Furniture brand Herman Miller is acquiring fellow manufacturer Knoll in a transaction that will see the two American design companies combined into one.
Herman Miller is set to acquire Knoll in a cash and stock transaction valued at $1.8 billion that has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, the brands announced on a new, combined website.
Merger to create "leader in modern design"
The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021. When completed, Herman Miller shareholders will own approximately 78 per cent of the combined company. Knoll shareholders will own approximately 22 per cent.
The merger will create the "preeminent leader in modern design," the two brands claimed in the release. Between them, Herman Miller and Knoll have 19 brands and a presence in more than 100 countries. Above: an Eames chair by Herman Miller and the Barcelona chair by Knoll. Top image: a seating collection by Herman Miller
Both companies have a number of iconic designs under their umbrellas, with Herman Miller producing the Eames lounge chair and the Aeron chair by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick. Knoll has Marcel Breuer's Wassily chair and Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich's Barcelona chair.
"This transaction brings together two pioneering icons of design with strong businesses, attractive portfolios and long histories of innovation," said Herman Miller CEO Andi Owen.

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