Suite Seats A Marriage Of Talents

When you talk to Phil and Chris Vorwerk, you can feel the passion. Yes, they are a married couple, but one of their passions comes from a place different than a person might think. It’s a passion that burns bright for their business, United Commercial Upholstery, Inc. When this husband and wife team’s business began in 2000, it looked very different than their New Ulm, Minnesota facility of today that spans 42,500 square feet and employs 45 employees.

Before they had a business of their own, Chris worked several years for a local marine company doing upholstery. Through her experience there, she discovered she has a knack for designing things that are easy to produce and look great. That talent and passion for innovation eventually brought the couple to decide they could go out on their own.

“There were some lean years. Chris worked out of an old organ factory that didn’t have any insulation,” Phil shared. “We eventually moved into some space that became available in Nicollet and slowly began to grow from there.” Phil worked evenings and weekends handling various roles until he sold his printing business and joined UCU full time in 2007. His experience elevated their abilities to embroider their products in-house, which helped add to their growth.