| Posted February 9, 2014 |
The Howard Miller Clock Company, as it had been formally organized for many years, has evolved from its origins. Some are aware that Howard Miller was the son of Herman Miller of Herman Miller Furniture fame, and Howard Miller started his career making clocks as part of a new Clock Division at Herman Miller. Eventually, Howard Miller moved just across the street in Zeeland Michigan, and started his own company, Howard Miller Clocks, to focus on the clock market specifically, to which he was most dedicated and enthusiastic.
Almost 100 years later, both Herman Miller and Howard Miller live and thrive as companies still within the general framework of their founders. One fact worth noting is that Howard Miller Clocks still does much of its own manufacturing in the USA, allowing most of its grandfather clocks to sport the Made in USA logo. Seems especially worthy of not given this post is being written during the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Howard Miller Clocks is probably best known for its historical domination of the high-end grandfather clock market. The cache with the Howard Miller clock name is undoubted, and many people gravitate to Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks because of the reputation and well-known and respected name, in addition to making the largest selection of high-end grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks in the market today. This is true whether you are looking at mechanical chiming grandfather clocks with Westminster Chimes or Triple Chimes, or a grandfather clock or grandmother clocks with special features such as automatic nighttime shutoff, illuminated dials, rotating moon phase dials, or lit cabinets. Tubular Chime grandfather clocks is one area where one of its competitors is gaining ground, with Hermle Clocks offering a nice selection of Tubular Chime Grandfather Clocks. Both Howard Miller Clocks and Hermle Clocks offer German Mechanical movements, with Howard Miller having Kieninger Grandfather Cl0ck movements and Hermle Grandfather Clocks having movements made by Hermle itself in its main German headquarters and manufacturing location. Kieninger, though owned by Howard Miller Clocks, is also a German company, and by itself offers a magnificent collection of German-made grandfather clocks. Interestingly, during this period in recent years, Hermle Clocks has also started to make some of its best high-quality Grandfather Clocks here in the USA, in its Amherst Virginia USA headquarters, warehouse and manufacturing location.
The Howard Miller Clocks story has evolved, and in quite interesting ways. In addition to grandfather clocks, wall clocks, and mantel clocks, the company makes Television Consoles, Furniture and upholstery for the Home and institutional marketplace, Wine and Bar Furnishing. Clock Urns, Mirrors, and Home Storage units, just to name the main ones.
Interestingly, and most likely on purpose, Howard Miller and Herman Miller today still do not overlap in any meaningful way in their offerings.
Howard Miller seems to be transforming itself into a Lifestyle Brand. The new Howard Miller Logo with the words Enhancing Life at Home™, shows the transformation the grandfather clock, wall clock, and mantel clock industry giant is successfully making.
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