Profile: Drexel Heritage Furniture

Drexel Heritage Furniture Industries, Inc., based in High Point, North Carolina, ranks among the top furniture manufacturers in the world, particularly regarding size and volume. For over 100 years, we've manufactured fine furniture with a reputation for exceptional styling and quality craftsmanship. With more than 1,300 employees working in specialized manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, Drexel Heritage also relies on the worldwide manufacturing expertise of parent company Furniture Brands International. This enables us to provide unique designs and unsurpassed value to every customer. Throughout each product line, Drexel Heritage distinguishes itself by offering furnishings leading the industry in quality, fashion and styling.

Drexel Heritage began on November 10, 1903 when five enterprising men from Morganton, North Carolina started a small furniture factory. Built on a tract of land where the wagon track crossed the railroad, it became known as Drexel. Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the area had an abundance of virgin timber including chestnut, oak, poplar, maple and walnut. Within three years, the 26,600-square-foot plant had 30 employees and average production was 50 pieces of furniture per week. The first product of their labor was a solid-oak, three-piece suite including a bureau, washstand and bed. It cost $14.50 wholesale. Today, the company's combined manufacturing and distribution facilities total 2.3 million square feet.

During the 1930s, as a result of the Depression, Drexel Heritage recognized the need to move away from commodity furniture toward designing home furnishings to appeal to its customers. A 13-person sales force was established and the first furniture designers were brought on board. In 1937, Drexel became the first furniture manufacturer to advertise in national magazines.

Throughout World War II, all Drexel plants remained open. Wartime production included 50,000 government desks, 15 million tent stakes and millions of square feet of marine plywood for boats. About 4,000 bedroom suites were made for government housing at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The piece that prompted the most company pride was a custom desk created for General Douglas Macarthur.

In 1956, Drexel acquired the successful Heritage Furniture Company from High Point, North Carolina, which was founded in 1932 by Elliott Wood. The two companies operated as separate divisions until 1974, when Drexel Enterprises and Heritage Furniture Company became Drexel Heritage.

Today, Drexel Heritage Furniture Industries, Inc. is one of the largest residential furniture manufacturers in the country. Our close association with parent company Furniture Brands International assures the finest craftsmanship, designs and diverse expressions of style at a wide range of price points.

With two distinctive brands, Drexel and Heritage, Drexel Heritage Furniture Industries, Inc. offers one of the broadest assortment of wood and upholstered furniture in the industry. For 100 years, we have been defining superior craftsmanship and quality, and we'll continue to do just that as we head into our next century.