Sauder

Sauder is the furniture brand of Sauder Woodworking Co., a family business founded by Erie Sauder in 1934 in Archbold, Ohio. The company began as a woodworking operation in a barn behind Sauder’s home, making custom cabinetry and church pews. It later used fine leftover wood to produce small occasional tables. The company’s official history identifies a large order for 25,000 tables in 1940 as an important early opportunity. Sauder’s defining contribution came through furniture designed to be assembled at home. The company says a patented snap-together table in 1953 marked the beginning of the ready-to-assemble (RTA) furniture industry. Sauder describes itself as North America’s leading producer of RTA furniture and one of the five largest residential furniture manufacturers in the United States. The brand offers furniture for multiple rooms and uses, with its website featuring bedroom, living-room, and office furniture. Its collections include products such as dressers and home-office furniture, and the company has also introduced commercial office furniture. Sauder’s stated approach emphasizes combining practical function with adaptable styles for everyday living. It sells to U.S. customers through its website, which advertises free shipping on U.S. orders, and participates in the furniture trade through High Point Market presentations. Sauder remains a family-associated business based in Archbold, Ohio, at the site identified in its company history as its long-standing factory location. The official press room names Nolan Pike as president and CEO and identifies Debbie (Sauder) David as chairman of the board, with Dan Sauder as executive vice president. The company also places emphasis on manufacturing and environmental stewardship: it says its products are made with engineered wood incorporating wood trimmings and post-milling leftovers, and that residual sawdust is used to generate electricity at its cogeneration plant. Sauder reports that branded products and packaging are made from up to 97 percent recycled material.

Erie Sauder founded Sauder Woodworking Co. in 1934 in Archbold, Ohio, starting the business in a barn behind his home. The company initially made custom cabinetry and church pews. Sauder also began making small occasional tables from fine leftover wood. In 1940, the workmanship of those tables attracted an order for 25,000 units from a traveling salesman, a scale of demand that the company’s account describes as a major challenge for the young business. The company’s most consequential product innovation followed in the early 1950s. Sauder developed a table that customers could assemble at home; the company says the design was patented in 1953. Its official account calls this snap-together table the beginning of the ready-to-assemble furniture industry. The innovation shaped the company’s later identity as a major maker of ready-to-assemble furniture. Sauder continued as a family business. The company’s historical material depicts family members working in the business in 1965 and identifies later generations in leadership and governance roles. Its press materials describe Nolan Pike as president and CEO, Debbie (Sauder) David as board chair, and Dan Sauder as executive vice president. In 2024, the company marked its 90th anniversary and highlighted its continuing innovation at the October High Point market. Product development has broadened beyond the company’s early tables. Sauder’s current consumer-facing site features bedroom, living-room, and office furniture, while its press room records introductions across varied styles and product categories. In 2021, the company announced commercial office furniture. Its trade-market presentations have included recurring seasonal product introductions at High Point. The company also presents environmental stewardship as part of its manufacturing identity. Sauder says its products are made from engineered wood incorporating high-quality trimmings and post-milling leftovers; it uses residual sawdust to generate electricity in its cogeneration plant and puts remaining wood waste to other uses. The company reports that Sauder-branded products and packaging are made from up to 97 percent recycled material. These statements describe the company’s own sustainability claims.

• 2025

  April High Point presentation

• 2024

  90th anniversary

• 2021

  Commercial office furniture introduced

• 1953

  Patented snap-together table

• 1940

  Large order for occasional tables

• 1934

  Erie Sauder starts the woodworking business

Practical, versatile, ready-to-assemble furniture for everyday home and office use, with a stated emphasis on combining form and function.

• Ready-to-assemble furniture

  The company’s core category, with a history it traces to its patented 1953 snap-together table.

• Bedroom, living-room, and office furniture

  Furniture categories presented on Sauder’s official homepage.

• Commercial office furniture

  Introduced by the company in 2021, according to its press-room listing.

• River Ranch collection

  A named collection promoted on the official homepage.

• Use engineered wood and residual materials in manufacturingOther

1. 1Bedroom, Living Room and Office Furniture — Sauder Furniture Homepagesauder.com
2. 2Press Room — Sauder Furniture Presssauder.com
3. 3About — Sauder Furnituresauder.com
4. 4Sustainability — Sauder Furnituresauder.com