HNI Corp. announced today that it is closing its historic Gunlocke plant in Wayland, N.Y. next year, a facility nestled in the rolling hills of upstate New York that has made wood furniture for the Oval Office, high power board rooms and offices around the world for 124 years.
In a statement, the company announced that it will consolidate production into its other North American facilities over the coming year. HNI said it expects the consolidation to improve productivity and strengthen operations while meeting capacity requirements and creating enhanced experiences for its customers and trade partners.
All products currently produced at the Wayland facility will shift to existing facilities across the HNI manufacturing network, with no anticipated changes in the product portfolio. The Gunlocke brand, which HNI acquired in 1989, its products, and its standards of quality, craftsmanship and service will continue to be an important part of the HNI portfolio, according to the company.
“Closing the facility is a difficult decision given the hard work and expertise of the Wayland team. We are grateful for our Wayland members’ dedication and craftsmanship, and we are committed to providing support and resources throughout the transition. This is a strategic change that aligns with our continued network optimization journey. We are announcing the consolidation a year in advance as part of our commitment to ensuring a smooth transition for our members and our customers,” said Brandon Bullock, HNI’s chief operating officer.
There are few plants that have the history of Gunlocke in Wayland. Its furniture is imbued with the spirit of the company and the generations of workers who have made it. A walk through the plant feels like a step back in time, which is, one could argue, part of the problem. Machinery nearly as old as the company itself can be found in the plant and for HNI, it simply became too costly to operate, especially with the addition of Kimball, which has more modern woodworking equipment and a centralized Midwest location and partially enabled the decision to close the facility. HNI estimates the consolidation will save approximately $7.5 million to $8 million annually once fully mature.
“In the two years since HNI’s acquisition of Kimball International, our integration continues to be highly complementary from a product, market, and cultural perspective,” according to the company and no way reflects negatively on the Wayland team’s hard work and dedication. “Our teams have made meaningful integrations that have allowed us to accelerate synergies across the network. These accomplishments highlight the dedication, collaboration, and hard work of our members.”
The plant closure, which affects about 135 workers, will be a huge blow to the small community of about 2,000 that has embraced the company since William H. Gunlocke founded it in 1902.
“We are extremely grateful for the contributions of these members over the years and will support our members through separation pay and other resources. Job opportunities in other areas of the organization may also be available. We are committed to making this a smooth transition for our Wayland members,” according to HNI.
HNI finalized the acquisition of Steelcase a few weeks ago and said: “This operational decision does not affect our other brands. We also do not expect any impact on our lead times, ordering process or quality as part of this transition. We regularly evaluate our operations to ensure we have the right capabilities in the right locations to meet our customers’ needs efficiently and effectively. This is how HNI — including Steelcase and Kimball International — have always operated. We remain committed to being transparent and communicative with our members, communities, and other stakeholders.”
Gunlocke and four other wood furniture experts built the company in a vacant factory in Wayland where they established the W. H. Gunlocke Chair Company, which at the time specialized in seating for homes, libraries and lounges. When a new wing was added to the factory in the 1970s, the company expanded its line to include tables, desks, credenzas and book cases. Howard Gunlocke became president upon the death of his father in 1937. He brought mass manufacturing into the factory, and he made a showroom with product samples for customer viewing. The first traveling showroom, set up in the back of a trailer truck, was also one of Howard’s ideas.
According to the local historical society, stories abound in the Wayland area about how “Mr. Gunlocke,” made a special investment in his employees. “Hair grows on Gunlocke time,” he famously said, and his company employed a barber to provide free services to its members. There was also a chapel. At one time, the majority of local high school graduates went to work at Gunlocke, as had their fathers before them. Generations of workers answered the call of the company’s old steam whistle that once called them to work, signaled lunch and marked the end of the day. The steam whistle is still used sparingly, mostly by dignitaries and other visitors to the plant. It blows at noon when a retiree or a member dies.
Cars were scarce after World War II, so Howard Gunlocke would send a shuttle bus to nearby villages such as Perkinsville to pick his workers up. He gave many returning veterans a job, and knew every member by name.
Up until the 1960s, members were paid in cash – $2 bills that were first put through a washing machine at the plant and placed in a brown envelope. An employee profit-sharing plan was instituted in 1941 and by June of 1950, more than half-a-million dollars in profits had already been paid out to Gunlocke employees. One of those dollars was framed and is currently on display at the Wayland Historical Society.
A particularly memorable profit-sharing payout occurred in June of 1963, according to this write-up in the Wayland Register. “For the third time in the history of the 23-year profit-sharing plan, the payment was made in cash. A Brinks’ armored vehicle and guard delivered the money. Throughout the day uniformed guards patrolled the office, and armed guards were on the factory roof and on top of a railroad boxcar on the factory siding. The payment was made up of the largest denomination bills available and there were 72 500-dollar bills, 673 100s, 175 50s, etc.”
The facility has also — quite literally — provided a front-row seat to history.
In October 1962, President John F. Kennedy sat in the Oval Office, his young son, John F. Kennedy Jr., playing at his feet, while the weight of the world was placed on his shoulders. The Soviet Union was building a missile base in Cuba that could strike the heart of the United States. It would become one of the most diplomatically tense situations the world had ever seen, Armageddon quite literally hinging on Kennedy’s decisions and those of his adversaries in Moscow. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy pondered what he would do from his Gunlocke Washington chair, which would be better known as the President’s Chair.
Gunlocke remains one of the rare furniture manufacturers still practicing steam bending, a technique it began using in 1912. Wood strips are heated with steam until they become pliable, then shaped around molds to achieve precise forms. Though largely abandoned elsewhere due to its labor-intensive nature, Gunlocke pairs this time-honored craft with modern machining to create furniture rooted in enduring craftsmanship and heritage.