Who was Herman Miller?

In 1923, the Michigan Star Furniture Company became what we now know as Herman Miller, when D.J. De Pree and his father-in-law (you guessed it—Herman Miller) purchased the company. De Pree renamed the company after Miller, who was a well-regarded businessman in the community.

Modern in the mid-century

By the middle of the 20th century, the name Herman Miller had become synonymous with “modern” furniture. De Pree first hired designer Gilbert Rohde in 1930, who ushered in an era of problem-solving modern design. A decade and a half later, he would hire George Nelson, who changed the course of the entire company. Design-driven—and with support from De Pree—Nelson brought in his contemporaries, such as Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard, and Isamu Noguchi, to produce pieces that would become modern classics.

Herman Miller today

Today, in addition to our classic pieces and new designs for the home, Herman Miller is a recognized innovator in contemporary interior furnishings, work chairs, healthcare solutions, and technologies and services. In 2021, we became part of the MillerKnoll collective, an unparalleled platform of brands that design the world we live in.