Taylor Chair Company
| Private | |
| Industry | Furniture |
| Founded | 1816 |
| Headquarters |
 Bedford, Ohio, USA
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Key people
|
Jeff Baldassari (President) |
| Website | www.thetaylorcompanies.com |
Jeff Baldassari (President)
Brett Meals (Executive VP)
Bob Schroeter (Treasurer)
The Taylor Companies, consisting of The Taylor Chair Company and The Taylor Desk Company, was an American manufacturer of upholstered wood office seating and wood casegoods. Taylor’s primary manufacturing plant and headquarters were located in Bedford, Ohio. It also had a second manufacturing plant located in Lynwood, California. The company was often touted as being the oldest privately held furniture manufacturer in the United States.
Established in 1816 by Benjamin Fitch, The Taylor Companies had been privately held for seven generations and was recognized as the oldest manufacturing company in existence in the Western Reserve.
Benjamin Fitch started making split-bottom chairs in 1816 at his cabin at the corner of what is now Libby and Warrensville Center Roads in Bedford Township, now part of Maple Heights, Ohio.
One of the young men working for Benjamin Fitch was William O. Taylor. In 1841 he married Mr. Fitch's daughter, Harriet. By the mid-1840s William Taylor had taken over active management of the company, although Benjamin Fitch remained involved in applying his skills to production methods and tools.
In 1871 W. O. Taylor's son, Vincent A. Taylor took over the active management of the company, and the name was changed to W. O. Taylor and Son. In 1876 the International Exhibition in Philadelphia awarded the company a prize for outstanding products and methods.
In 1885, it was incorporated as The Taylor Chair Company. As an Ohio Corporation it began with capitalization of $100,000 and an issue of 1,000 shares of stock. Following incorporation the company grew in volume of sales and in the breadth of its product lines. By 1907 there were 102 different designs of chairs being produced. In 1913 the company began the design of office furniture. When World War I broke out the company supplied furniture for military offices throughout the country.
The company survived the depression, and during the World War II years of 1941-1945 it became extremely busy filling government orders In 1945 the pent-up civilian demand for furniture produced high levels of business. By 1947 the company employed the largest number of people in its history.
The 1950s and 1960s saw a continued expansion of product lines, including chairs, sofas, and tables available to professional interior designers. The alertness of The Taylor Chair Co. in responding to changing market conditions has been a major factor in the success of the company.
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Wikipedia