a great time and can't wait to show you the real behind the scenes look at where the magic happens in the factory! But y'all gotta come back later for that ya hear!