ZEELAND, Mich. (WOOD) — Zeeland-based clock manufacturer Howard Miller says it intends to wind down operations after nearly 100 years in business.

“It’s sad. From the standpoint of Howard Miller, certainly, it’s iconic for the city of Zeeland,” Zeeland City Manager Tim Klunder said. “Just overall, it’s a sad day in the community.”

The company, which has about 195 employees at plants in Zeeland, Traverse City and North Carolina, plans to continue production into the fourth quarter of the year and remain open into 2026 to sell its inventory, it announced Thursday in a release.

President and CEO Howard J. Miller, who is the grandson of the company’s founder, said it had become “unsustainable” to go on.

“A convergence of market influences beyond our control brought us to this point,” he said in a statement.

He cited a struggling housing market, noting the market’s close ties to furniture sales, and tariffs.

“Our business has been directly impacted by tariffs that have increased the cost of essential components unavailable domestically and driven specialty suppliers out of business, making it unsustainable for us to continue our operations,” he said.

Howard Miller looked for a buyer but could not find one, according to the company. It “would still entertain offers from an interested buyer,” the release said.

“We are incredibly disappointed to have reached this point in our journey,” the president and CEO said. “For nearly a century, we have manufactured clocks, custom cabinets and other furniture designed to enhance the lives of our customers at home.”

Howard Miller employees will receive a severance package and job placement support, according to the release. Hekman Furniture Co., which is owned by Howard Miller, will also be closing, the company said.

“We are deeply grateful to our talented team, our committed distributors and our loyal customers who have supported us throughout the years,” Miller said.

The business was founded in 1926 by Howard C. Miller, the son of another big name in West Michigan furniture, Herman Miller.

“Until about the 1960s, they primarily made mantel clocks and wall clocks. And then in the 1960s, they shifted to become more grandfather clocks and that became a major product for them,” Zeeland Historical Society Director Katelyn VerMerris said. “(The historical society’s) No. 1 research request is to identify clocks that were made in Zeeland because we have so many heirloom clocks that were passed down all over the country

While it also makes curio cabinets and some other furnishings, clocks have been Howard Miller’s staple product. The company was the last of four major clock manufacturers that once called the city home.

“Clockmaking has a massive impact on Zeeland’s economic development, on its culture, on its industry,” VerMerris told News 8. “Clocks were one of the major exports from Zeeland for most of the 20th century.”

She explained the city was well-positioned to host Howard Miller, with plenty of timber in the area, close proximity to “Furniture City” Grand Rapids and an immigrant population with experience in making furniture. She also noted that Howard Miller’s philanthropy has supported city projects including three clocks downtown and the Howard Miller Community Center.

But, she said, the clock industry has been in decline in the city.

“I think it will be a little bit of a loss for culture,” she said of the company’s closure.

NORTON SHORES, Mich. (WOOD) — MillerKnoll is closing its Muskegon-area facility.

Most of the jobs and product lines at the facility on Estes Street south of W. Sherman Boulevard in Norton Shores will be relocated to two facilities in the Spring Lake area, a spokesperson for the furniture company told News 8 in an email Thursday.

The closure will happen in phases over the next two years, starting this summer.

“As a longstanding employer in West Michigan, MillerKnoll is committed to supporting its employees in the lakeshore community throughout this transition and will provide support and resources to all affected employees,” the spokesperson wrote.

Around 250 people work at the plant, the spokesperson said, and “the majority” of the jobs will be moved to Spring Lake. The spokesperson did not say exactly how many employees will have the option to move their job to Spring Lake.

Longtime Norton Shores resident Mike Naruskiewicz said the announcement is disappointing. He knows firsthand how much the furniture industry means to the area. He spent more than two decades working for companies like Meridian and Herman Miller.

“It’s pretty sad that they consolidate,” Naruskiewicz said. “I think they should just stay where they’re at and do the best they can.”

Naruskiewicz worries the decision to close the Norton Shores plant could have effects beyond the company itself.

“It could put a lot of guys out of work, consolidating like that, so I just don’t think it’s a good thing,” he said. “It’s too bad it puts a lot of people out of work.”

City officials say they’re paying close attention to what the closure will mean for local families and the broader economy. Norton Shores City Administrator Anthony Chandler said in a statement that the city was informed of MillerKnoll’s decision on Tuesday and is now working with local and state economic development agencies to figure out how this will effect the Greater Muskegon Area.

“The plant has been a long-standing employer and contributor to our local economy,” Chandler wrote. “We are working closely with local economic development agencies, including Greater Muskegon Economic Development and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to assess the full scope of the impact.”

The company currently has around 4,000 employees in Michigan.

MillerKnoll was formed in 2021 when companies Herman Miller and Knoll combined.