Smith Brothers Furniture Expands

June 25, 2015  by in Product, Upholstery   

The expansion will create up to 266 jobs by 2021.

The company has invested $4.5 million to build a 110,000-square-foot addition to its existing facility. The two-story addition allows the company to increase production across its upholstery categories.

“Smith Brothers has been blessed with amazing growth over the last few years because of our constant pursuit of increased quality, customer service, speed of delivery and product selection,” said Steve Lehman, president and chief executive officer of Smith Brothers. “We have a talented team of dedicated employees who never let up in those endeavors.  We continue to expand our location in Indiana because Indiana continues to provide us with high caliber individuals that possess a strong work ethic.”

Today, Smith Brothers employs more than 420 people and sells to retail stores in more than 35 states.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered the company up to $1.75 million in conditional tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation and investment plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Indiana residents are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Berne and Adams County also support the project.

“Smith Brothers of Berne carries on the longstanding tradition of fine furniture manufacturing in Berne, and we are excited to be a partner with them in their many expansion projects,” said Berne Mayor Bill McKean. “Because of the efforts of the state of Indiana and city of Berne, Smith Brothers will not only be able to retain jobs, but the company will also be able to strengthen its ability to hire and train new employees.”