Harden Furniture: Five Generations of Pieces Made in America

March 3, 2011— -- The Harden family settled in New York State to work on the construction of the Erie Canal, and began making furniture as a small business in 1844.

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When the nationwide call went out in the 1940s for businesses to contribute to the war effort, Harden halted production and began making wooden parts for planes and guns.

"Everything was focused on the war effort," said Gregory Harden, the current CEO of Harden Furniture. He is the fifth generation in a long line of Hardens who have been at the head of the company.

It wasn't until after World War II that their small factory became a business that would come to export 20,000 pieces of furniture a year.

Harden owns 10,000 acres of sustainable forestry, in a 50-mile radius just north of the factory in Tug Hill Plateau. They use these trees to make all kinds of furniture: 100 percent wood products for your bedroom, kitchen or living room.

Harden says that they selectively cut out of mature trees, leaving them to regenerate periodically. They pay close attention to restoration, and often take inventory of the timber on the property.

"We're one of the few people left who specialize in solid wood," said Harden. "We don't use veneers or components that might be embossed."

Each product is made to order and can be customized using 40 to 50 different finishes and over 1,000 fabrics – all from the USA. Harden Furniture recently custom-made a table that's now in the Roosevelt Room in the White House.

"We try to do things out competition can't do," he said.

Yet even with such high-quality materials and high-end clientele, Harden says he still faces challenges that companies that manufacture overseas don't have to deal with, including the high overhead costs.

"There are two price issues when you're a domestic manufacturer," said Harden. "We're at a 20 percent disadvantage because of our labor, and programs that are off-shore competitors don't have to participate in lead to significantly higher manufacturing costs."