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I was born in a filing cabinet. I bleed HON. Ok, not really, but what does it mean to bleed HON? Here is my story and my reasoning for claiming this beginning to my existence— only fitting for my first post, right?
Think about it. HON has been through a lot of changes since its early days, but I can affirm that my blood lines run that deep…three generations to be exact. My grandmother worked for HON when it was still called Home-O-Nize and worked in what is now called Member and Community Relations department. In a time when equality was not at its peak, my grandma Mary Ann was never seen differently or looked down upon. In fact, her hard work and determination were always rewarded. The member owner culture was just as AWESOME as it is today. And the opportunities that this organization provides is commendable. During my grandmother’s stint at HON, it was the very first time that I saw a glimpse of HON. It was at the ripe old age of about 4 when we attended her retirement party with many of her friends and co-workers (some of which still have successful careers here today) in what was a huge celebration of a long career.
It didn’t stop there. Besides my grandma Mary, my mother, Ann, was also working at HON. She held several roles – including customer service, procurement, factory manager, and industrial engineer. She is currently at a sister company of HON’s. These memories are the most vivid I have of HON. It is where I first learned the industry lingo of casters, casegoods, cylinders, laminates, veneers, quality, and an array of other terminologies and what they meant. I would also accompany her among the halls here at HON (at that time decked in 70s décor) and now have a huge appreciation for the workstation that I sit at in the recently renovated HQ building.
We all do it; we are all furniture people. We walk into buildings and search the product in pursuit of the reassuring white label with that palpitation-calming serial number clearly showing HON’s name. Crisis averted! The furniture world is actually a community of individuals who, once initiated, cannot find it in their hearts to ever leave the industry and always tend to find their way back into it one way or another. Bleeding HON runs deep. Bleeding HON is not just kind of a big deal, it is THE big deal. What does bleeding HON mean to me? It’s about working for an outstanding, forward-thinking company that rewards its members for hard work and gives you the tools to assume your own destiny just as it has done for two very important individuals ahead of me. Now, my story isn’t unique as HON/HNI is Muscatine’s largest employer, but it is my story. I am proud of it. So with that, I feel it is safe for me to say that I bleed HON and was, yes, metaphorically born into the world of filing cabinets and outstanding office furniture solutions.
Until next time, how do you bleed HON?
Think about it. HON has been through a lot of changes since its early days, but I can affirm that my blood lines run that deep…three generations to be exact. My grandmother worked for HON when it was still called Home-O-Nize and worked in what is now called Member and Community Relations department. In a time when equality was not at its peak, my grandma Mary Ann was never seen differently or looked down upon. In fact, her hard work and determination were always rewarded. The member owner culture was just as AWESOME as it is today. And the opportunities that this organization provides is commendable. During my grandmother’s stint at HON, it was the very first time that I saw a glimpse of HON. It was at the ripe old age of about 4 when we attended her retirement party with many of her friends and co-workers (some of which still have successful careers here today) in what was a huge celebration of a long career.
It didn’t stop there. Besides my grandma Mary, my mother, Ann, was also working at HON. She held several roles – including customer service, procurement, factory manager, and industrial engineer. She is currently at a sister company of HON’s. These memories are the most vivid I have of HON. It is where I first learned the industry lingo of casters, casegoods, cylinders, laminates, veneers, quality, and an array of other terminologies and what they meant. I would also accompany her among the halls here at HON (at that time decked in 70s décor) and now have a huge appreciation for the workstation that I sit at in the recently renovated HQ building.
We all do it; we are all furniture people. We walk into buildings and search the product in pursuit of the reassuring white label with that palpitation-calming serial number clearly showing HON’s name. Crisis averted! The furniture world is actually a community of individuals who, once initiated, cannot find it in their hearts to ever leave the industry and always tend to find their way back into it one way or another. Bleeding HON runs deep. Bleeding HON is not just kind of a big deal, it is THE big deal. What does bleeding HON mean to me? It’s about working for an outstanding, forward-thinking company that rewards its members for hard work and gives you the tools to assume your own destiny just as it has done for two very important individuals ahead of me. Now, my story isn’t unique as HON/HNI is Muscatine’s largest employer, but it is my story. I am proud of it. So with that, I feel it is safe for me to say that I bleed HON and was, yes, metaphorically born into the world of filing cabinets and outstanding office furniture solutions.
Until next time, how do you bleed HON?