It’s 2015—a milestone year for National Business Furniture. This year marks our 40th anniversary as a company, and we’ve come a long way in the last four decades. Today, we remain true to our roots as a mid-grade office furniture provider with a clear focus on superior customer satisfaction. Take a look at where it all began in segment one of our mini-series: A Brief History of NBF.
The Beginning
National Business Furniture was founded back in 1975 by George and Julie Mosher in Milwaukee, WI, where its headquarters still remains to this day. Before deciding to start National Business Furniture, George was a successful partner at a another Wisconsin-based furniture catalog company, so it’s safe to say that he had a good grasp on the industry before taking the plunge to branch out of his own. One day, at a children’s birthday party of all places, George had a chance meeting with an investor, which is what provided him with the opportunity to earn seed money for his new start up. Not long after, George and his wife Julie assembled the very first NBF catalog together right on their kitchen table. They began mailing their new catalogs across the country, and, soon enough, NBF began filling its first orders from businesses across the United States. With exemplary services and standards, NBF grew into a major mail order business in what seemed like no time at all.
The Headquarters.
The first NBF headquarters was located in the beautiful Loyalty Building at 222 East Michigan Street in downtown Milwaukee. Surrounded by impressive old-world décor, the office was used as a working showroom, just as the NBF office is today. George intentionally selected a location one floor above his previous employer’s office so that visiting furniture suppliers would find it easy to drop in and do business at their own convenience.
The Branches
In 1980, The Moshers opened two new branches in Los Angeles and Atlanta in an effort to provide better service to customers across the United States. With a national catalog and regional sales representatives, NBF was able to provide big company savings with small company service.
The Showroom
In 1982, NBF opened up its retail showroom in the Grand Avenue Mall right down the street from its corporate headquarters. The 780-square-foot operation was among the first furniture catalog showrooms in a major shopping mall, and the showroom remained in operation until 1984.
And that’s only the beginning! Today, NBF remains true to its roots, now sporting the motto that its founders have always provided: Furniture that Works. People who Care.
Stay tuned next month for the second installment in our brief history series!
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