Brief History of La-Z-Boy

Sit back, recline, and relax as you read a few facts about how the company, home to the iconic recliner came to fruition…

 

• The company was first launched in 1927 by two cousins from Monroe, MI - Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker.
• They started up in their garage and quickly outgrew it. As a result, they built a plant in a cornfield called ‘Floral City Furniture Co.'
• In 1928, the cousins began making a reclining wood-slat porch chair described at La-Z-Boy as "The most momentous event in the history of relaxation."
• Initial name suggestions included: Comfort Carrier, Sit-N-Snooze and Slat Back, but they eventually settled on the La-Z-Boy.
• The seats became upholstered when a store in Ohio refused to buy the chair as it was a summer seat and not an all year round purchase, and this was a pivotal move for the cousins and company as we all know. 
• Despite the depression, they decided to take a risk and open a store. The store proved such a success that by 1930 the company had tripled in size which for that era, was unheard of. 
• Finally, in 1941, the company officially changed its name to The La-Z-Boy Chair Co and focused its efforts on forever improving their recliner chairs, an approach we take even to this day - innovation.