Costco Connection

The Flexsteel Estate 9-Piece Dining Set (above left: Item 1782943) is available in Costco warehouses and at Costco.ca.

The Flexsteel Carpenter Coffee Table (above right: Item 1695626) and other items are available at Costco.ca.

For the forests

Through its Plant a Tree campaign, Flexsteel supports forest restoration and preservation. The campaign also demonstrates Flexsteel’s commitment to its employees. Many of the 16,000 trees planted last fiscal year were in

honour of its employees’ birthdays and milestone anniversaries, creating a more personal element within the company’s efforts.

—MR

Flexsteel builds on a history of innovation

and adaptability

Costco furniture supplier Flexsteel Industries traces its history to 1893, when the Rolph & Ball Furniture Company opened its doors in Minneapolis. In 1901, four tradesmen bought the business, renaming it Grau & Curtis Co. By the following year, the company was offering handmade furniture for homes, hotels, lounges and churches. The unifying factor was a focus on seating.

Now, more than a century later, the company makes furniture for every room in the house. Its goal: to create furniture for consumers who want furnishings that look great and fit today’s active lifestyles.

“We start with the consumer in mind and compete across all categories on our core value proposition,” says Andrew Surdyka, vice president, strategic accounts, Flexsteel. “A customer buying Flexsteel can expect superior comfort, quality, durability and great design.”

Flexsteel has also transitioned to packaging that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. The shipping cartons rely on recyclable honeycomb cardboard instead of polystyrene to cushion the contents.

which is still used in its sofas and recliners. Originally designed for European railroad car seats, it offers a unique combination of comfort and durability. (While Flexsteel itself has never made railroad car seats, it did make RV seating during the 1970s and ’80s.)

In 1970, Flexsteel entered the exposed-wood furniture market with the acquisition of National Furniture Manufacturing Co.

Built-in quality

A good example of the company’s commitment to quality craftsmanship is its Estate 9-Piece Dining Set. Like all Flexsteel products, it started with expert in-house designers who determined every- thing from the style of the table legs to the softness of the performance fabric

on the chairs.

But some of the dining set’s other features aren’t readily apparent.

Underneath the veneer is kiln-dried rubber wood—lumber from rubber trees that can no longer produce latex.

“We use higher-grade wooden veneers with a finish that requires multiple steps,” Surdyka says. “That produces a beautiful wood grain with a robust top coat and provides protection, but is still very beautiful to look at.”

Costco member Mark Ray is a freelance writer based in Louisville, Kentucky.

Based in Dubuque, Iowa, Flexsteel builds its products in Juarez, Mexico, and in Asia. Earlier this year, it was named to the Newsweek Most Trustworthy Companies list. It strives to give back to each community in which it operates. For example, every employee gets three days of paid time off annually for volunteer work. “Engaging employees in the community reinforces strong local ties,” says Andrew Surdyka, vice president, strategic accounts, Flexsteel.

—MR

Staying relevant

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