Company Spotlight: Work Furniture

Work Furniture in a RowLeggett & Platt is North America’s leading independent manufacturer of office furniture parts. If your office chair tilts or swivels, there’s a good chance that mechanism came from L&P. But how did Leggett & Platt grow to become a giant in the office furniture industry? It began in 1984, with the acquisition of Gordon Manufacturing.

Big Opportunities

Gordon Manufacturing, out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, manufactures chair controls and steel bases for office furniture. When L&P acquired the company, it did so in an effort to broaden its sofa mechanism business. But the acquisition proved a success in its own right, and David Haffner, current CEO of Leggett & Platt, was tasked with expanding the office furniture business. He soon became president of the newly formed Office Components Business Unit (OCBU). Continue reading

Employee Spotlight on Sonia Smith: Fanning the Flame of Continuous Improvement

At Leggett & Platt, we care about finding a better way to do things. The whole company puts a priority on quality and continuous improvement, but some businesses, like our Automotive Group, have to meet extra high standards. “Customers expect their products to be free of defects,” explained Mitch Dolloff, Automotive Group VP. This requires rigorous improvement to designs, processes, and materials.

Perhaps no one embodies quality and continuous improvement in Automotive more than Sonia Smith. Armed with technical expertise, industry insight, and an incandescent personality, she’s the “go-to person for manufacturing and business process improvement,” according to Mitch. Based in South Wales, Sonia has been the Director of Quality and Program Management for our European automotive operations since 2006.

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My Experience as an IT intern at Leggett & Platt

Tommy LyI found my ideal IT internship at Leggett & Platt during my final summer of college in 2013. I knew I wanted to stay in Southwest Missouri to start my IT career, so I got input from friends, classmates, my career counselor, and of course, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. Ultimately, I chose Leggett because of its good reputation and its promising (even mysterious-sounding) internship program name, Doors.

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Employee Spotlight: How an Engineering Intern Kept On Keeping On (And How it Has Paid Off)

If there’s one quality David Redick embodies, it’s commitment. While working in an auto body shop, his commitment to providing for his family led him back to college at 30 years old. His commitment to learning led him to pursue an engineering degree and an internship at Leggett & Platt. And his commitment to excellence during his internship led to employment as a Junior Engineer on our Bedding Product Development team.

DSC_9381Currently, he’s only two semesters away from graduation and a role as a full-time Product Engineer. Even with a busy school and work schedule, he managed to make time for an interview.

1. How did you get your start with Leggett?

I began as a Drafting Intern for the IDEA Center in 2012. As a student at Pittsburg State University, I heard about an internship opportunity with Leggett. After talking with my advisor about it, I interviewed and got the job! I was very excited to be part of the initial group of DOORS interns that year. Continue reading