EAST GREENVILLE, Pa.
Motivated by a revolution, Hans Knoll began to bring modern design from Europe to U.S. shores in 1938. He focused on furniture backed by ideas, not just function.
However, at the time, a looming world war blocked shipments to New York and threatened his lofty ambitions.
So Knoll and his wife, Florence, created their own manufacturing plant in a former cigar factory in East Greenville, just over the Montgomery County line, near Bally.
Knoll saw parallels between the Pennsylvania Dutch craftsmen and those of his native Germany. He was happy that East Greenville wasn't too far from the city.
"It was like coming home," said Linda Kasper, client services manager at Knoll Inc.
More than 70 years later, the business has grown into an $863 million manufacturing powerhouse, making high-end mid-century modern furniture for homes and offices. While the recession drastically curtailed office furniture spending, employers are starting to revamp the workplace.
Knoll's prices might be high for some offices, but the company's trend-setting designs are well-known, making it one of the leaders in the modern commercial furniture market.
"Knoll is one of the major high-design-focus companies," said Mike Dunlap, principal of Michael A. Dunlap & Associates, Holland, Michigan, who tracks the office furniture industry.
Both Knoll and its competitor, Herman Miller, are known for hiring well-known outside designers to create furniture. Their creations are not for every office, but some corporate customers are willing to pay the higher prices for the quality and design, said Knoll.
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