by Former VP of sales and marketing Jim O’Keefe has been named president of the company, which will focus on wall, mantel, tabletop and floor clocks
ZEELAND, Mich. — Industry clock-maker Howard Miller is relaunching the brand under new ownership and a new leadership team, the company announced Thursday.
At the helm as president is industry veteran Jim O’Keefe, previously vice president of sales and marketing at Howard Miller and sister company Hekman.
The company said that this development “represents a modern revival of the 100-year-old brand, rooted in its legacy of craftsmanship, while affirming its relevance for today’s consumers.”
It previously announced plans to wind down operations this past July, a move that appeared to end the company’s 100-year history in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan. It was founded in 1926 by Howard C. Miller in Zeeland, Michigan, and initially built wall and mantel clocks, then expanded into grandfather clocks and other wood furniture.
Moving forward, it plans to focus on wall, mantel, tabletop and floor clocks, an area where it has the most expertise. The company said it will initially offer a mix of its most familiar designs, while also producing new and updated collections. This will be led by a Zeeland-based team that will focus on design, operations and marketing. Product is expected to be available in the coming months, and the company expects to launch new designs later this year.
In addition to O’Keefe, the company has named Andrew Christmann director of marketing. He previously was director of marketing at Howard Miller and Hekman.
“We felt a responsibility to build on an established tradition of quality workmanship and iconic design,” said O’Keefe, who the company said also is part of the new ownership group. “Howard Miller has always had a deep connection with the people who bring these clocks into their homes. Our goal is to honor that legacy while building a company that carries it forward in a meaningful way.”
The company said its leadership team is backed by a group of investors with both “business leadership and a shared personal connection to the brand that include J.C. Huizenga, founder and chairman of Huizenga Group; Phil Poel, executive vice president global supply chain of Traeger Grills; and Bill McKendry, founder and chief creative officer of BrandHaven.
“Howard Miller is a rare kind of brand — one with deep cultural roots and a legacy of craftsmanship that still resonates today,” Huizenga said. “This investment is as much emotional as it is strategic. We see an opportunity to not just preserve what Howard Miller has been, but to reintroduce what it can be for the next generation.”
“Howard Miller has long been a category leader in clocks, but it’s been under-leveraged emotionally,” McKendry added. “At its best, this brand helps people mark life’s most meaningful moments. That’s the opportunity in front of us: to reconnect the product to the role it plays in people’s lives.”
The company also noted that members of the Miller family will remain involved as advisers “ensuring continuity with the company’s heritage as it enters this next phase.”
“We are incredibly proud of what Howard Miller has represented for a century,” said Buzz Miller, the former chief executive officer and third-generation executive at the Howard Miller Cos. “To see a group step forward that not only understands the business but genuinely values the legacy and what it means to this community gives us great confidence in what comes next.”
