La-Z-Boy

La-Z-Boy is an American furniture manufacturer and retail brand headquartered in Monroe, Michigan. Founded in 1927 by cousins Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker, the company began with a reclining porch chair designed around what the founders described as a natural way to relax. The chair used a reclining mechanism and was subsequently upholstered for year-round indoor and outdoor use. A naming contest produced the La-Z-Boy name, which became closely associated with reclining comfort. For much of its early existence, La-Z-Boy concentrated on recliners. The company broadened its product range in the late 1960s and 1970s, adding reclining sofas, sleeper sofas and modular furniture. In 1983 it introduced its first stationary sofas and occasional chairs, moving the business toward a more complete home-furnishings offering rather than a single-product specialist. Its portfolio later included upholstered sofas, sectionals, stationary chairs, lift chairs, sleeper sofas and related residential furniture. The company expanded substantially through the 1999 acquisition of LADD Furniture, a major case-goods and furniture group. The transaction brought brands and businesses including American Drew, Hammary, Kincaid, Lea, Pennsylvania House, Pilliod and other former LADD divisions into the La-Z-Boy organization. The deal increased the company's scale, but its broader case-goods strategy faced pressure from imported furniture, especially lower-cost production from China. During the 2000s and 2010s La-Z-Boy sold, closed or reorganized several former LADD businesses and increasingly refocused on upholstered furniture, its core brand, and retail distribution. La-Z-Boy operates through a combination of wholesale manufacturing and retailing. Its wholesale portfolio has included the La-Z-Boy brand and other furniture labels such as England, American Drew, Hammary and Kincaid, together with international manufacturing and licensing activities. Its retail operation includes La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores, some company-owned and others operated by independent dealers or franchisees. The company also owns Joybird, an e-commerce retailer and manufacturer focused on upholstered furniture. La-Z-Boy products are sold primarily through residential furniture outlets in the United States and Canada, while licensed manufacturers and distributors serve additional international markets. The brand has held United States and international patents covering more than 200 styles and mechanisms. Its market identity remains strongly tied to reclining furniture, but its commercial positioning extends to coordinated living-room furniture and a wider home-comfort proposition. The company is active and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker LZB.

La-Z-Boy traces its origins to 1927, when Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker partnered in Monroe, Michigan, to develop furniture intended to support relaxed sitting. They experimented with a wood-slat porch chair and created a reclining mechanism using simple mock-ups, including orange crates during the design process. After upholstering the chair so that it could be used as a year-round piece of furniture, they marketed it as a new kind of reclining chair. A public naming contest selected La-Z-Boy, a name that eventually became synonymous with upholstered recliners. The company spent its early decades primarily as a recliner manufacturer. Its expertise in mechanisms and upholstered seating helped establish a recognizable product identity, and the brand later obtained patents covering a large number of chair styles and reclining mechanisms. In 1969, La-Z-Boy began expanding beyond individual recliners by introducing reclining sofas, sleeper sofas and modular furniture. This development marked the beginning of a broader home-furnishings strategy. In 1983, it introduced its first stationary sofas and occasional chairs, allowing the company to compete across more areas of the living room rather than relying exclusively on motion furniture. The company also developed a large-scale corporate and brand portfolio. In 1981, a separate furniture group acquired several businesses that later formed LADD Furniture, and LADD became a public company in 1982. Over the following decade it acquired additional furniture operations and built a portfolio that included brands such as American Drew, Hammary, Kincaid, Lea, Pennsylvania House, Pilliod and American of Martinsville. La-Z-Boy acquired LADD in 1999 in a transaction involving stock and assumed debt. Completed in early 2000, the combination made La-Z-Boy one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the United States and gave it a substantial presence in case goods as well as upholstered furniture. The acquisition presented strategic difficulties. Competition from imported furniture, particularly products manufactured in China, weakened the economics of many domestic furniture businesses. La-Z-Boy's attempt to use LADD to strengthen its case-goods position did not produce the expected long-term benefits. The company subsequently sold or closed a number of the acquired operations. Pilliod was sold in 2001, Barclay was closed, American of Martinsville was sold in 2006, Sam Moore was sold in 2007, and Pennsylvania House and Clayton Marcus were sold later in 2007. By the middle of the 2010s, Lea had also been closed after a sale process did not find a buyer. These actions reduced the breadth of the former LADD portfolio and returned the company's strategic emphasis toward upholstery, recliners and the core La-Z-Boy brand. During the same period, La-Z-Boy sought to change consumer perceptions that it was only a recliner company. It reduced its warehouse footprint, developed a newer format for its branded stores and planned additional La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries locations. The company combined manufacturing and wholesale operations with a retail network serving residential customers. Approximately 165 of the roughly 350 La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores have been described as company-owned, with the remainder operated through other retail arrangements. Joybird added an e-commerce and digitally oriented upholstered-furniture business to the group. La-Z-Boy products are sold directly and through residential furniture retailers in the United States and Canada. In other markets, the brand has operated through licensees, manufacturers and distributors. Licensed production and distribution have covered countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Turkey, South Africa, Kuwait and Qatar. The company remains active, with its identity built around comfort-oriented furniture, reclining technology and a broad assortment of upholstered home furnishings.

1. 2014Lea business closed

   La-Z-Boy closed Lea after an unsuccessful attempt to sell the operation.

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2. 2007Major portfolio divestitures

   The company sold Sam Moore, Pennsylvania House and Clayton Marcus as it reduced its exposure to former LADD businesses.

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3. 2001LADD identity discontinued

   La-Z-Boy reorganized the acquired businesses and announced that the LADD name would cease to be used.

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4. 2000LADD transaction completed

   The acquisition took effect after approval, creating a substantially larger furniture group.

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5. 1999LADD Furniture acquisition announced

   La-Z-Boy agreed to acquire LADD Furniture, adding multiple furniture brands and case-goods operations.

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6. 1983First stationary sofas introduced

   La-Z-Boy introduced stationary sofas and occasional chairs, broadening its home-furnishings range.

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7. 1969Expansion beyond recliners begins

   The company began developing reclining sofas, sleeper sofas and modular furniture.

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8. 1927Company founded in Monroe, Michigan

   Edward M. Knabusch and Edwin J. Shoemaker began developing a reclining chair and established the business that became La-Z-Boy.

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A comfort-led, mid-to-upper-market home-furnishings brand emphasizing reclining functionality, upholstered seating, durability and accessible residential design.

• ReclinersMotion furniture1927

  Recliners are La-Z-Boy's foundational product category and the source of its strongest brand association. The range includes upholstered chairs built around reclining mechanisms, with variations in size, styling, upholstery and motion features. The company has developed and patented numerous reclining styles and mechanisms, positioning the category around supported sitting, relaxation and everyday residential comfort.

• Reclining sofasMotion furniture1969

  Reclining sofas extend La-Z-Boy's motion-furniture expertise from individual chairs to multi-person seating. They combine upholstered sofa formats with reclining seats and are offered in coordinated living-room collections. This category helped the company broaden its proposition beyond the traditional single recliner while retaining its emphasis on relaxation and functional comfort.

• Stationary sofas and sectionalsUpholstered furniture1983

  Stationary sofas and sectionals provide non-reclining living-room seating in coordinated configurations. La-Z-Boy introduced stationary sofas and occasional chairs in the early 1980s and subsequently expanded into a broader range of residential upholstered furniture. These products support the brand's effort to be viewed as a complete home-furnishings provider rather than only a recliner specialist.

• Lift chairsSpecialty motion furniture

  Lift chairs are powered motion chairs designed to assist users in moving between seated and standing positions. They sit within La-Z-Boy's wider motion-furniture portfolio and apply the brand's upholstery and reclining expertise to a product with additional accessibility and mobility functionality.

• Sleeper sofasConvertible furniture1969

  Sleeper sofas combine an upholstered sofa with a sleeping function for guest rooms and multipurpose living spaces. La-Z-Boy added sleep sofas during its expansion into broader home furnishings, giving the company a way to serve customers seeking both everyday seating and occasional accommodation in one product.

• Joybird upholstered furnitureE-commerce furniture

  Joybird is an e-commerce retailer and manufacturer within the La-Z-Boy group. Its assortment focuses on upholstered furniture and is sold through a digitally oriented retail model, complementing La-Z-Boy's branded galleries, dealer network and traditional wholesale channels.

• 2014Close Lea after an unsuccessful sale processStrategy

  La-Z-Boy attempted to find a buyer for the Lea furniture business but did not complete a sale.

  What changed. The company closed Lea while continuing selected High Point operations for American Drew, Hammary and Kincaid.

  Aftermath. The decision further narrowed the legacy LADD portfolio and reinforced the company's emphasis on its core upholstery and retail businesses.

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• 2006Refresh the retail format and brand positioningStrategy

  La-Z-Boy wanted consumers to see the company as a broader home-furnishings provider rather than only a recliner manufacturer.

  What changed. The company reduced its warehouse network, developed a New Generation store format and planned additional La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries locations.

  Aftermath. The retail network became a more important part of the brand's effort to present coordinated furniture collections and a broader living-room assortment.

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• 2001Discontinue the LADD name and reorganize the portfolioStrategy

  The acquired businesses required integration after the LADD transaction.

  What changed. La-Z-Boy removed the LADD identity and organized the businesses into upholstery and case-goods groups.

  Aftermath. The company subsequently sold or closed many former LADD divisions and refocused increasingly on upholstered furniture and the core La-Z-Boy brand.

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• 1999Acquire LADD FurnitureM&A

  La-Z-Boy sought to expand beyond upholstered recliners and strengthen its position in case goods and broader home furnishings.

  What changed. The company agreed to acquire LADD Furniture in a stock transaction that included assumed debt.

  Aftermath. The combination greatly increased the company's scale, but pressure from imported furniture led to later divestitures and closures across the former LADD portfolio.

  Transaction consideration and assumed debt. (1999-2000)

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• 2024La-Z-Boy's invention appears in the film Here

  The film Here includes a fictionalized storyline depicting the invention of the La-Z-Boy chair.

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• 2014La-Z-Boy closes Lea furniture business

  After an unsuccessful effort to find a buyer, La-Z-Boy announced the closure of Lea while retaining operations for American Drew, Hammary and Kincaid at the High Point office.

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• 2007La-Z-Boy sells Sam Moore division

  The Sam Moore division was sold to Hooker Furniture as La-Z-Boy continued to rationalize businesses acquired through LADD.

  M&A
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• 2007La-Z-Boy sells Pennsylvania House and Clayton Marcus

  La-Z-Boy announced the sale of Pennsylvania House to Universal Furniture and later announced the sale of Clayton Marcus to a Sun Capital affiliate.

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• 2001LADD name scheduled for retirement within La-Z-Boy

  La-Z-Boy announced that the LADD name would be discontinued and that the acquired businesses would be reorganized into upholstery and case-goods groups.

  Other
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• 1999La-Z-Boy agrees to acquire LADD Furniture

  La-Z-Boy announced an agreement to acquire LADD Furniture in a stock transaction that also involved assuming LADD debt. The deal materially expanded La-Z-Boy's furniture portfolio and manufacturing scale.

  M&A
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1. La-Z-Boy
2. La-Z-Boy official website