ZEELAND, Mich. — Howard Miller, a family-owned clock and furniture maker with a storied and near century-long history, will wind down operations and close its manufacturing plants by early next year, according to a statement released by the company.
The company employs about 195 people at facilities in Zeeland and Traverse City, Mich., as well as two locations in North Carolina. These were legacies of its earlier acquisitions of Hekman and Woodmark, located in Lexington and High Point, respectively.
Production is expected to continue into the fourth quarter of 2025, with the business remaining open into 2026 to sell off finished inventory.
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The company said affected employees will receive severance packages and assistance with job placement.
“We are incredibly disappointed to have reached this point in our journey,” Howard J. “Buzz” Miller, president and CEO, said in a statement obtained by sister publication Furniture Today. “For nearly a century, we have manufactured clocks, custom cabinets and other furniture designed to enhance the lives of our customers at home. We’ve been blessed with an incredible workforce of skilled craftspeople and professionals who enabled our company to grow and prosper for decades. But in recent years, a convergence of market influences beyond our control brought us to this point.”
Miller cited a struggling housing market, rising inflation and interest rates, along with tariffs that disrupted the supply chain and increased costs as factors driving the decision. The company has worked with an investment banker to seek a buyer but has been unable to secure one. Miller said the company would still consider offers. Founded in 1926 by Howard C. Miller, the company became known for its handcrafted chiming clocks, later expanding into curio cabinets and other home furnishings. In 1983, it acquired Hekman Furniture Co., which will also close as part of the wind down.
The Howard Miller Foundation will continue its philanthropic work in Michigan’s lakeshore region.
