Palliser Furniture Ltd.
TypePrivate
IndustryFurnishings
Founded1944 (1944)
HeadquartersWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
ProductsUpholstered furniture
Number of employees
2,000
SubsidiariesEQ3
Websitewww.palliser.com

Palliser Furniture is a family-owned furniture manufacturing company headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[1]

As of at least 2016, the company was the largest manufacturer of made-to-order leather furniture in North America.[2][3]

Palliser Furniture is the parent company of EQ3, a furniture manufacturer and retailer in Canada and parts of the US.[4]

History

In 1944, Abram Albert DeFehr,[5] a Russian-born immigrant to Canada, began making wooden pieces in the basement of his Winnipeg home. Within a few years, the business moved from the basement into a former chicken barn, which became Palliser Furniture's first factory.

In 2004, DeFehr Furniture, then a division of Palliser, split off into a separate company focused on casegoods.[6]

In 2016, Canadian Business named Palliser as one of "Canada’s Best Managed Companies" of the year.[2] Also that year, Palliser was listed as one of the "Top Canadian companies" by FDMC 300.[7]

In 2018, Peter Tielmann was appointed president and CEO of Palliser Furniture, the family business of his wife.[8] Art DeFehr, son of founder Abram Albert DeFehr, was then appointed chairman.

In early 2020, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Palliser closed its Winnipeg facility for two weeks and temporarily laid off 72% of its workforce, totaling around 500 factory workers and office staff.[9]

In September 2021, as result of a complaint by Palliser Furniture, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal said that the dumping and subsidizing of certain upholstered furniture originating in or exported from Vietnam and China had "caused injury to the domestic industry." As such, Canada imposed new anti-dumping and countervailing duties on furniture imports from the two countries.[10]

The new tariffs caused a spike in demand from domestic furniture companies and, in April 2022, Palliser said that it would be adding a new 12,000 m2 (3.0 acres) building to its upholstery manufacturing campus in Winnipeg. It also said that it would be increasing production capacity in Mexico.[10]

Operations

All upholstered products by Palliser are manufactured in North America.[11] Palliser Furniture's main operations take place in Canada and Mexico, as well as the United States, thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement which allows for tariff-free movement of supplies within the continent.[3]

Most of the research & development, design, and financing duties—in addition to hundreds of assembly positions—are based in Winnipeg, in Western Canada.[3]

While raw materials are gathered from a supply chain around the world, the focus is on sourcing products from Canada, Mexico, and the US. For instance, wooden feet come from either Mexico or Montreal, furniture mechanisms come from Mississippi, and fabrics often are transported in both directions from North Carolina.[3]

The cutting and sewing of custom leather furniture by Palliser begins in Saltillo and Torreón in northern Mexico. The final assembly of furniture is done in either Mexico or Canada, depending on which site can most easily ship to the order destination. If the order is destined for Mexico or the United States, components are assembled in one of Palliser's Mexican plants. If for Canada, the leather cover is transported by truck to Palliser's plant in Winnipeg, where the furniture foam is cut along with the frame that will be covered by the Mexican-sewn segments.[3]

EQ3

EQ3
Industrymodern furniture
Founded2001 (2001)
FounderPeter Tielmann
HeadquartersWinnipeg, Manitoba
Area served
Canada and US
Key people
Mark Letain, President
BrandsEQ3+
ParentPalliser Furniture Ltd.

EQ3 is a modern furniture designer, manufacturer, and retailer in Canada and parts of the US, owned by Palliser Furniture Ltd.[8][4] The company offers custom made-to-order upholstery, along with furniture and home décor. It also has a designer line called EQ3+.[12]

Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the company has 17 stores across Canada and the US as of 2023:[13]

History

The company was founded in 2001 by Peter Tielmann, who was part of his wife's family business at Palliser Furniture, later becoming Palliser's president and CEO.[8]

In May 2014, EQ3 opened a new 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m2) showroom in San Francisco's Design District, the company's second U.S. location after Emeryville, California (now permanently closed).[8] In 2019, the company announced further expansion in the US with three new retail locations: two in Chicago and a flagship in New York City, bringing EQ3 to 5 total locations in the US. The Chicago locations included one in The Shops at North Bridge mall in downtown, and one in Lincoln Park. The New York store would be located in Chelsea.[14]

In 2021, EQ3 opened a 44,000 sq ft (1.0 acre) flagship store at the Polo Park shopping mall in Winnipeg.[15][16]

References

  1. ↑ "Palliser goes platinum". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Canada’s Best Managed Companies 2016: Palliser Furniture Upholstery." Canadian Business. 2016 September 12. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Cryderman, Kelly (2017-08-11). "Built by NAFTA: How free trade saved this Canadian manufacturer". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  4. 1 2 "EQ3 Leadership | EQ3". www.eq3.com. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  5. ↑ "DeFehr Website". Art DeFehr. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
  6. ↑ Froese, Ian. 2022 May 5. "'Perfect storm' of pandemic, supply chain disruptions dooms Winnipeg's DeFehr Furniture." CBC News. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  7. ↑ Forth, Karl D. 2017 March 17. "Top Canadian companies listed in 2016 FDMC 300." Woodworking Network. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Le, Anh-Minh (2014-07-11). "At EQ3, an eye for fine and affordable furnishings". SFGATE. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  9. ↑ "'The bottom just fell out': Palliser Furniture temporarily lays off workers, closes Winnipeg facility." The Canadian Press via CBC News. 2020 March 30. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  10. 1 2 "Furniture maker Palliser expands operations, hires 700 workers amid high demand." The Canadian Press via CBC News. 2022 April 4.
  11. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions." Palliser Furniture. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  12. ↑ EQ3. "Canadian modern furniture retailer, EQ3 announces first-ever west coast warehouse sale". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "Find a Store Near You | EQ3". www.eq3.com. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  14. ↑ EQ3. "EQ3 Announces Expansion in the US Market". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-04-07.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ "The Manitoba business taking over the former Sears location at Polo Park". Winnipeg. 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  16. ↑ International, Retail & Leisure (2021-02-17). "EQ3 to Open New Winnipeg Flagship". Retail & Leisure International. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
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