Seating is back.
Marred by three years of building moratoriums, an industry downturn and increased competition, a Manchester seating company feels comfortable again in its position in the industry.
In 2011, the Robert H. Lord Co. — founded 44 years ago — got its groove again, completing several seating projects in Connecticut and the rest of New England. The company specializing in school seating and office furniture is pacing for $14 million in sales this year, up 30 percent from last year.
“This region is coming out of it faster than the rest of the country,” said John Lord, president and CEO of Robert H. Lord.
As offshoot of the building industry relying on new school construction and renovation projects, the Manchester company was hit hard by the recession.
From 2008 to 2010, Robert H. Lord shed revenues and jobs. Sales last year were down 35 percent from 2007 and the company’s workforce decreased 39 percent to 22 employees.
“We had to let a lot of good people go,” Lord said. “It was not a good time for the company.”
The top two sources of revenue for the seating company are educational facilities and bleachers; it is the No. 1 dealer for classroom furniture in New England. When construction of school facilities slowed, so did Robert Lord’s revenues.
During the recession, Massachusetts placed a moratorium on new school construction and Connecticut scaled back on its school construction as well, Lord said. While the entire construction industry slowed, Robert Lord lost more jobs to non-traditional competitors such as office furniture suppliers who were raiding new areas to raise their revenue.
Robert Lord pulled through because of work from the higher education sector, and that sector is leading the recovery in 2011, Lord said.
In May, the company finished a $161,000 project at the University of Connecticut Jorgensen Center for Performing Arts, installing high-end folding chairs for the center’s theater.
“They were just great to work with,” said Rod Rock, Jorgensen director. “It was as close to the perfect seats as we needed there.”
Robert H. Lord was helpful in finding seats that created a flexible space, were easily removed and fit the center’s storage capabilities, Rock said. The right product was important because people attending Jorgensen performances expect a certain quality chair.
The Manchester company is up for another UConn seating project, this time a $250,000 job for a lecture hall.
“They are quite good at marketing their product,” Rock said. “They are excellent at follow-up.”
Other higher education work such as a $250,000 project to install seating at the University of Maine Orono new hockey arena has helped the company stay a cut above this year, Lord said.
The office market is making a comeback in 2011, too, Lord said. In May, Robert H. Lord completed a $19,000 renovation of the Ansonia Housing Authority, including performing custom millwork to fit the company’s furniture in the space.
“Our experience with Robert Lord was very positive,” said Bill Passage from the Ansonia Housing Authority, in a released statement. “We will definitely use them again.”
Robert H. Lord is in its second generation as a family-owned company. John Lord’s father — for whom the company is named — passed the business onto his three sons, who run the company together. The third generation already has started making its mark on the company, as John Lord’s son joined the sales team with three more of his children in line behind him.
When attending conferences and talking to other seating dealers from around the country, John Lord is happy his company is back on track, as many in the industry continue their struggle against a tough economy.
“We’re finally coming out of it,” Lord said.
