Every week we publish a historic photo highlighting a story from Naperville’s past from the history archives of Naper Settlement.
Naperville was once home to one of the largest and best-known furniture manufacturers in the county.
Launched in 1893, the Naperville Lounge Factory — later known as the Kroehler Manufacturing Co. — found its key to success by borrowing from Henry Ford’s concept of “divided operations.” Breaking down furniture production into steps along a conveyor system made it into that company could efficiently turn out sofas, chairs, dressers and other items that put it at forefront of its field by the 1940s.
Many of the name plates you’ll see on goods it produced, which collectors purchase used today, claim the company was the “world’s largest manufacturer of upholstered furniture.”
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As sales grew, so did the number of factories it had across the country and Canada and the furniture lines it produced.
In the 1940s, Kroehler had $20 million in annual sales. By the 1960s, that number had surpassed $100 million a year.
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At its height, the company had about 8,000 employees.
However, the furniture market changed significantly in the 1960s and 1970s, causing profit margins to shrink. Kroehler was out of business by the 1970s, and only two companies bearing the Kroehler name — one in North Carolina and the other in Canada — still remain.
The building that housed Naperville Factory No. 1 along the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad line was built in 1918. It’s still in use today, although not for furniture production.
From 1986 to 1988, the building was renovated into apartments and commercial space. We know it now as the 5th Avenue Station.
Here are some major milestones in the company’s history:
1893 – Naperville Lounge Factory was founded. Peter E. Kroehler joins the company as stenographer and general assistant to founder James L. Nichols, who was Kroehler’s professor at North Western College (now North Central College).
1897 – Kroehler becomes one of four partners in the Naperville Lounge Factory.
1898 – The company is renamed the Naperville Lounge Co.
1903 – Kroehler is named company president. Half an interest was sold to Sears, Roebuck, & Co. for $30,000, the equivalent of about $1 million today.
1905 – Kroehler is elected mayor of Naperville, a post he’s reelected to in 1909 and resigns from in 1910 after news of an affair became public.
1909 – The Unifold Davenport is patented.
1911 – A second factory is opened in Kankakee and the company’s renamed the P.E. Kroehler Manufacturing Co.
1914 – The company starts to advertise nationally. In its early days, the firm was famous for selling “Turkish Couches” for $25 with premium tie-ins.
1915 – Two more factories are added in Binghamton, New York, and Cleveland. The company buys back Sears’ half share for $1.2 million.
1923 – Peter Kroehler is selected director of the American Furniture Mart, a position he held from 1924 to 1939.
1927 – Kroehler purchases Valentine-Seaver Co. for $3.5 million, allowing it to enter the high-end furniture market.
1937 – Kroehler establishes a public seating division that manufactures “push-back” theater seats.
1938 – Peter Kroehler is elected chairman of the board. His son, Delmar Kroehler, is elected company president.
1941 – Kroehler receives contract from United Service Organizations (USO) for 5,000 pieces of furniture, the first of many war contracts the company had during World War II. At some Kroehler factories, more than 65% of produced goods were for war contracts. Among the items they made were rucksacks, dummy shells, lockers, cabinets, chairs, tables, ammunition boxes and wooden propellers.
1942 – Kroehler signs a contract with Doak Aircraft Co. to manufacture wooden airplane parts to replace parts made with aluminum, a metal needed for the war effort. The parts are made at Naperville Plant No. 1.
1943 – Due to war efforts, 25% of Kroehler’s workforce are women. They held 785 factory jobs.
August 1946 to January 1947 – The largest strike in Kroehler history results the walk out of more than 2,500 workers in a dispute over wages. Employees eventually win a 2.5 cent-an-hour raise. The strike cost Kroehler more than $1 million.
1950s – Kroehler is delivering 128 truckloads of furniture to stores every day.
1978 – Naperville factory closes.
1981 – Kroehler is acquired by ATR Group of Northbrook.
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Andrea Field is the curator of history at Naper Settlement. For more information, go to www.NaperSettlement.org.
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.