Herman Miller

D.J. De Pree, Herman Miller’s son-in-law, bought the Michigan Star Furniture Company with the help of Miller in 1923. In honor of his father-in-law, Pree renamed the company Herman Miller Furniture Company which was later changed to Herman Miller, Inc. in 1960. Initially, De Pree served as the founding president of The Herman Miller Furniture Company, which continued to produce reproductions of traditional home furniture. 

To increase their sales and decrease costs, the company employed modern designs and joined hands with designers including Gilbert Rohde, Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Alexander Girard. 1942 Herman Miller entered the office furniture market with a Gilbert Rohde-designed Executive Office Group (EOG). Known for its versatility and modularity, EOG led the way to systems furniture. The company introduced the Eames Molded Plywood Chair, Molded Plywood Folding Screen, Molded Plywood Lounge Chairs, and Molded Plywood Coffee Table in 1946. Charles and Ray Eames were recruited by Nelson and De Pree to join Herman Miller. Isamu Noguchi designed a glass-topped coffee table for Herman Miller in 1949. It was in 1950 that Herman Miller introduced the world's first Eames Fiberglass Chair, Wire Base Low Table, and Eames Storage Units, designed by Ray and Charles Eames.

Herman Miller Clock Company was founded by DJ De Pree in 1927. At first, the clock company produced traditional designs but later added designs by Gilbert Rohde. In 1937, Herman Miller Clock Company was transferred to Howard Miller, De Pree's brother-in-law, and renamed Howard Miller Clock Company.

Working initially with traditional wood furniture, the company began exploring new materials during The Great Depression. During his more than 40-year tenure at the company, Max De Pree established human-centered, problem-solving relationships with designers and architects. With talented designers on board, the company manufactured several iconic mid-20th-century modernist furniture pieces.

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