American Leather
A History of Innovation
American Leather was founded in 1990 on one revolutionary idea: custom leather furniture could be made and shipped in three weeks or less. Founder/CEO Bob Duncan applied “just-in-time” manufacturing he admired from the Japanese car industry to the furniture industry. From a small four person shop, the company has grown into a thriving leader in the furniture industry.
The factory, based just outside of Dallas, Texas, still makes furniture – now in leather and fabric – in just three weeks or less, a delivery standard that’s three times faster than the industry average. From the beginning, the factory was set up to manage mass customization through the latest technology and manufacturing systems, making American Leather the most automated leather furniture manufacturer in North America, if not the world.
Green Initiatives
American Leather is a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, a non-profit organization created to promote sustainable practices in the furniture industry. Here are other key ways in which they work everyday to make their products and factory more environmentally friendly.
- Frames are made of wood harvested from sustainable forests and all scrap wood is recycled.
- All leather uses water based pigments, and American Leather offer 25 environmentally-friendly, biodegradeable leathers made through natural, chrome-free processes. Leather scrap is recycled and re-sold for the production of smaller leather goods.
- Many styles utilize foam made from BiOH polyols, a soy-based, environmentally-friendly ingredient.
- The factory conserves energy with automatic light shut-offs and they encourage employees to recycle.
- Manufactured in Dallas, Texas, a central U.S. location yields a smaller carbon footprint than imported goods.