The History of Seating America

The History of Seating America
Presented in partnership with the Grand Rapids Public Museum
2011
Welcome, and thank you for taking a moment to experience a virtual tour of American Seating’s 125
year history. As part of our anniversary celebration, we’ve created this informative exhibit at the Grand
Rapids Art Museum, right here in our home town.
The display features American Seating’s versatile history in markets where our products have made a
significant impact on the everyday lives of people; from all manners of portable seating, through opulent
theater environments, to our foundation and evolution in educational venues. We also highlight our
legacy in famous sports stadiums and ball parks, and of course, our dominance in transportation seating.
Our company timeline is rich with history. Our past includes master wood carvers who filled places of
worship with their artistry, to manufacturing and supplying vital materials for our soldiers in WWII. It
was our seat that Rosa Parks refused to relinquish. Our innovations and solutions, such as our benchmark
mobility-aid securement systems, have set industry standards.
But American Seating is not only rich with history, we’re filled with excitement about our future as we begin
our next 125 years with numerous projects, including the renovation of the Superdome. We invite you to
explore our heritage, “The History of Seating America.” When you’ve finished, we hope that you’ll join
us for a visit at our Grand Rapids headquarters.
If you’ve ever ridden in a bus, sat in a desk, enjoyed a performance or been to a ballpark, chances are
you’ve sat in a seat made by American Seating. Chances are, your parents, grandparents and maybe
great-grandparents have too.
The American Seating story begins in 1886 and weaves through the Gilded Age and the Great Depression,
through world wars and the civil rights movement, through urbanism, industrialism, environmentalism,
and everything in between.
And no matter what era we’ve lived through or area we’ve been to, our focus has been to make
seating for everyday people, for just about every public setting imaginable: schools, colleges, offices,
courtrooms, convention centers, ballparks, stadiums, arenas, theaters, churches, buses and trains. Our
products are made in America by members of UAW Local 135.
Welcome to our walk through history: the first 125 years!
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
American Seating began manufacturing folding, portable seating for churches and other multi-use spaces
more than 100 years ago. During World War II, we produced 5 million chairs for the U.S. Military. Over the
years, both wood and steel folding chairs made by American Seating have sat millions at venues across
the country.
Portable Seating
Theater
All Purpose Seating
Steel Folding Chair
1944
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
American Seating made 10,000 of these folding chairs each day during World War II for the
U.S. Military. The chair’s great versatility – from classrooms to churches, from assembly areas to
sporting events – indeed, wherever movable, affordable seating was needed – made the “Amseco
Folder” the go-to folding-chair of choice.
Portable Seating
Theater
Acton® Stack Chair
Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort
Atlantic City, New Jersey 1990
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
In 1974, American Seating, with the help of renowned designer Hugh Acton, created the Acton Stack
Chair. This stacking chair was developed to provide comfortable, ergonomic, stylish seating that could be
stacked and stored quickly and easily. The unique Z-shape design is the core of its versatility and durability.
The Acton expanded into an entire line of seating options, broadening its appeal and use. It now has
stack, caster-base, stool, tablet-arm and beam-mounted applications.
Portable Seating
Steel Folding
Chair with
Wood Seat
No. 54
1950’s
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
The new and improved “Folding Fifties” line of
folding chairs presented a trio of strong, handy
chairs for cafeterias, gymnasiums, auditoriums,
assembly halls, waiting rooms, libraries,
dormitories, offices and many other spaces.
Designed for even greater comfort than their
predecessors, the famous “Forties,” the new line
of chairs had wider, deeper, shaped seats and
wider, deeper formed back panels. They were
light and easy to carry. No sliding or binding parts
meant no snagging, pinching or soiling hazards.
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Envoy Chair
Model 368
1920
back to the beginning
The design and development of the
Envoy chair resulted from in-depth
ergonomics research. The classroom
chair was created for relaxed student
posture, attained by the formed
seats, deep-curved backs and selfadjusting lower rails that fit each
student for near perfect postureand
comfort.
Portable Seating
Theater
Classmate
Plywood Chair
1950’s
Education
Transportation
Additional seating options were
created to accommodate various
applications in the Education
Market. This birch plywood chair
had a deep, curved back that
would pivot to adjust for changes
in position.
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Bodi-Rest
No. 550
1950’s
back to the beginning
American Seating designed the Bodi
-Rest as a lightweight stacking chair for a
variety of classroom uses. One of the first
stacking chairs created, the Bodi-Rest was
developed with a new process of blow
molding that captured a cushion of air
inside of tough, resilient plastic.
Portable Seating
Theater
Folding Chair
Model No. 50
1900’s
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Built mostly for churches, American Seating began manufacturing folding, portable seating to give customers
affordable, storable choices for multiuse spaces. The wood folding chair was furnished as a “single” or connected
in rows. The low-cost chair came with a slat seat or perforated veneer.
Portable Seating
Theater
Acton®, 2009 Chair
Education
Transportation
Sports
Padded Folding Chair - Circa 1933
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Envoy Chair, small child - circa 1946
back to the beginning
WWII Folding Wood Chair - circa 1941
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
American Seating provides performing arts seating solutions worthy of a standing ovation. Products
have ranged from ornate in the Gilded Age to sleek sophistication in modern times. In opera houses
and concert halls, in movie theaters and community theaters, American Seating has been bringing the
house down in comfort and style for more than a century.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
McPherson Opera House
McPherson, Kansas 2010
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Top: Circa 1890
Top: Circa 1920
Before “talking” pictures, theater was
filled with live performance, song and
dance. This end was one of the original
“frilly” wrought iron ends from the era.
This custom standard was designed for the
fabulous Fox Theaters, one of which still
operates today in Atlanta.
Center: Circa 1910
Center: Circa 1928
An evolution of the version shown
above, this end was one of the first
to be designed with a more bold
appearance, still emphasizing wrought
iron construction.
This standard is known as the Saenger
end and was designed as specified for the
Saenger Family Theater Chain, located in
the Southeastern U.S. and headquartered
in New Orleans.
Bottom: Circa 1933
Center: Circa 1927
This end was salvaged from the famous
Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York.
RKO was a joint venture between Keith
Orpheum and the RCA radio company,
later owned by Howard Hughes. The
Apollo first opened in 1913 as a burlesque
theater, but later served as both a live
performance as well as a movie palace.
An update to the original floral design
for ends, this version was created for the
Norwood Theater in Massachusetts. Many
independent houses throughout America
also selected this design.
Portable Seating
Theater
City Opera House
Traverse City, Michigan 2006
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Opening its doors in 1891, this northern Michigan opera house is the oldest of three historically
intact Victorian-era opera houses in the state. The elegant 700-seat, state-of-the art historic venue
has hosted everything from plays, concerts and operettas to gala balls, social functions, community
festivals and celebrations. The “Grand Old Lady,” as she is lovingly known, has served as a
community gathering space for more than a century.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Eisenhower Theater at the
John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C. 2008
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
The Eisenhower Theater, on the north side of the Kennedy Center, seats about 1,163 and is named
for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who signed into law the National Cultural Center Act in 1958.
This beautiful venue hosts plays, musicals, smaller-scale operas, ballet and contemporary dance
performances. Opened in 1971, the theater was renovated in 2008.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
McPherson Opera House
McPherson, Kansas 2010
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Built in 1888 and the first of its kind with electricity, the McPherson Opera House had no equal between Kansas
City and Denver. On opening night, all 900 seats were sold, and the opera house quickly established itself as the
region’s cultural center. It was saved from destruction in 1986 by the McPherson Opera House Company. Now on
the National Register of Historic Places, it is considered one of the best examples of opera house architecture in
Kansas. The fully restored facility reopened in 2010.
Portable Seating
Theater
Landmark
LandmarkTheater
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
Located west of downtown Richmond, the Landmark is
Richmond,
Richmond,Virginia
Virginia1927
1927 nestled in the Virginia Commonwealth University campus
where it hosts Broadway productions, concerts, comedians,
lectures and school commencements. This beautiful 3,600seat theater opened in 1927. Refurbished in the mid-1990s,
it is still in use today.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Armstrong
Auditorium
Theater
Edmond, Oklahoma 2010
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Modeled after the Ambassador Auditorium, and located on the
Herbert W. Armstrong College campus, the brand-new 823-seat
Armstrong Auditorium opened in 2010 to much fanfare.
Some of the hall’s treasures are from the original Ambassador
Auditorium, including a Steinway concert grand piano and two
Baccarat crystal candelabra. Other amenities include Swarovskitrimmed chandeliers from Austria, Persian onyx, marble from
Spain and the finest-quality custom seats made by American
Seating.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Radio City
Music Hall
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Despite the stock market crash of 1929, John D. Rockefeller made a $91
million investment in Midtown Manhattan that would leave a lasting
impact on New York City’s architectural and cultural landscape. He built
New York, New York
Rockefeller Center, a complex of buildings that express the highest ideals
1999
of design and stand as symbols of optimism and hope. Radio City Music
Hall was one of the center’s first and most important buildings. Since
opening in 1932, more than 300 million visitors from around the world
have sat in its nearly 6,000 seats. In 1999, Radio City underwent its most
extensive restoration project since its opening, returning to the ambiance
of the 1930s while integrating today’s technology.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Lobero Theater
Santa Barbara, California
2002
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
The Lobero is California’s oldest, continuously operating
theater. Originally founded in 1873 and rebuilt in 1924, it
is recognized as one of Santa Barbara’s architectural jewels
and is a state landmark. On August 4, 1924, today’s Lobero
opened its doors with a gala production of Beggar on
Horseback. Santa Barbara celebrated the opening with the
inaugural Fiesta, the predecessor of today’s Fiesta and Old
Spanish Days.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Paramount
Theater
Oakland, California 1973
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
In 1925, Paramount-Publix, one of the great studio-theater
chains that dominated the industry, began a construction
program resulting in some of the finest theaters produced in
that era. It was one of only three theaters built by the Publix
chain on the West Coast. It was not only the last Publix house but
was also the last very large moving-picture theater built on the
West Coast and is now the largest of the type still in existence.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Capitol Theatre
New York, New York 1919
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
The Capitol Theatre movie palace was on Broadway just north
of Times Square. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb, the Capitol
seated 4,000 and opened October 24, 1919. It was one of the
first of the large lavish movie theaters that dominated the film
business for the next 40 years. The theater was acquired in 1924
by the entertainment magnate Marcus Loew and became the
flagship of his deluxe Loew’s Theatres chain.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Tabor Hall Opera Chair,1889
Wood on Cast Iron early desk (7M)
Kiel Opera House Chair - 1934 replica
Bodiform Chair - circa 1953
Eisenhower Theater Chair, Kennedy Center 2008
Stellar® Chair with TA
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
American Seating has a long history of putting students and educators at ease with seating solutions
that support the body and stimulate the mind. Founded in 1886 as the Grand Rapids School Furniture
Company, we’ve made seats, desks and other educational products for one-room schoolhouses and
university learning environments – and everything in between.
Portable Seating
Theater
McPherson Opera House
McPherson, Kansas 2010
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Universal School Furniture
1957
McPherson Opera House
McPherson, Kansas 2010
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
This photo is taken from an American Seating ad that described the product’s physical beauty as well as postural advantages and structural features. The tag line
read, “If your school furniture were on display every day like this … you’d buy American Seating furniture every time!”
Portable Seating
Theater
American Envoy
1941
Education
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
The American Envoy was a popular, lightweight but strong desk of the 1940s. The Envoy’s deep-curved back rails improved posture and comfort in the classrooms of
that time. It was available in three heights, 17 inches, 15 inches and 13 inches, to accommodate various student sizes.
McPherson Opera House
McPherson, Kansas 2010
Transportation
Portable Seating
Theater
Focus™ Acton Swing-Away
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas 2008
McPherson Opera House
McPherson, Kansas 2010
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Originally built in 1978, the Michael E. DeBakey Center for Biomedical Education and Research is named after a world-renowned heart surgeon and
one of the school’s past presidents. Two of the college’s busiest auditoriums for medical education were renovated in 2008 and 2009 with American
Seating’s fixed lecture room product.
Portable Seating
Theater
Model 101
Oxford
Combination Desk
Combination
1911
Desk No. 120
1920’s
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
The American Tubular Steel Combination Desk
made school furniture history. It was the first
of its kind made from heavy-gauge rolled-strip
steel that was formed into triangular tubing for
strength. The hinges were noiseless and boltless
for a non-wearing construction. These desks were
second to none in economy, durability, rigidity
and design.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Oxford Combination
Desk
No. 120
Combination
Desk
1920s No. 120
1920’s
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
This early combination seat desk was
manufactured of high-quality cast metal and
came with a built-in inkwell. Sales of cast-iron
desks fell off in the early 1930s as lightweight,
tubular-steel models came into vogue.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Vanguard Tablet Arm
Seating
1960s
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
The student-desk combination is still in
classrooms today. It has taken on many
transformations in design, materials used and
style. The Vanguard was part of the evolution
from wood and cast iron to plastic and steel in
the 1960s. This desk combo uses a tablet arm
versus the chair-desk combination.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Model
Oxford470
1970s
Combination
Desk No. 120
1920’s
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
American Seating developed a solution for
college and university lecture rooms. Combining
a table that is fixed to the floor with a chair that
is fixed to the table and swivels allowed a crisp
design. The swing-away seating was developed
to give instructors and facility managers an
easier way to keep their tables and chairs neat
and straight.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Oxford
American Universal
Combination
1940s
Desk No. 120
1920’s
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
The American Universal was developed in accordance
with accepted principles of the coordinated
classroom, which were guidelines for the ideal visual
and postural environments being planned by leading
school authorities. These guidelines emphasized the
growth, development and body mechanics of the
school child.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
®
Acton
275 with Tablet
Oxford
Combination
Arm
Desk No. 120
1975
1920’s
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
The Acton 275 was designed for classrooms, lecture
halls, auditoriums, assembly areas and other
educational and corporate training applications.
The classic design has an ergonomically sculptured
seat and back to provide comfort even after long
hours of sitting.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
The Acton chair family was designed in 1974 and is
Oxford
Acton® Tablet Arm
Grand
Valley State University one of the best selling chairs of all time. A tablet arm
Combination
Allendale,
version was created to use in classrooms as a lightDesk No.Michigan
120 2002
1920’s
weight, easily movable seating solution.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
®
American Seating launched the Spirit auditorium
Spirit
Oxford
Cornerstone
University
chair in 2003, which was designed to be virtually
Combination
Grand Rapids, Michigan 2003 maintenance-free, durable and cost effective.
Desk No. 120
1920’s
It fit a need for a new aesthetic with a curved
plastic back instead of the typical square back.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Parley
Oxford® Tables
2008
Combination
Desk No. 120
1920’s
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
As classrooms started to change from all
fixed seating to the need for more flexible
seating solutions, American Seating launched
a contemporary table line that features power
distribution and data routing, and is available in
a stationary or mobile solution. Mobile tables can
slide together to form any learning environment,
then flip and nest out of the way when more space
is needed.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Desk/Chair Combination, early 1900s
Education
Transportation
Sports
Envoy Chair with Desk, circa 1946
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Desk/Chair Combination, 1960s
back to the beginning
Focus® Swing Away, Single
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
American Seating leads with solutions that offer durability and value for city-service bus, rail,
motorcoach and demand-response transit providers. We’re the company that helps millions
of commuters and travelers get to their destinations every day with ease and comfort.
Portable Seating
Vision®
2009
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
In 2009, American Seating introduced its newest innovation, Vision, the next generation
in stainless seating that provides vandal resistance, durability, comfort and style. North
American transit agencies that quickly adopted the Vision seat include those in Rhode Island,
California and Ottawa (Canada).
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
American Seating
Transportation Manufacturing
Grand Rapids, Michigan 1937
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
American Seating entered the transportation seating industry in 1931.
Pictured: local transit buses parked on the grounds of the American Seating
factory.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
®
Insight
The Rapid
Grand Rapids, Michigan 2007
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
As the region’s public transit authority, The Rapid provides a variety of public transportation services
for the Grand Rapids metro area and beyond. It is organized and operates under Michigan Public Act
196 of 1986.
The Rapid operates both fixed-route and demand-response services. American Seating introduced the
InSight seat to The Rapid in 2007, which became one of the first transit authorities in the United States
to purchase and install the bus seat.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
D39777 Seat
Theater
1940s Turret Gunner
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
The M4 and M7 Medium Tank Seats for Driver, Assistant Driver and
Gunner were used in more types of vehicles than any other seat of
the time. The flexible seat was readily adaptable to many different
locations inside a vehicle.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Innovator ® 850
Los Angeles County
Metro Rail
Los Angeles, California
2007
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
The Metro Rail is the rapid-transit rail system serving Los Angeles
County. Since opening in 1990, the network now comprises five
lines, including two heavy-rail subway lines and three light-rail
lines. Altogether, these lines total 79.1 miles (127.3 km) of rail,
70 stations and more than 350,000 weekday boardings.
The Metro Rail showcases American Seating’s Innovator 850, a
stainless-steel seat that features a vandal-resistant solution for
rail seating.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Premier ®
Theater
Indian Trails
Owosso, Michigan 2009
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
Indian Trails, which uses the Premier seat, operates one of the
largest and newest fleets of deluxe motorcoaches in Michigan.
American Seating introduced the Premier seat in 2009, providing
the highest level of safety in belted motorcoach seating.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
6463
1973
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
The company developed the first fiberglass transportation seat with
quick-release, replaceable seat cushion inserts.
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Tubular City Service
Bus Seat 1221
Grand Rapids, Michigan 1931
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
American Seating manufactured all-tubular, steel-framed seats
for transit buses. This type of seating offered both enhanced
comfort and durability. It was the first seat of its kind to be fully
upholstered but without exposed fasteners on the seat backs.
Much history has taken place in American Seating seats. Most
notable: On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery Alabama, the
seat Rosa Parks refused to give up was the American Seating
City Service Bus Seat 1221, introduced in 1931. Ms. Parks’
action became an important symbol of the modern civil rights
movement.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Mobility Aid Securement
The Rapid
Grand Rapids, Michigan 2009
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
American Seating leads in the development of mobility
aid securement systems. The company’s latest innovation
features the industry-leading A.R.M.® and Dual Auto-Lok®
remote release systems, allowing both hands to be free to
secure the mobility aid. The technology provides the easiest
and quickest securement while reducing physical demands
on the bus driver.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Vision®
Education
Transportation
Innovator 850®
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Premier Recliner – Premier®
back to the beginning
InSight®
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
American Seating solutions are found in the oldest and most famous ballparks and stadiums in the world,
and in the newest generation of multipurpose arenas. We make seats for every part of a sports facility,
from the front row to the upper deck, from scout seating to suite seats.
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Arenas, Auditoriums, Stadiums & Ballparks
Arenas
Minor Leagues
Berry Events Center
Fresno Selland Arena
HP Pavillion
Keifer Lakefront Arena
Neal H. Blaisdell Center
Quicken Loans Arena
Van Andel Arena
Verizon Center
Altoona Curve
Arizona Diamondbacks/Rockies
Arizona Dodger/Whitesox
Auburn Doubledays
Augusta Green-Jackets
Batavia Muckdogs
Beloit Snappers
Boise Hawks
Birmingham Barons
Carolina Mudcats
Charlotte Knights
City Island Stadium
Clinton Lumber Kings
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Daytona Cubs
Durham Bulls
Erie Sea Wolves
Florence Freedom
Frisco Rough Riders
Great Falls White Sox
Gulf Coast Orioles
Hannibal Caveman
Indianapolis Indians
Iowa Cubs
Jamestown Jammers
Joliet Jackhammers
Kane County Cougars
Lake County Captains
Lakeland Flying Tigers
Lansing Lugnuts
Louisville Bats
Missoula Osprey
Montgomery Biscuits
Nashville Sounds
Norfolk Tides
Ogden Raptors
Oklahoma Red Hawks
Rochester Red Wings
Rockford RiverHawks
Salem Avalanche
NFL Teams
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Houston Texans
Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants
New York Jets
Oakland Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
Major Leagues
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
DC Nationals
Detroit Tigers
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers
Oakland A’s
Philadelphia Phillies
St. Louis Cardinals
San Francisco Giants
Texas Rangers
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Salt Lake Bees
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
Spokane Indians
Syracuse Chiefs
Tacoma Rainiers
Tennessee Smokies
Traverse City Beach Bums
Vancouver Canadians
Visalia Rawhides
West Michigan Whitecaps
Winston-Salem Dash
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Yakima Bears
York Revolution
Performing Art Centers
American Players Theater, Spring Green, WI
Armstrong College PAC
Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA
Boston Pops Tanglewood Center
Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH
Century II, Wichita, KS
Corson Auditorium, Interlochen, MI
Delacorte Theatre, Central Park, NY
Emons Auditorium, Ball State
Fairchild Auditorium, Michigan St. University
Forest Roberts Theater, N. Michigan University
Gammage, Arizona State University
Greek Theatre, CA
Indiana University Musical Art Center
Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
Kresge Auditorium, Interlochen, MI
McPherson Opera House, McPherson, KS
Millenium Park, Chicago, IL
New York Metropolitan Opera House
Peabody (Kiel) Opera House
Popejoy Hall, University of New Mexico
Radio City Music Hall, NY
Raymond Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, FL
McPherson Opera House
McPherson, Kansas 2010
River Bend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH
Robin Hood Dell East, Philadelphia, PA
San Francisco Opera House
Sante Fe Opera House, Sante Fe, NM
Tilson Auditorium, Indiana State
University of Connecticut, Jorgensen Center
West Point Military Academy Eisenhower Theatre
College and University Sports
Baylor University Tennis Complex
Bud Walton Arena, University of Arkansas
Creighton Soccer Stadium
FSU Baseball Howser
Georgia Tech Bobby Dodd Stadium
Georgia Russ Chandler Stadium
Indiana University Memorial Stadium
Lamar Cardinal Stadium
Louisville Papa Johns Stadium
LSU Tiger Stadium
Miami Stadium
Michigan Football Stadium
NAU Lumberjack Stadium
Nebraska Memorial Stadium
Ohio State Football Stadium
Purdue Ross-Ade Stadium
Rice University Reckling Park Stadium
Tennessee Lee Stadium
Tennessee Lindsey Nelson Stadium
Tennessee Tennis Stadium, Knoxville
Tusculum College Baseball Stadium
Tulane Baseball Park
UH Baseball Stadium
UNC Dean Smith Center
UNM-The Pit
UCLA Pauley Pavilion
USC Dedeaux Field and LA Coliseum
Utah Valley Stadium
UT Disch-Falk Field
Wake Forest Ballpark
WVU Coliseum
WVU Mountaineer Stadium
TD Ameritrade Park (NCAA World Series)
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Meadowlands Sports Complex
East Rutherford, New Jersey 2010
(Home of the New York Giants
and New York Jets)
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
The Meadowlands was designed to be the home of both the New York Jets and New York
Giants professional football teams and also serve as a location for all marquee events in
the region – internationally broadcast concerts, college football programs, world-class
soccer and more. The sustainably designed stadium seats 82,500.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Van Andel Arena®
Grand Rapids, Michigan 1996
(Home of the Grand Rapids Griffins)
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
The 12,000-plus capacity, $75 million arena in Michigan’s fastest-growing market has made
Grand Rapids an entertainment destination. Additionally, the arena has carved a niche as a
first-class facility for tradeshows, exhibitions, seminars and conferences. It also serves as the
home of the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team. The arena was named in recognition of its
largest benefactors, Jay and Betty Van Andel.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Comerica Park
Detroit, Michigan 2000
(Home of the Detroit Tigers)
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Comerica Park replaced the historic Tiger Stadium in 2000. Located in downtown Detroit and
next to Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions, Comerica Park is a major part of a downtown
revitalization plan for the city. Comerica’s seating capacity is 45,010.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Nationals Park
Washington, D.C., 2008
(Home of the
Washington Nationals)
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Nationals Park was the first major stadium in the U.S. accredited as
a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) structure,
achieving “Silver Status” from the United States Green Building Council.
The ballpark exterior is constructed of steel, glass and pre-cast concrete,
reflecting the architecture of Washington. Views from the circulation
ramps include the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Navy Yard
and the riverfront. The venue seats 41,546.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Fenway Park
Boston, Massachusetts 2009
(Home of the Boston Red Sox)
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
On April 20, 1912, Fenway Park, one of the most iconic
ballparks in the world, opened its doors to the public. To many,
Fenway is a shrine and homage to the Great American Pastime
of baseball. American Seating has been a part of the Fenway
fan experience since the ballpark first opened. In 2002, the
Red Sox organization began a renovation of the entire park,
scheduled for completion in spring 2012.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Rangers Ballpark
in Arlington
Arlington, Texas 1994
(Home of the Texas Rangers)
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
On April 1, 1994, a new era dawned for the Texas Rangers
with the opening of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. This
beautiful baseball-only facility serves as the centerpiece of
a 270-acre entertainment complex. The open-air park seats
49,170 and features Texas-style architecture.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Quicken
Arena –
RangersLoans
Ballpark
“The
Q”
in Arlington
Originally
known
Arena,
“The Q”
opened
in
On
April 1,
1994,asa Gund
new era
dawned
forofficially
the Texas
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October
with aofBilly
Joel concert.
Home
to the Cavaliers
with
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opening
Rangers
Ballpark
in Arlington.
This
professional
basketball team,
“The
Q” also
top-name of
beautiful
baseball-only
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serves
as hosts
the centerpiece
Cleveland,
Arlington,Ohio
Texas2005
1994
concerts,
family
and
sporting
events,
accommodating
20,500
(Home of the Cleveland Cavaliers) a 270-acre entertainment complex. The open-air park seats
(Home of the Texas Rangpatrons. Progressive Field (formerly Jacobs Field and home to
49,170
and features Texas-style architecture.
ers)
the Cleveland Indians professional baseball team) is next door;
together, these two facilities comprise the Gateway Sports and
Entertainment Complex. American Seating chairs replaced a
competitor’s seats in 2005.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Michigan Stadium
“The Big House”
Ann Arbor, Michigan 2010
(Home of the University of
Michigan Wolverines)
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
One of the country’s most recognized college sports
venues, Michigan Stadium has always been known for
accommodating enormous crowds. First opened in 1927 with
a capacity of more than 84,000, “The Big House” underwent
a three-year renovation to provide wider seats and aisles
and to add premium club and suite seating. Remodeling was
completed in 2010 with a total fan capacity of 108,000.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Pizza Hut Park
Frisco, Texas 2005
(Home of MLS Team FC Dallas)
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Pizza Hut Park is a multi-purpose facility designed for
professional soccer, major concerts, community events and high
school football. The park can host approximately 20,500 and is
considered to be one of the top venues in the United States for
both amateur and Major League Soccer.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Tiger’s Chair - Tigers
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Watch this 1930 PR stunt
In 1930, pilot Muller landed this Heath plane on the roof of the American Seating headquarters in Grand Rapids
to promote their “just in time” delivery services. Landing and take off were both perilous and successful.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
American Seating has a long history of putting students and educators at ease with seating solutions
that support the body and stimulate the mind. Founded in 1886 as the Grand Rapids School Furniture
Company, we’ve made seats, desks and other educational products for one-room schoolhouses and
university learning environments – and everything in between.
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Our Early Years 1886-1940
Beginning in 1887, much of the seating for churches involves intricate wood carving;
the company becomes known for its master carvers and beautiful craftsmanship.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Our Early Years 1886-1940
1885
1887
1905
In this year, the Statue of Liberty arrives
in New York Harbor, the first skyscraper
(10 stories) is built in Chicago and during
a Grand Rapids, Michigan, school board
meeting, a light-bulb moment redefines
educational environments for the century
to follow.
On May 8, the founders incorporate
Grand Rapids School Furniture Company.
Building on its immediate success in
schools, the company expands into
seating for churches and other public
venues.
Earnings through 1905 total $1.2
million. The company purchases
additional properties in the Midwest
and Pacific Northwest.
At this meeting, business and school
board leaders Gaius W. Perkins, William
T. Hess and Seymour W. Peregrine sit in
the very seats that students use during
the school day. Shifting constantly to get
comfortable, they determine the seats
that school children sit in are poorly
designed – and they resolve to do better.
This is the beginning of American Seating.
Much of the seating for churches
involves intricate wood carving; the
company becomes known for its master
carvers and beautiful craftsmanship.
1888
1906
Grand Rapids School Furniture Company buys seven acres on Broadway Avenue
between Ninth and Tenth streets on Grand Rapids’ northwest side. The company
constructs a 70,000-square-foot factory and moves in on August 1. Increasing its
workforce to 350 employees, the company becomes the biggest manufacturer of
its kind in the city.
The company changes its name to
American Seating Company, and
offices move from New York back
to Grand Rapids.
1889
Early 1900s
The company officially enters the entertainment seating market by furnishing the
Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, and the McPherson Opera House in
McPherson, Kansas.
Grand Rapids School Furniture Company ranks as the top seating manufacturer in
the world, producing more seats than any other manufacturer (81,000 to date).
With the increased popularity of
vaudeville and then motion pictures,
theater seating becomes American
Seating Company’s primary product. The
company is deluged with orders, and
many orders are for 299 chairs per venue.
The reason: Theaters with more than
299 chairs required a theater license and
special fire permits.
1893
1909
The company designs and delivers the
world’s first tilt-back opera chair.
American Seating Company
manufactures and installs seating at
Forbes Field for the Pittsburgh Pirates –
the company’s first foray into baseball
seating.
1886
On January 5, Perkins, Hess and Peregrine,
with 50 employees, open a factory at
the corner of Prescott and Ionia streets in
Grand Rapids to manufacture school and
office furniture.
The first product is a cast-iron and maplewood student desk-and-chair unit. This
unprecedented combination revolutionizes
classroom seating.
1892
1899
Grand Rapids School Furniture Company
changes its name to American School
Furniture Company. The company acquires
18 of the largest seating and furniture
manufacturing companies in the United
States. These companies expand American
School Furniture Company’s holdings from
the Midwest to the East Coast, with offices
located in New York and Chicago.
1910
Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago
White Sox, opens with 32,000
American Seating Company seats.
The ballpark adds more seats in 1927.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
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Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Our Early Years 1886-1940
1920s
Dr. Henry Eastman Bennett’s research
results in the design of the company’s
Universal and Envoy lines for the
education market.
1922
American Seating Company provides
the seats for The Ohio State University’s
football stadium.
1911
1923
The company opens a steel plant and
begins production of the 101 Desk.
Made of steel tubing, the desk is a
first of its kind. So many are made
that, pundits say, they could be lined
up and stretch from Grand Rapids
to Los Angeles and then 180 miles
beyond into the Pacific Ocean.
American Seating Company makes the
seats in the original Yankee Stadium,
home of the New York Yankees.
1912
1930s
American Seating Company manufactures and installs new seating for Fenway
Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, the beginning of a long relationship with the
famous ballpark.
1926
American Seating Company renovates and
modernizes its Grand Rapids facilities on
Broadway Avenue.
1927
Hollywood spreads across America and
everyone’s going to the movies. The
nation’s theaters, grand “movie palaces,”
require elaborate seating to complement
ornate décor. Entertainment moguls of the
day Marcus Loew, William Fox and others
engage American Seating Company for
seats. Theater seating installations boom
with major contracts with the Loew’s
Theatre and Fox Theatre chains.
American Seating Company moves
all manufacturing operations to
Grand Rapids.
The company designs the Bodiform® end
standard to add affordable design décor
to theater seats at a time when money
can’t be spent on splendor. The innovation
is such a success that the end standard
remains a popular part of American
Seating’s portfolio.
The company develops the first ¾-fold
indoor-outdoor seat so spectators can
move easily through aisles and into seats.
1931
All offices are consolidated in Grand Rapids.
The Transportation Division manufactures
the first all-tubular-steel-framed seats
used in buses.
1932
American Seating Company manufactures
and installs new seating for the upper
deck of Fenway Park.
1936
1914
American Seating Company manufactures and installs seating for the Chicago
Cubs’ Wrigley Field. Some of the original seats will last into the next millennium,
a testament to the durability and quality of the company’s product.
The company begins manufacturing tank
seats for military operations.
1937
From years 1927 to 1937, the company
reports earnings of $2.5 million, and exits
the Great Depression in a strong financial
position.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Building On A Diverse History 1941-1980
1947 - President Harry S. Truman enjoys a baseball
game in Kansas City in an American Seating seat.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Building On A Diverse History 1941-1980
1945
Between 1937 and 1945, American Seating Company’s net worth increases to
$6.7 million.
The company installs new seats for Yankee Stadium in New York.
1947
American Seating Company begins manufacturing seats for urban transit buses –
today called city-service buses.
President Harry S. Truman enjoys a baseball game in Kansas City in an American
Seating seat.
1958
American Seating Company becomes the first to develop outdoor, blow-molded
plastic seats after Dutch elm disease destroys most of the nation’s elm trees. The
first installation with this new technology is the Los Angeles Coliseum.
1941
With the United States’ entry into World War II, American Seating Company
converts much of its production to seating and other products for the military.
1944
Production at American Seating Company has increased since the war’s inception,
and employment stands at 1,000. Ninety percent of the company’s manufactured
goods support the U.S. Military.
During this time, the company produces 10,000 folding chairs per day, ultimately
making 5 million chairs for the military. A running joke at the time: “We’re in charge
of seating the standing army.”
1950s
The company begins manufacturing modular-classroom and lab furniture.
Other war products include:
• Pilot ejection seats and inertia locking reels
• Tank seats
• Pack boards
• Mess tables
• Spar caps for the Douglas A-26
• Wooden training models of the
40MM anti-aircraft gun
1960
• Ammunition boxes
• Wings and spars for the AT-10 Beech aircraft
• Inboard wings for the CG-4A
• Parts for the AT-21 Bomber Trainer
and M5 Bomb Trailer
• Backpacks for troops
• Wood components for gliders used
for D-Day invasion
From the collections of The Henry Ford.
1955
On December 1 in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks makes history by refusing to
relinquish her bus seat which was made by American Seating Company.
The company updates the seating in the Detroit Tigers Stadium.
The company announces it will enter the
health care market. Recognizing radical
changes in patient safety, care, comfort
and rehabilitation, American Seating
Company designs an entirely new hospital
bed system and complementary furniture.
To accommodate the new market, a vast
manufacturing facility covering 41 acres
is constructed near the site of today’s
American Seating Park. An onsite foundry,
pictured above, enables American Seating
to cast its own iron.
The company begins producing
motorcoach seating.
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Building On A Diverse History 1941-1980
1974
The company replaces the seats at Yankee Stadium in New York.
American Seating Company designs and installs one of the first
automated part-transfer systems in the nation; the new seat-pan
stamping presses expand capacity to 1,500 finished parts per
8-hour shift.
1962
American Seating chairs are installed in the New York State Theater (now called the
David H. Koch Theater) at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.
Transportation seating sales hit an all-time high.
American Seating Company provides the seats for the Wings
Hockey Arena in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The company releases the Acton® chair. The iconic seat becomes
one of the best-selling stacking chairs of all time.
1969
The company develops the transportation
industry’s first cantilevered bus seat, an
innovation that increases the comfort and
cleanliness of bus seating.
By the end of the decade, American
Seating Company has established itself as
the leading manufacturer of transit seating
– a position the company holds to this day.
1975
The company develops the industry’s
first stainless-steel seat for use in buses.
1970
The company begins manufacturing
seating for rail cars.
1977
American Seating launches the Stellar®
chair for the Education and Entertainment
markets.
American Seating Company enters
the office furniture market. The
company begins producing a flexible
and functional interior furniture
system designed to respond to human
ergonomic needs and workplace
functionality.
American Seating Company coauthors the
White Book, a widely used publication
that provides procurement guidelines
and technical specifications for the
transportation industry.
American Seating becomes the first to
make office wall panels with removable
inserts.
The company makes and installs the seats
for Mickey Mouse Music Hall at Disney
World in Orlando, Florida.
1971
1973
The John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts opens in Washington,
D.C., filled with American Seating chairs.
The company develops the first fiberglass
transportation seat with quick-release,
replaceable onserts.
The company becomes the leading
developer of restraint systems for the
transportation industry, before the
implementation of any formalized
Americans with Disabilities Act
requirements.
1980
The Minnesota Vikings complete a new
stadium outfitted entirely with American
Seating seats.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Providing Innovative Solutions 1981 - Present
2011 - The introduction of the Core™ seat utilizes state of the art
equipment and incorporates 60% post consumer waste in its design.
back to the beginning
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning
Providing Innovative Solutions 1981 - Present
1981
1983
American Seating Company releases the
Bio® chair, a customizable, caster-base
office chair.
American Seating Company is
purchased by Fuqua, Inc. based in
Atlanta.
1985
The Fox Theatre in Atlanta selects nearly
3,000 American Seating Company seats
for a major renovation.
1984
The company introduces energyabsorbing plastic grab-rails atop bus
seats for added passenger safety.
The company purchases Otaco, a transit
seating manufacturer based in Canada.
1992
1997
The company releases the 505 slat
back, a blow-molded baseball chair
for Oriole Park at Camden Yards in
Baltimore; the seats evoke a nostalgic
ballpark look.
The company introduces the 507 Baseball Chair.
American Seating Company produces the Framework free-standing desk.
The Santa Fe Opera House selects new American Seating chairs for its renovation.
The company develops a quick-release/
sliding seat to accommodate mobility
aids in transit.
1987
1994
Ed Clark and a group of private
investors purchase American Seating
Company from Fuqua, Inc.
The company releases the Cue® chair
for the office market.
1998
American Seating Company provides the seats for the Detroit Tigers’ new
stadium, Comerica Park.
American Seating also provides the seating for Pac Bell Park, home of the San
Francisco Giants, and Minute Maid Park (then called Enron Field), home of the
Houston Astros.
American Seating helps to complete M&T Bank Stadium for the Baltimore Ravens,
including a hinged-arm stadium chair to accommodate disabled patrons.
The company releases the Oz chair and the 408 Stadium Chair.
1995
American Seating Company helps to renovate The Ohio State University Buckeyes’
“The Horseshoe” Stadium with installation of the 408 Stadium Chair.
The company unveils Framework Access panels for use in office systems.
American Seating Company installs new seats at the Cleveland Browns Stadium.
®
1988
American Seating Company develops
vandal- and cut-resistant seat cushion
inserts, enabling upholstered seating
in public transportation. Buses in New
York City and Chicago boast the first
such seating.
The Dimension® chair launches in the
Education and Sports Markets.
1999
The company builds a new transportation plant on Seward Avenue,
expanding the American Seating campus footprint on Grand Rapids’
northwest side. The 175,000-square-foot plant opens the following year.
1996
The company introduces the Advanced Restraint Module (A.R.M.®) for mobility aid
securement in the transportation market.
Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids installs
American Seating products.
Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
Providing Innovative Solutions 1981 - Present
2000
2008
The company introduces its Credence and Brilliance tables, Framework Segway
panels and the Transportation Recliner Series.
American Seating Company debuts Vision®. Inspired by InSight®, the seat meets the
needs of bus and rail transit agencies looking for product specifically engineered for
aesthetics and superior vandal resistance.
2001
The company’s Focus® Fixed Lecture product revolutionizes the college and
university market.
American Seating Company unveils its Accuwerks and Whirl tables.
The company provides seats for Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.
2002
Metropolitan® transit seating is
introduced to the City Bus and Light
Rail Markets.
The company releases the Acton®
caster base and stool.
2009
2003
American Seating Company reinvests in its
roots and renovates its campus on Grand
Rapids’ northwest side. Historic buildings
are preserved while contemporary living
and working environments are created.
The area becomes known as American
Seating Park.
American Seating releases Premier®, a motorcoach seat that revolutionizes safety.
Greyhound is the first to install the seats in its motorcoaches.
American Seating installs seats at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West
Palm Beach, Florida.
American Seating takes part in a historic renovation of the beloved Fenway Park,
replicating original wood seats with new technology.
Federal stimulus grants increase contracts for bus seating.
InSight® is selected for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games SkyTrain in Vancouver.
The company releases the Spirit® seat.
2004
U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, replaces all seats with
American Seating product after only 13 years with a competitor’s seats.
2005
American Seating Company provides new seats for
Quicken Loans Arena, (formerly Gund Arena), home of
the Cleveland Cavaliers. American Seating chairs replace a
competitor’s seats, installed in 1994.
2006
This year is big for baseball: The company produces seats
for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the St. Louis Cardinals, the
Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, the Iowa City Cubs and
the Traverse City Beach Bums. All told, 140,000 seats are
made, shipped and installed.
American Seating Company develops the InSight® bus seat,
which offers the largest personal sitting area in the industry.
The seat becomes the best-selling bus seat in the world.
The Majestic® chair is introduced to capture the grandeur
of a bygone theater era.
2010
2011
The Rally Chair is released as a
telescopic platform seating solution.
The company launches the Core™ chair, a costeffective auditorium solution.
The University of Michigan selects
American Seating for new club
seating as part of major renovation
of “The Big House” football
stadium.
American Seating is the leading manufacturer of
mass transit passenger seating with seats in every
major city in America, from Los Angeles to New
York, and Grand Rapids.
The new Meadowlands Sports
Complex in New Jersey – home to
both the New York Jets and Giants –
receives American Seating seats.
The famous Kiel (Peabody) Opera House
renovation project includes custom American
Seating chairs.
American Seating celebrates its 125th anniversary.
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Portable Seating
Theater
Education
Transportation
Sports
Timeline
1930 PR Stunt Video
back to the beginning