COMPANY » HISTORY
Where we’ve been. Where we’re going.
Founded in 1926 as a residential wood seating company, Paoli has evolved into a premiere provider of wood office furniture to the national market. Our success has been fueled by our company’s legacy of quality, craftsmanship, and superior customer care as well as our ability to adapt to changing market conditions and deliver a rich array of solutions that meet customer needs. Looking forward, we will continue our strong customer focus and act every day to help you be more successful.
Key events in Paoli history:
1973
Begins producing chairs for the national office market and contracting out the construction of desks to accompany the chairs.
1976
Ceases production of residential chairs.
1982
Begins manufacturing wood casegoods for the national office market.
1988
Opens showroom in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart, the world’s largest design center.
1995
Opens 1.2 MSF headquarters and manufacturing facility in Orleans, Indiana.
Opens showroom in the Washington Design Center, Washington, D.C.
1999
Acquires Whitehall, a manufacturer of value-conscious office seating and furniture.
2001
Marks 75th anniversary with Seven-Five, an innovative tilt swivel chair.
Opens showroom in New York City.
2002
Launches best-selling casegoods lines Revolve and Revival.
Opens showroom in Costa Mesa, California.
2004
Exceeds $100 million in sales.
Acquired by HNI Corporation, the world’s second-largest office furniture manufacturer.
2005
Launches Paoli InTWO, offering made-to-order casegoods with two-week shipping.
Launches Paoli Healthcare, an innovative collection of fully integrated, healthcare-specific casegoods and seating. The collection includes the Glider chair, winner of three design awards.
2006
Expands Chicago showroom to 13,000 SF.
Greenguard certification awarded to Paoli Healthcare seating for patient rooms and lobbies.
2007
Launches PaoliConnect, an online product ordering system that increases the speed and convenience of doing business with Paoli.