NEWH - Summer 2018 - 46

COVER STORY

Furniture Forward
Responsive and sustainable, Kimball Hospitality continues to move the needle
By Alia Akkam
Photography courtesy of Kimball Hospitality

In October 1985, newly launched Kimball Hospitality received
its first order: 14 two-drawer dressers. Prior to that, Jasper,
Indiana-based Kimball International was largely known for
manufacturing grand pianos-the business traces its roots
back to circa-1857 Chicago and the launch of W.W. Kimball
Piano Company- organs, and office and residential furniture.
Just as Kimball, then called the Jasper Corporation, proactively
rode the 1950s television wave by turning out plywood TV and
hi-fi stereo cabinets, "the forward-thinking leadership team
knew that technology was ever-changing and products like
TV consoles would, at some point, become obsolete," says
Kimball Hospitality president Kathy Sigler. "To ensure that we
were ahead of the change, Kimball started looking for new
opportunities. As branded hotels began to gain prominence,
Kimball, with established furniture manufacturing capabilities,
saw an opening in the hospitality market. It was a perfect fit."
It was indeed a smart road
to travel. Through the late
1980s Kimball transcended
small, simple requests for
dressers and strengthened its
hold on the hospitality realm.
By the early '90s it was the
designated gaming supplier
for Las Vegas heavyweights
like MGM Grand, Wynn, Luxor,
and Harrah's. Marriott was
Kimball Hospitality's first major
customer, "and continues to be a
valued partner," Sigler points out.
It was soon followed by Hilton,
IHG, LaQuinta, Carlson, and
Starwood. "However, we are not
just focused on brands. Almost
50 percent of our business is
one-of-a-kind, custom projects,
such as those you see in Las

46 www.newh.org

Vegas, and that is because of this simple reason: We execute,"
she continues. "If we've learned anything over the past 33
years, it is that execution is the key to success."
Such bespoke solutions anchored in personal relationships,
says Sigler, fittingly dovetail with hospitality's shift toward
more experiential design, an era where standardization and
stocked items are rapidly becoming part of the past. "In an
age where product design meets digital," she says, "the team
is transforming objects into intelligent products." For example,
nightstands with wireless charging capabilities uphold "the
expectation that product emulates the guest lifestyle." Today,
Sigler observes a rise in mixed materials such as acrylic, vinyl,
wood, glass, and stone to create distinct looks. Seating-much
of it made out of Kimball's Martinsville, Virginia facility- is a
focus for the company right now, including a sectional sofa
with massaging units and charging capabilities that was
introduced at BDNY in
2017. Metal-framed lounge
chairs, consoles with
Sapele veneer, upholstered
headboards studded
with brass nails, faux-fur
ottomans, and tree-stump
accent tables crafted
from resin and bolstered
by hairpin legs are all
part of the vast, stylish
hospitality collection. And
with Kimball's acquisition
of Chula Vista, Californiabased D'style, particularly
ideal for small quantities
of mixed materials and
custom metal work, there
are even more options for
guestrooms and public
spaces.
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NEWH - Summer 2018

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