American Seating Fact Sheet - VP Joe Biden Visit
Fact Sheet
• Through the years, American Seating’s mission has been to make seats and other furniture for everyday people, for just about every public setting imaginable.
• The company has been doing that since 1886, right here in the same location, with a Grand Rapids, Michigan, Made in America workforce!
• 100 percent of American Seating products are manufactured in the U.S.A.
• Our products are made by members of UAW Local 135.
American Seating has a 125-year history in markets where our products have made a significant impact on the everyday lives of people through the years, products such as:
• Transportation – seating
• Portable seating
• Educational and office venues – desks, seating
• Sports stadiums and ball parks – seating
• Theatre seating
We’re in just about every public setting imaginable:
• Buses
• Trains
• Schools
• Colleges
• Offices
• Courtrooms
• Convention centers
• Ballparks
• Stadiums
• Arenas
• Theaters
• Churches
An exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum chronicling the company’s history opened in June 2011 – a booklet of our history is available at americanseating.com – see http://www.americanseating.com/videos/Seating_America.pdf
FACTS:
• American Seating employs a Grand Rapids-based workforce of almost 500.
• American Seating purchases 75 percent of its raw materials from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana – 95 percent of its products are made from domestic content.
• Transportation products are manufactured and assembled in the Transportation Plant on the American Seating Park campus on Grand Rapids’ northwest side.
• The company also makes seating and other products for architecture and office markets at additional facilities also on the American Seating Park campus.
• American Seating has made products on Grand Rapids’ Northwest side since 1886 – 2011 was the company’s 125th anniversary year.
• Almost all raw materials used by American Seating are from the U.S.
• 100 percent of American Seating products are manufactured in the U.S.
• More than 75 percent of the nation’s city-service bus seats are made by American Seating.
• Major cities with American Seating bus seats include Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Miami, St. Louis, San Francisco and, of course, The Rapid in Grand Rapids.
• Major cities using American Seating seats in rail systems include Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon (and the Olympic SkyTrain in Vancouver).
• American Seating’s InSight® seat is the best-selling transit seat in the world.
Here’s a taste of how we’ve touched America for the past 125 years – from bus seats and beyond:
• Public transit
o If you’re riding a bus in CHICAGO or at DISNEYWORLD or in GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, USA, (or maybe took the SKYTRAIN in Vancouver, Canada, at the 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS), then you’re sitting on seats made by American Seating.
• Pro sports stadiums
o If you’re eating a hot dog watching the BOSTON RED SOX AT FENWAY PARK or the CHICAGO CUBS AT WRIGLEY FIELD, then you’re sitting on seats made by American Seating.
o If you’ve scored tickets to the NEW YORK JETS or GIANTS at MEADOWLANDS, then you’re sitting on seats made by American Seating.
• Performance venues
o If you’re enjoying a performance at the KENNEDY CENTER IN WASHINGTON, DC, or at RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL IN MANHATTAN or at the sparkling brand-new ARMSTRONG AUDITORIUM IN EDMOND, OKLAHOMA, then you’re sitting on seats made by American Seating.
• Places of worship
o If you’re worshipping at the CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL in Orange County, California, or in any number of churches across America, then you’re sitting on seats made by American Seating.
• Schools
o If you’re watching a football game at THE BIG HOUSE (UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN) or at its rival’s house, OHIO STADIUM (OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY), then you’re sitting on seats made by American Seating.
o If you’re taking classes at universities from OLE MISS to MICHIGAN STATE, from LOYOLA to BIOLA (or at any number of colleges from coast to coast), then you’re sitting on seats and at desks made by American Seating.
o If you were a student 125 years ago or maybe not so long ago, THEN YOU PROBABLY SAT IN AMERICA’S VERY FIRST STUDENT SEAT-DESK COMBINATION, made by American Seating.
Two examples of transportation products made by American Seating are InSight® and Vision® – these award-winning solutions have been installed in mass-transit vehicles in major cities across the United States and Canada.
InSight® – North America’s No. 1-selling transit seat
InSight® is the No. 1-selling transit seat in the industry. InSight® received the prestigious iF® (International Forum) and Red Dot design awards. InSight® also features the largest personal sitting area on the market. In addition to new style, fabric and and color options, American Seating has added the option for upholstered back panels. Combined, these elements help to support the American Public Transportation Association (APTA)’s goal of improving the image of public transportation and boosting ridership. Additional resources: InSight® product brochure
Vision® – the next generation in stainless seating
Vision® builds on the InSight® value platform with enhanced, vandal-resistant features. Vision® received the Good Design® award in the Transportation category, one of the oldest and most recognized programs for design excellence worldwide. Additional resources: Vision® product brochure
FACTS FROM THE RIGHT PLACE:
• There are more than 2,300 manufacturers in the West Michigan region with nearly 131,000 employees.
• Careers in manufacturing represent 15% of all jobs, ranking our region #1 amongst the largest metropolitan areas in manufacturing employment percentage share.
• Manufacturing contributes nearly $76.3 billion to the Michigan Gross State Product, far outranking other economic sectors, including real estate ($42.9 billion), professional and technical services ($29 billion), health care ($26.3 billion) and finance and insurance ($22 billion).
• West Michigan manufacturers have led the U.S. in sustainable manufacturing practices. The region was the first to implement the EPA’s Green Supplier Network and the first to implement the EPA’s new E3 (Economy, Energy, Environment) Program.
• West Michigan National Rankings by Industry Sector:
• 6th in Automotive Manufacturing
• 8th in Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
• 9th in Metal Manufacturing
• 12th in Plastics Manufacturing
• Manufacturing jobs create one of the highest spin-off job ratios in the world. It is estimated that six supporting jobs are created for every one direct manufacturing job.