Thomasville Furniture has been making furniture since the early 1900’s. Two brothers who owned a timber farm sold timber to the local chair manufacturers including Thomasville Chair Company. When the chair company could not pay the brothers they offered to give them stock instead. The brothers accepted and decided to buy out the other stock holders and this is what begun their journey as the owners of this now famous furniture manufacturer. By 1917 they had made over one million dollars and were now recognized as innovators in design as well as their fine quality of products.
They were also recognized as being the first furniture manufacturer to create dining tables with chairs and buffets in sets. During the Great Depression the company was forced to stop paying their stockholders and they also had to lower management’s salary. In 1933 they began giving their employees the opportunity to attend classes to learn newer and better ways to make furniture. When the war broke out in 1941 the government hired Thomasville Chair Company to make bunk beds, plugs for bombs, tent stakes and kitchen utensils.
Since many of their male employees were now away fighting the war the company hired it’s first women employees. By the time the 1950’s rolled in the Finch brothers had made $17 million dollars. Due to their fine crafting of furniture and the good quality this company offered, they became very well known. In the 1960’s Tom Finch changed the name to what it is known as today. Thomasville Furniture started working with hotels in the 70’s supplying them with furniture. They later went on to sell products to the United States Government for military facilities. In 1995 the company was sold to a company in St. Louis. With now over 3300 employees and 160 stores Thomasville Furniture remains one of the finest furniture manufactures in the United States.