Hickory Chair opens its workroom, showroom and offices numerous times each year and invites designers and authorized Hickory Chair dealers to come see how furniture is made. Not just furniture, but custom furniture made one piece at a time is made to order. It is in this 102-year-old workroom where generations of families have chosen to practice their vocation. It is this team of talented artisans and craftsmen that have embraced lean thinking and custom making. It is this 'odd combination' of lean and custom that has allowed Hickory Chair to flourish in a time where America's furniture industry has suffered. It has been a decade of plant closings and company closings... but not at Hickory Chair!
In 1997 Hickory Chair introduced the concept of lean manufacturing to its staff. A vote was made to change the way we think about making furniture... and how we choose to treat each other. In these 16 years that have passed, we have made great strides in our journey. We now make about 90% instead of just 78% of our product line here in Hickory, North Carolina. This allows us to control our resuorces, our process and our work flow. It allows us to make one piece at a time custom to order! I ask you, is there anything more luxurious that getting something exactly how you want it?
Our HCC University group this week has traveled from Oregon, Virginia, Minnesota, Louisiana, Georgia, New York, Maryland, South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Kansas and North Carolina to come spend a few days with our team. We hope that these strangers leave as friends on Wednesday. We know we will learn as much from our visitors as they do from us!
An added benefit to the designers that attend HCC University is the opportunity to earn CEU credits during their stay. Hickory Chair, as an ASID Industry Partner, has two courses that are offered throughout the year. Across the country a 1 hour (0.1) CEU is typically given numerous times during the year in different areas of the country. But, here at Hickory Chair's home, our new CEU course rewards the participant 6 hours (0.6) credit! We feel at Hickory Chair that this is a service we can provide to help the talented designers in ASID, IIDA and IDC organizations keep their licensing in effect.
Are you interested in attending HCC University? Email us at press@hickorychair.com for more details about our exciting 2014 HCC University program!
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