KBB

KBB

News: 

Establishing a Legacy

Employees in the Grand Rapids, Mich., Keeler Brass workshop, which later became Belwith-Keeler

November 5, 2018

Making it through economic ups and downs, changing consumer preferences and evolving technology do not make for an easy playing field. For companies with years of experience backing their name, the story of success often reveals the innovation and perseverance behind who they are today.

In this series continuation, KBB highlights three manufacturers with interesting histories and character built on decades of growth.

Belwith-Keeler
Core Identity: Celebrating its 125th year, Belwith-Keeler is a trend-leading hardware designer inspired by the latest fashions, which are reimagined by the company’s artisans. The company is in its 125th year

Beginnings: Opened by George Keeler and his two brothers, Belwith-Keeler began in 1893 as the Keeler Brass Co. in a small factory creating hand-casted decorative and practical brass hardware. Shortly after, Grand Rapids, Mich., was named Furniture City, and the automotive industry had just begun in Detroit. The proximity of these industries provided Keeler Brass Co. in Grand Rapids with the ideal location to manufacture its product.

Osborne Wood Products
Core Identity: Osborne Wood Products supplies the cabinet and furniture trade internationally with high-quality decorative wood components.

Beginnings: Leon Osborne first began his industry pathway doing welding. However, he soon realized that while he was mechanically inclined and had a true passion for building with his hands, metalworking was not exactly what he wanted to do. He started attending a woodworking class at a local college and soon graduated with his woodworking degree. In 1979, he and his wife Janice began Osborne Wood Products in the garage of a house they were renting and manufactured and sold wooden furniture to local stores.

NanaWall Systems
Core Identity: NanaWall offers a complete system of movable wall solutions to empower customers to transcend conventional limits with innovative capabilities.

Beginnings: Perceiving an unmet need for flexible solutions to large architectural openings, the founders of NanaWall Systems delivered their first wood-framed, opening glass wall in 1986. Three years later, the company was incorporated with the mission of finding, creating and delivering flexible design solutions.

                       NanaWall Systems employees at the factory in Richmond, Calif.

KBB: How has your company adjusted to challenges over the years?
“While the Great Depression and two world wars put many companies out of business, Keeler flourished. During World War I and II, Keeler Brass Co. shut down production of its hardware and brass trim and opened its production lines and doors to support the wartime efforts. The family-owned business and its employees produced a variety of parts from machine gun clips to tank treads. Keeler Brass Co.’s vision and proactive problem solving did not allow failure to be an option.”

Knikki Grantham, trend manager, Belwith-Keeler

“Our company grew quickly and soon developed a niche selling diverse wooden furniture components throughout the U.S. and internationally. Osborne’s growth was temporarily halted after a fire consumed 95 percent of the facility in 1994, but local businesses and people came together to help the associates rebuild. In less than a year, business was back to normal and growing once again.”

Leon Osborne, CEO, Osborne Wood Products

“Although we offered fewer systems in the beginning (starting with one product family line to four now), we always continued to pioneer the category by combining precision engineering and outstanding design options to advance design possibilities for almost any space.”

Matt Thomas, marketing director, NanaWall Systems

KBB: How has the brand stayed the same since its beginnings?
“Belwith’s trend experts research and analyze the fashion and home decor industry to bring the latest look to their product development process and conceptually bring designs to life. Out of hundreds of ideas, only a few move forward into 3D-printed models, where they are refined in development. We create every piece of our hardware with an expert fit and finish – a dedication we have shared for 125 years. Our in-house design team remains our creative engine, with the trends inspiring them to conceptualize and sketch their ideas.”

Grantham, Belwith-Keeler

“While the company has made many progressive changes over the years, such as its e-commerce website in 1998; acquiring Bendix Architectural Products in 2015; and [adopting] continuous methods, system and building upgrades, the core of the company has never changed. Osborne Wood Products was founded on the values of excellent service, integrity and high quality. It is a familyoperated company; it treats not only all of its employees as family, but its vendors and customers too.”

Osborne, Osborne Wood Products

“We have moved from focusing solely on the residential market to becoming a significant player in the commercial market and have remained true to our core values of innovation and superior quality. Also, our founding family and upper management has largely remained with the company since the beginning.”

Thomas, NanaWall Systems

                 An employee prepares a tabletop for shipping at Osborne’s factory in Toccoa, Ga.

KBB: Why is your company’s history important to its identity today?
“Belwith-Keeler’s roots are directly tied to the Industrial Revolution, starting operation a year after the establishment of brands like Coca-Cola and General Electric and during a time of immense change in America. Yet the company has lasted more than 100 years because of its continued dedication to its customers, never straying away from that focus and keeping the future of the company securely tied to its past. Our past gives us the feeling that this is something bigger than all of us.”

Grantham, Belwith-Keeler

“Osborne Wood Products celebrates its past while it looks toward the future and the progress that will be made. While the business is committed to technological, manufacturing and service improvements, Osborne looks forward to always continuing the culture of caring it is known for.”

Osborne, Osborne Wood Products

“NanaWall was founded on precision engineering and outstanding design, and for more than 30 years we have focused on achieving unparalleled excellence with every glass wall system we produce. We always strive to grow and continue to innovate, and our commitment to unparalleled engineering of our products is at the heart of what we do. That will never change.”

Thomas, NanaWall Systems