La‑Z‑Boy International
About
Supporting La‑Z‑Boy around the world.
From the La‑Z‑Boy archives
Future Focused
Looking Ahead
As the creator of the world’s first recliner, La‑Z‑Boy has been a household name for generations. But the brand’s collections now feature so much more alongside the iconic recliner which made it famous.
From sofas and corner suites to static products and accent chairs, every piece of La‑Z‑Boy furniture is carefully designed to help people all over the globe reclaim the joy of being lazy. Combining cutting edge technology and innovative ideas with quality materials and skilled craftsmanship, La‑Z‑Boy delivers world class comfort which allows people to switch off from the stresses of everyday life and truly relax.
While La‑Z‑Boy began in 1927 with two enterprising and inventive cousins in Michigan, it has now expanded well beyond its North American home. Today, La‑Z‑Boy furniture is sold in more than 50 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and beyond.
La‑Z‑Boy International is based in Maidenhead in the United Kingdom and looks after the brand outside the United States. It is on a mission to introduce the brand’s unique blend of style and comfort to even more customers in every part of the world.
Our Brand Over Time
Timeline
Our History
The La-Z-Boy brand is famous around the world for delivering high levels of comfort and quality. Known as the creators of the world’s first recliner, La-Z-Boy has a strong history in the United States dating back to 1927 and now its furniture is found in homes all over the globe.
Today, La-Z-Boy has evolved from its original handle-operated recliners to include a wide range of sofas and chairs from traditional static products to powered furniture showcasing the very latest in modern technology. The brand is now sold in more than 50 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and beyond.
Here we take a look back at La-Z-Boy’s history both in the United States and the rest of the world.
Edward M Knabusch and Edwin J Shoemaker with the first recliner, 1928
1900 – 1940
The founders
Two cousins with a passion for new ideas and creating furniture joined forces to produce the world’s first recliner.
Edward M Knabusch is born
A furniture-maker by day who built doll’s house furniture in his father’s garage by night.
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Edward M Knabusch was born in 1900 in Monroe County, Michigan. He left school after eighth grade to work for Weis Manufacturing Company, a local firm which made office furniture. As part of his role, he helped create wooden desks and in the evenings, he made doll house furniture in his father’s garage.
Edwin J Shoemaker is born
A farmer’s son with a mechanic’s mind, patenting his first invention at just 18.
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Edward’s cousin, Edwin J Shoemaker was born in Monroe, Michigan. Originally expected to become a farmer, Edwin showed a natural talent for being a mechanic. In 1925, when Edwin was just 18, he had his first patent granted for a band saw guide, which would make it quicker and easier to cut wood to a pattern or template.
Two cousins go into business
The Kna-Shoe Manufacturing Company is founded, creating innovative pieces of wooden furniture.
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The two cousins decided to join forces to create their own furniture business, which was originally called the Kna-Shoe Manufacturing Company. Initially, Edward was responsible for the marketing, while Edwin created the furniture. One of the company’s first products was ‘The Gossiper’, a wooden telephone stand with an in-built bench to sit on and rack to hold a telephone book.
The world’s first recliner
Edwin created the world’s very first recliner using orange crates. With the tagline “nature’s way of relaxing”, the slatted wooden porch chair had a moving seat and back, allowing the user to lay back and relax.
Floral City Furniture is incorporated
A new name, a new factory and the first upholstered recliner for indoor use.
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Edward and Edwin incorporated their company and decided to give it a new name to prevent customers thinking they were making shoes. They chose the name Floral City Furniture, inspired by Monroe’s nickname, Floral City and built a factory one mile north of Monroe. In this same year, they adapted their porch chair to create an upholstered recliner designed for indoor use. Up until this point, Edward and Edwin knew little about upholstering so they consulted George Welker, a skilled upholsterer from Fort Wayne, Indiana, who worked for a mattress company. After producing an indoor chair they were happy with, the cousins patented the reclining chair design, and a competition was held to name their new product.
The La-Z-Boy name is born
La-Z-Boy was chosen as the winning name for the recliner, beating suggestions which included Sit-N-Snooze, Slack-Back and Comfort Carrier. The name was officially trademarked in November 1930.
A circus tent attracts the crowds
Trading through the Great Depression, the cousins convert the ground floor of the factory into a showroom and bring in customers with entertainment and a circus tent.
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Despite the Great Depression making trading conditions challenging, Floral City Furniture converted the ground floor of its factory into a furniture showroom. To celebrate the store opening and attract customers, a circus tent was set up in front of the factory displaying furniture and providing entertainment for families as they shopped.
A second showroom
Business was going so well, the company was able to expand with a new showroom.
Cousins who went into business together on 24 March 1927
The world’s first recliner, built from orange crates
Rival names beaten by “La-Z-Boy” in the 1930 naming competition
1941 – 1970
Innovation and growth
Production was disrupted by the Second World War but the post-war period saw a rapid growth in new products, including the introduction of the iconic La-Z-Boy handle.
The La-Z-Boy Chair Company
The La-Z-Boy Chair Company was incorporated, becoming the official name of the manufacturing side of the business, while Floral City Furniture remained the name of the retail arm.
A new factory opens
A new factory designed by Edward and Edwin was completed and when it first opened in November, it was producing 85 chairs a day.
War halts production
Recliners give way to crash pads and seats for tanks, trucks and aircraft.
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The United States officially entered the Second World War after the Japanese attacked the US naval base Pearl Harbour. Wartime meant production of La-Z-Boy recliners ground to a halt and the company produced crash pads and seats for tanks, trucks and aircraft instead. During the war, the company stayed in touch with its employees with a staff newsletter called La-Z-News.
Production restarts
Commercial production of La-Z-Boy furniture restarts at the factory.
The platform rocker
Post-war innovation brings a smoother rock from a stationary base and internal springs.
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The post-war period brought an increase in demand for luxury and consumer products and a time of innovation for La-Z-Boy. In 1951, the company launched its platform rocker. Unlike traditional rocking chairs, which move back and forth on curved runners, this exciting new product stayed on a stationary base and used internal springs to move the seat, offering a smoother rocking experience.
The Otto-Matic footrest
Recliners gain a built-in footrest, and the ‘Tranquillator’ adds massage for an extra $10.
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La-Z-Boy introduced recliners with integrated footrests so users could now lie back and put their feet up without using a separate footstool. The built-in footrest was known as the Otto-Matic and the chair was marketed as offering “perfect posture support at any reclining angle”. During the 1950s, La-Z-Boy also introduced the option of upgrading any recliner to make it a ‘Tranquillator’. For an additional $10, a vibrating massage feature could be added to the chair.
The La-Z-Boy Foundation
The La-Z-Boy Foundation was created. As the charitable arm of the company, the foundation aims to enrich the communities La-Z-Boy operates in.
The Hi-Lo-Matic
A ‘his and hers’ recliner with two height settings, an adjustable back and the Otto-Matic footrest.
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The Hi-Lo-Matic was introduced. This recliner had two height adjustments, an adjustable back and also featured the Otto-Matic footrest. Marketed as a ‘his and hers’ chair, the lower height setting was intended for women, while the higher height setting was aimed at men. The Hi-Lo-Matic was produced for six years until 1962.
First factory outside Michigan
With growing demand for La-Z-Boy products, the manufacturing side of the business needed to expand to keep up. In November 1960, the company opened its first factory outside of Michigan, in Newton, Mississippi, which was known as La-Z-Boy South.
The Reclina-Rocker
The famous La-Z-Boy handle arrives, and sales boom.
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The Reclina-Rocker was launched in 1961, introducing the now-famous La-Z-Boy handle mechanism, which allowed users to lock the adjustable footrest in place. The company’s first rocking recliner, the Reclina-Rocker allowed customers to enjoy the benefits of both a recliner and a rocking chair with a single product. This latest innovation was a huge success and saw La-Z-Boy’s sales boom.
The comfort selector
The ‘comfort selector’ is integrated into La-Z-Boy’s recliners, allowing three different relaxation positions. Over the next 10 years, the company’s annual sales rocket from $1.1 million to almost $53 million.
Bing Crosby signs up
One of La-Z-Boy’s first celebrity endorsers, complete with a promotional Christmas album.
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Popular singer and actor Bing Crosby became one of La-Z-Boy’s first celebrity endorsers. The crooner featured in adverts for the brand with taglines including “My La-Z-Boy gives me that relaxed feelin’ after a day of golf.” In a collaboration with Decca Records, a special promotional Bing Crosby album called Songs of Christmas was released. The collectable 12-inch records showed Bing Crosby relaxing in a La-Z-Boy chair on the back cover and they were both sold and given away to customers through authorised La-Z-Boy dealers.
Beyond the single recliner
La-Z-Boy starts expanding its range beyond single recliners, introducing its first multi-seat products, including reclining sofas and the smaller-scale sofettes.
Jim Backus becomes spokesman
Actor Jim Backus, known for being the voice of Mr Magoo, became a spokesman for La-Z-Boy. During the 1970s, he recorded more than 15,000 TV and radio adverts for the brand.
Chairs a day from the new factory within a month of opening in 1941
The price of adding the Tranquillator massage feature in 1952
Annual sales within ten years of the 1965 comfort selector, up from $1.1 million
1971 – 1990
Shares and showrooms
The brand goes public and expands with showrooms across the United States and the introduction of sofas and stationary products.
Joe Namath joins the team
Legendary American football quarterback Joe Namath starts starring in both print and TV adverts for La-Z-Boy, something which continued for much of the 1970s.
La-Z-Boy goes public
La-Z-Boy started selling shares of the company to the public for the first time. In the first year, 600 people bought more than 320,000 shares, which were sold over the counter.
A new president
Charles T Knabusch succeeded his father, Edward M Knabusch, as president of the company. However, both founders stay closely involved with La-Z-Boy.
Showcase Shoppes and wall-huggers
Dedicated La-Z-Boy retailers arrive, along with space-saving recliners.
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La-Z-Boy Showcase Shoppes – dedicated retailers which exclusively sold La-Z-Boy products were introduced in the United States. One of the first to open was in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Arthur Mauldin and his son, Jeff, had rented a 7,000 sq ft space from a Baptist church.
The year 1975 also saw the introduction of space-saving recliners which move forward when they recline, often known as wall-huggers.
The first sleeper sofa
La-Z-Boy introduces its first sleeper sofa, which included a removable back and a foldout bed.
La-Z-Boy Canada
The first directly-owned international subsidiary, with licensees already across the globe.
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Although La-Z-Boy was already licensing its products internationally, its first directly-owned international subsidiary was created in 1979. La-Z-Boy bought Deluxe Upholstering Ltd to create La-Z-Boy Canada Ltd, operating a plant in Waterloo, Ontario.
By the end of the 1970s, La-Z-Boy was operating nine manufacturing plants in the United States with two in Michigan and others in Mississippi, Missouri, California, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina and Utah. There were also established licensing agreements with factories in Germany, the UK, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and New Zealand, making La-Z-Boy a truly global brand.
Meet Jake
As people became more aware and interested in ergonomics, La-Z-Boy opened a testing facility at its factory. Jake, a life-size carved maple figure, was used to test the chairs and sofas for support and durability.
“And you thought we just made a great recliner”
The first line of stationary sofas, armchairs and occasional chairs.
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Up until 1983, La-Z-Boy had focused solely on recliners and motion furniture. However, in 1983 the brand released its first line of stationary sofas, armchairs and occasional chairs. This shift towards producing a broader range of furniture was reflected with the advertising slogan, “And you thought we just made a great recliner”.
Charles becomes chairman
Edward M Knabusch resigned as chairman and is succeeded by his son Charles.
Burris Industries acquired
La-Z-Boy bought Burris Industries, a North Carolina-based manufacturer of high-end motion chairs, as part of an ambitious expansion strategy.
RoseJohnson acquired
Continuing with its expansion, La-Z-Boy acquired RoseJohnson Incorporated, an office and wooden furniture manufacturer in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Hammary Furniture acquired
La-Z-Boy acquired Hammary Furniture, a manufacturer of accent and occasional furniture based in Hudson, North Carolina.
Listed on the New York Stock Exchange
La-Z-Boy Chair Company is first listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Kincaid Furniture acquired
La-Z-Boy acquired Kincaid Furniture, a manufacturer of solid wood furniture based in Hudson, North Carolina.
Edward M Knabusch dies
La-Z-Boy co-founder Edward M Knabusch died at the age of 88.
The first Furniture Gallery
The first La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery opened in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the start of a new retail concept as these superstores were able to display a much larger selection of the brand’s furniture than independent retailers or the La-Z-Boy Showcase Shoppes.
Fortune 500
La-Z-Boy entered the Fortune 500 list for the first time at number 496.
Shares bought by 600 people in the first year of public trading, 1972
TV and radio adverts recorded by spokesman Jim Backus in the 1970s
La-Z-Boy’s position on its Fortune 500 debut in 1990
1991 – 2010
Going global
A run of acquisitions and joint ventures sees the brand expand into Europe and Asia.
63 Galleries and the Screen Test
Interactive video catalogues in store, and a smaller recliner for the Asian market.
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By 1993, 63 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries were operating across the United States. The brand also implemented an interactive video catalogue system in stores, known as the La-Z-Boy Screen Test, which allows customers to review the different styles, colour options and fabrics available. As part of the brand’s global expansion plans, a smaller-scale recliner was launched aimed at the Asian market.
England/Corsair and La-Z-Boy HELLAS
A Tennessee acquisition, a new high on the Fortune 500 and an official Greek partner.
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La-Z-Boy acquired England/Corsair, now known as England Furniture, a custom upholstery manufacturer in New Tazewell, Tennessee. Sales growth led to La-Z-Boy reaching its highest ranking yet on the Fortune 500 at 460.
La-Z-Boy HELLAS is established in Greece as the official Greek retail partner and distributor.
La-Z-Boy Incorporated
After a shareholder vote in July 1996, the company officially changed its name from the La-Z-Boy Chair Company to La-Z-Boy Incorporated, which remains the name today.
Charles T Knabusch dies
The sudden loss of the CEO at 57 sends shockwaves through the US furniture industry.
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Charles T Knabusch, the company’s CEO, president and chairman and son of co-founder Edward M Knabusch, died suddenly of a heart attack at a North Carolina trade show. His unexpected death at the age of 57 sent shockwaves through the entire US furniture industry. Patrick Norton, who had been La-Z-Boy’s senior vice president of sales and marketing since 1981, took over as chairman, while Gerald Kiser became president.
Edwin J Shoemaker dies
The ‘Father of Motion Furniture’ passes away at 90 with more than 30 patents to his name.
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La-Z-Boy co-founder Edwin J Shoemaker died at the age of 90 in Sun City, Arizona. He had remained active in the company up until his death and had more than 30 patents in his name, five of which related to recliners. The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame dubbed him the ‘Father of Motion Furniture’.
La-Z-Boy Thailand
La-Z-Boy Thailand Ltd is established as a joint venture between Thailand, New Zealand and La-Z-Boy Incorporated.
LADD Furniture acquired
La-Z-Boy acquired LADD furniture, one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the United States based in High Point, North Carolina. The deal raised annual sales to around $2 billion and made La-Z-Boy the largest US furniture manufacturer at the time.
La-Z-Boy Europe
La-Z-Boy Europe BV was created, which was a joint venture between La-Z-Boy and the Steinhoff Group in Germany. This move allowed La-Z-Boy to expand more into Europe, using Steinhoff’s factories and distribution network.
75 years
La-Z-Boy celebrated its 75th anniversary with executives ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. At this point, La-Z-Boy had 51 manufacturing facilities across the US, Canada, Europe and Asia with almost 19,000 employees.
Kurt Darrow becomes CEO
Gerald Kiser retired as president and CEO and was replaced by Kurt Darrow who became CEO.
La-Z-Boy Asia
La-Z-Boy Asia Co., Ltd was established to manage both the sales and marketing of La-Z-Boy products in the Asia-Pacific region.
Furnico takes the UK licence
Furnico, a UK furniture manufacturing company, acquired the license to manufacture and distribute La-Z-Boy branded products in the UK and Ireland.
Brooke Shields and ‘Live Life Comfortably’
Actress Brooke Shields became La-Z-Boy’s celebrity spokesperson and launched the ‘Live Life Comfortably’ marketing campaign.
Furniture Galleries operating across the United States by 1993
Patents held by co-founder Edwin J Shoemaker, five of them for recliners
Employees across 51 facilities at the 75th anniversary in 2002
2011 – 2026
La-Z-Boy today
Power recliners, a new world headquarters, Long Live the Lazy and the first brand refresh in 20 years.
PowerRecline XR
La-Z-Boy introduced the PowerRecline XR line with power recliners which can be controlled by the touch of a button, allowing both the backrest and legrest to be moved independently.
A new global headquarters
La-Z-Boy opened its new global headquarters in Monroe, Michigan. The $60 million three-storey building takes up a 40-acre site.
Nine Galleries acquired
La-Z-Boy bought nine independent La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York from retiring dealers Frank and Alyssa Hager.
La-Z-Boy UK
La-Z-Boy took back the UK and Ireland licence from Furnico. La-Z-Boy UK starts operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of its parent company La-Z-Boy Inc.
Joybird acquired
An e-commerce retailer and manufacturer to reach Millennial and Gen X customers.
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La-Z-Boy announced acquisition of Joybird, an e-commerce retailer and manufacturer of upholstered furniture. Kurt Darrow, the then chairman, president and CEO of La-Z-Boy, said the deal would help the brand better reach Millennial and Gen X customers and improve La-Z-Boy’s online presence.
Melinda Whittington becomes CEO
The first woman to lead La-Z-Boy, succeeding Kurt Darrow.
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Kurt Darrow retired as chairman, president and CEO of La-Z-Boy Inc and was succeeded by Melinda Whittington, the company’s CFO. Melinda was the first woman to take charge of La-Z-Boy and holds the role of president and CEO. She became the board chair in December 2024.
Long Live the Lazy
La-Z-Boy launched a major new marketing campaign called Long Live the Lazy, aiming to reclaim the word lazy and celebrate the importance of taking time out and relaxing.
A brand refresh and 220 stores
A retro-inspired logo and the largest ever acquisition of independent dealers.
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La-Z-Boy unveiled its first major brand refresh in 20 years with a new retro-inspired logo. In the same month, La-Z-Boy Inc carried out its largest ever acquisition of independent dealers, buying 15 Furniture Galleries in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, which brought the number of company-owned stores in the US to 220.
America’s Most Iconic Companies
TIME magazine names La-Z-Boy Inc in its list of America’s Most Iconic Companies.
Our team
Local. Global. Familiar.
Meet the La‑Z‑Boy International team, responsible for supporting the organisation across more than 50 countries worldwide.