Premier Partner
August Chamber Member of the Month!
The Berne Chamber is delighted to award Smith Brothers of Berne, Inc. with the August Member of the Month. Smith Brothers of Berne, Inc. is located on Monroe Street in Berne and completed an expansion of their manufacturing facility at Christmas time of 2011. The new addition was christened with laughter and family as the Employee Christmas Party was held there. Smith Brothers of Berne now employs over 300 employees in its two manufacturing facilities here in Berne.
Since its inception in 1926 as Adams Manufacturing Company, the Dunbar spin off company focused on making affordable quality chairs. Over the last 86 years the company has seen several owners and undergone many dramatic changes. The current owners are Steve Lehman, Tom and Roger Muselman, and Roger’s sister, Karen Thomas. Throughout the years, keen business decisions and a commitment to top notch quality furniture has proven successful for Smith Brothers of Berne, Inc.
Today, President Steve Lehman has seen several decades of growth with Smith Brothers. The company’s products are now sold in over 30 states and in Canada; and the facility, which started as a 12,000 square-foot building in 1926, has expanded 25 times its original size to nearly 300,000 square feet in two buildings to accommodate growth. Smith Brother’s commitment to stay American-made and keep one-hundred percent of its manufacturing local has earned the company recognition from the Discovery Channel. In their three-part Made in America series, airing on national television this fall, the Discovery Channel will feature Smith Brothers as an example of a successful American company that has stayed true to its roots and remained domestic. The Chamber will post the airing schedule as details become available.
Manufacturers of custom-built, upholstered furniture, sold through fine furniture stores in the Midwestern and Eastern states.