American Seating Company
401 American Seating Center NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Tel: (616) 732-6600
Toll-Free: (800) 748-0268
Fax: (616) 732-6502
E-mail: talkline@amseco.com
Web site: http://www.americanseating.com
Committed to innovation, quality and responsive service, American Seating Company is a leading manufacturer
of transportation seating, auditorium, stadium, arena, educational seating and contract office furniture.
A privately held company, American Seating sales are over $160 million. The company has 760 employees,
and occupies over one million square feet of facilities in North America. In addition to corporate headquarters
in Grand Rapids, Michigan, manufacturing operations are located in Winchester, Tennessee.
A wholly-owned
subsidiary, Otaco
Seating Co., Ltd., is based in Orillia, Ontario, Canada.
American Seating products are distributed through a network of over 350 dealers
and sales representatives. The company has showrooms in Washington DC and San Jose, California.
Markets Served Known for practicality, durability and comfort, American Seating's broad product
offering allows the company to serve three distinct
markets:
Transportation Products Group -- holds a prominent market
position as a supplier of motorcoach, shuttle bus, light rail and transit seating in North America.
Architectural Products Group -- provides auditorium, arena,
ballpark, stadium, performing arts and educational/lecture hall seating for sports, entertainment and college/university facilities as well as
after-market services for all markets.
Office Products Group -- serves the contract furniture industry
with panel and freestanding systems, storage, office seating and tables. American Seating also provides design and project management services to support customers with layout, specification, installation and maintenance of its products.
History
The Grand Rapids School Furniture Company was founded in 1886 by school board trustee Gaius Perkins
and business partners William Peregrine and Seymour Hess. By 1892, it had become the top seating
manufacturer in the world. The company merged with 18 other furniture manufacturers in 1899 to become
the American Furniture Company, moving its corporate offices to New York and turning its attention to
the growing theatre seating market. The company made landmark product developments in the first two
decades of the twentieth century that set industry standards, including ergonomically designed school
desks, adjustable school furniture, tilting desks and tilt-back opera chairs.
In 1927, the company name changed for the last time to American Seating
Company and the corporate offices returned to Grand Rapids in 1932.
During World War II, American Seating manufactured over 5 million folding chairs -- at a rate of over
10,000 per day, along with aircraft wings and ejector seats. Beginning in 1950, the company entered
the transportation industry with the introduction of the cantilevered bus seat, and continued to build
its presence in the school furnishings market with the peace time baby boom.
American Seating became the architectural seating leader in the 1960's, with installations in many
of the ball parks, performing arts centers, convention halls, stadiums and arenas across the nation.
The company was the first to design seating in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In 1972, American Seating began serving the contract furniture industry with the introduction of the Acton
Stacker® chair. The company went on to develop the Framework* family of panel systems, ergonomic seating,
tables and casegoods for office and laboratory environments.
Fuqua Industries of Atlanta, Georgia, a large conglomerate, purchased American Seating in 1983. The company
was repurchased in 1987 by a group of shareholders led by Edward Clark, chief executive officer.
Today, American Seating continues to exceed customer expectations with the highest quality products
and services to meet evolving facility needs. The company is continually upgrading and expanding
its manufacturing facilities, enabling its growth and competitiveness in the global marketplace.
For additional information on American Seating Company, visit www.americanseating.com on the Internet.