Knoll, Inc.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founders | Hans and Florence Knoll |
| Headquarters | East Greenville, Pennsylvania, United States |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Christopher M. Baldwin COO and Group President, MillerKnoll |
| Products | Designer furniture, office systems |
| Parent | MillerKnoll, Inc. (2021–present) |
| Website | knoll millerknoll |
Knoll—previously known as Knoll, Inc., now operating as a subsidiary under MillerKnoll, Inc.—is a prominent American producer specializing in office and storage furnishings, textiles, and related accessories. Its KnollStudio division is responsible for manufacturing licensed creations from distinguished architects such as Harry Bertoia, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Florence Knoll, Frank Gehry, and Eero Saarinen. More than 40 of Knoll’s designs are included in the permanent holdings of New York City's Museum of Modern Art.
History
Established in 1938 by Hans Knoll in New York City, the company shifted its production base to Pennsylvania by 1950. Following Hans Knoll’s passing in 1955, his wife, Florence Knoll, took over leadership, profoundly influencing the firm’s strategic direction and design heritage. The company’s headquarters remain in East Greenville, Pennsylvania, with manufacturing plants located in East Greenville, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Toronto, as well as Foligno and Graffignana in Italy.
In recognition of its excellence, Knoll received the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in 2011. On December 1, 2016, the company broadened its portfolio by acquiring DatesWeiser Furniture Corporation based in Buffalo.
The announcement of a strategic merger with Herman Miller came in April 2021 through a $1.8 billion transaction that concluded by the third quarter of the same year. The newly merged company is publicly listed on Nasdaq under the ticker MLKN. In July 2021, it adopted the MillerKnoll brand to unify its global operations and strengthen its market identity.
Notable designers
Contributors to the company’s design legacy include:[1][2]
Significant products
Numerous products from the company have been acquired by leading museums such as the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Museum of Modern Art.
- Eero Saarinen designed the influential womb chair in 1948.
- In 1956, Saarinen introduced the celebrated Tulip chair followed by the tulip table.
- Since 1953, Knoll has held exclusive rights to manufacture and sell Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s furniture designs in North America, including the renowned Barcelona chair, developed alongside Lilly Reich for the 1929 Barcelona Pavilion.
- The firm also produces Marcel Breuer’s iconic Wassily Chair.
- In 1947, Knoll obtained exclusive U.S. production rights for Jorge Ferrari Hardoy’s Hardoy chair (commonly known as the Butterfly chair). Despite facing legal disputes over copyright issues that led to discontinuation of this model in 1951, Knoll commemorated its centennial with a tribute edition released in 2018.
Architectural Conservation
Knoll actively promotes exhibitions, scholarships, and programs dedicated to the appreciation and preservation of modernist architecture and design. In 2006, the company collaborated with the World Monuments Fund to introduce Modernism at Risk, an initiative aimed at safeguarding modernist structures. This program supports restoration efforts and enhances public understanding through curated exhibitions and educational talks.
The World Monuments Fund's biennial award, known as the Knoll Modernism Prize, recognizes outstanding projects that conserve Modernist architectural heritage. Notable awardees include Winfried Brenne and Franz Jaschke (2008) for their work on the former ADGB Trade Union School, a Bauhaus landmark in Berlin; Hubert-Jan Henket and Wessel de Jonge (2010), founders of Docomomo International, honored for restoring the Zonnestraal Sanatorium in the Netherlands; and a Japanese team (2012) credited for rehabilitating Hizuchi Elementary School on Shikoku Island.
Comparable Firms
- Global Furniture Group
- Haworth
- Herman Miller (parent company of Knoll since 2021)
- Steelcase
- Vitra (furniture)