Excerpt from Jackson Catnapper Official Website:
Born in 1903, Mr. W. Ray Jackson left very humble beginnings in Cleveland, TN at age 16 to set out on his own. After working for several years in an auto assembly plant in Ohio, he returned back South to Tennessee to try the chair upholstery business. After quickly learning the upholstery craft, he took the $30 in his pocket – ALL he had left after the banks closed during the Great Depression – and started Jackson Furniture Company. The business grew and grew with expanded factories and more people hired and put to work. His $30 gamble paid off as by the 1970s he had over 1.3 million square feet of furniture manufacturing space in TN, MS, TX, and FL – and now held one of the largest family owned furniture enterprises in the USA.
His greatest turning point was determining that assembly line production of Platform Glider Recliners was the key to a “comfortable America”. He took his knowledge from the automobile industry and applied it to Chair/Glider production. These same techniques are still used every day in our plants as the culture still thrives under 3rd generation leadership.
Mr. Jackson would often comment that much of his success came from good old-fashioned hard work, and a dedication to giving employees an opportunity to “better themselves”.
Today, Jackson Furniture Industries remains focused in the USA. We have 6 factories and over 1,500 dedicated employees and vendors committed to producing the most comfortable and longest lasting furniture that money can buy.
A lot has changed in the furniture industry since 1933. Recent developments, such as the closing of major textile plants in the U.S., have forced us to go overseas for products like fabrics and leathers that are no longer available here in mass quantities. The covers on our products may be made elsewhere, but for nearly all of our products, employees in our American factories build the frames and apply the cover. While many of our components, including our recliner mechanisms, are fabricated by our dedicated employees in this country, we also consider international suppliers and laborers for some parts – such as handles, massagers and swivel bases – in order to build long-lasting furniture at an accessible price.
At Jackson Furniture, we are investing in our plants and doing everything we can to remain a trusted, strong and competitive employer in the U.S. We are extremely proud of our roots and we look forward to providing you with American-made comfort and quality for many more years to come!