Leggett & Platt is North America’s leading independent manufacturer of office furniture parts. If your office chair tilts or swivels, there’s a good chance that mechanism came from L&P. But how did Leggett & Platt grow to become a giant in the office furniture industry? It began in 1984, with the acquisition of Gordon Manufacturing.

Big Opportunities

Gordon Manufacturing, out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, manufactures chair controls and steel bases for office furniture. When L&P acquired the company, it did so in an effort to broaden its sofa mechanism business. But the acquisition proved a success in its own right, and David Haffner, current CEO of Leggett & Platt, was tasked with expanding the office furniture business. He soon became president of the newly formed Office Components Business Unit (OCBU). Continue reading →

At Leggett & Platt, we care about finding a better way to do things. The whole company puts a priority on quality and continuous improvement, but some businesses, like our Automotive Group, have to meet extra high standards. “Customers expect their products to be free of defects,” explained Mitch Dolloff, Automotive Group VP. This requires rigorous improvement to designs, processes, and materials.

Perhaps no one embodies quality and continuous improvement in Automotive more than Sonia Smith. Armed with technical expertise, industry insight, and an incandescent personality, she’s the “go-to person for manufacturing and business process improvement,” according to Mitch. Based in South Wales, Sonia has been the Director of Quality and Program Management for our European automotive operations since 2006.

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