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Superior History (1936 – 2011)
Superior Furniture was founded in 1936 by William S. Lee in the small West Michigan town of Lowell outside of Grand Rapids, known widely as the “Furniture City” since the 1860’s. When Mr. Lee started Superior Furniture Company, it was a realization of a life-long dream. Naming the company was easy. It was only natural that it should reflect the caliber of design, craftsmanship and materials that went into the products. Hence, he named the company Superior to reflect his commitment to excellence in furniture manufacturing. The first products Mr. Lee built were office chairs and desks. In the 1940s he introduced bedroom furniture and then in the 1950s he added traditional 18th century occasional tables and accent items made of solid Cherry. Occasional tables in the Queen Anne style offered in just two finishes created solid growth for The Superior Furniture Company during this time, and thus began a reputation for occasional and accent furniture that would build the company.
In 1961, a son, William J. Lee, joined the company. Bill Jr. learned all phases of the business and eventually became president in 1981. He continued the same commitment as his father and continued to refine the focus on occasional tables and accent furniture. Sales grew so rapidly that he had to build a warehouse addition to the manufacturing facility in Lowell. Sadly in 1987, Bill Jr. passed away suddenly. His wife, Sue A. Burns, became president while not long thereafter in 1991, the third generation, William J. Lee II, joined the company as well. Bill, like his father, was mentored through all aspects of the company and became president in 1996.
During the 1990s, Bill expanded the product line to include casual dining and bedroom. Occasional tables still remained the mainstay of the business. Bill introduced multiple finish options, distressed finishes, quick delivery and the ability to customize. He doubled the size of the business as sales grew from 1998-2002.
In 2009 Superior joined forces with The Taylor Company located in Grand Rapids, MI. This was a successful, strategic move for Superior as it offset rising manufacturing/administrative overhead and labor costs by consolidating these areas within Taylor’s state of the art manufacturing facility. The Taylor Company is a manufacturer of wood components with advanced technology for producing wooden parts.
In September 2010 the Taylor Company along with Superior merged with the 110 year old Grand Rapids furniture manufacturer, Kindel Furniture Company, to form a new, larger furniture entity. Today the new company, called Kindel Furniture, includes all three brands and has expanded capacity to meet consumer needs in all areas of the home from formal dining and living rooms to casual family rooms and guest bedrooms. After 75 years, the Superior Furniture Company continues their original mission to create furniture of superior design, craftsmanship and materials.
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