Crossover Of Ideas

With footholds in Europe and Asia, Haworth is truly a global company, one that has mastered the logistics of collaborating across continents and markets.

- Anne Quito

“Global” is a mission and a mind-set at Haworth. Starting with an outpost in London in the 1980s, the 70 year-old office furniture company has continuously expanded its presence worldwide over the decades, intentionally decentralizing its operations from its headquarters in Holland, Michigan. Haworth is now an eclectic constellation of manufacturing plants, design labs, and research projects in and across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Its award-winning office solutions can be seen in showrooms from Bangalore to Barcelona.

“Haworth has made several pioneering moves in its global expansion,” says Paul Nemschoff, vice president of global strategy and marketing. It was the first furniture company of its kind to establish a manufacturing plant in China and then India; it has strategically acquired innovative companies such as the German seating company Comforto and storied Italian brands including Castelli and the Poltrona Frau Group.

The goal is to be where its customers are, explains CEO and president Franco Bianchi. Haworth’s regional design teams are charged with shaping products in response to their market’s needs—and not crafting exports.

“Over the years, we have evolved into a networked organization,” Bianchi says, affirming that autonomy and localized innovation remain core tenets of its operations. “In some cases, yes, we may lose on efficiency by not forcing everyone to align under the same procedures, but we gain in ingenuity, speed, and customer and market relevance.”