First, let's make things that last.

Founded on the principle ”Begin with what’s left over, turn it into what will last”, Emeco has been building furniture from recycled materials since 1944 in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Our very first chair, the 1006 Navy Chair®, was built for the U.S. Navy to survive the tough life aboard warships and submarines. It wasn't about style. Created to be light weight, non-corrosive, fireproof and super resilient, the chair was handcrafted from scrap aluminum, a wartime necessity, and made so strong it was tested to last 150 years. And that's exactly how we still build our furniture today.

Over the years, Emeco's products have found their way from gunboats to martini bars, because, as it turns out, what worked for one demanding environment also suits many, many others. While our customers may be different nowadays, our commitment to handcraft, longevity and sustainability remains the same. As does the 1006 Navy Chair®.

Our story

Link to page about design collaboration between Emeco and US Navy

1944

Make something well, it can survive anything

Wilton Carlyle Dinges creates the Electrical Machine and Equipment Company (Emeco) in Hanover, PA, and employs local steel workers. World War II brings a big uptick in business. Specifically, a government commission for a particular kind of chair. A chair to withstand the US Navy. The 1006 Navy is born.

Life on a ship is tough. Salt water. Salt air. The occasional torpedo blast. Survival will require a very resilient material. 77 steps turn ordinary scrap aluminum, extraordinarily strong. And what works for one demanding environment will eventually suit many, many others.

Polished Heritage armchairs by Philippe Starck in restaurant

1998

From gunboats to martini bars

Gregg Buchbinder takes over. Faces the problem of a nearly indestructible chair. If you want to keep that chair and the company making it alive, you will need new uses. Gregg sees the writing on the wall. He also notices some orders for cool hotels, very different from the usual US military and government applications.

Obviously, the Navy chair is getting some very un-Navy usage. Gregg pursues this. And initiates partnerships that will take Emeco from ships to showrooms.

Portrait of Philippe Starck and Emeco CEO Gregg Buchbinder

2000s

Design minds take a seat

Gregg bumps into Philippe Starck in New York. They click. Together, Gregg and Starck work on new ways to sit. The Hudson Chair in 2000, for the NYC Hudson Hotel, is their first collaboration and Emeco's first new design in over fifty years.

This opens doors. Frank Gehry, Norman Foster and Ettore Sottsass walk in. Gregg is leading Emeco to make waves the Navy chair could never imagine.

2010

Material matters

A decade of material exploration begins with the 111 Navy chair. Created with Coca-Cola, from 111 recycled PET bottles, it is a story of innovation. We decide to pursue other waste streams to turn into long-lasting furniture. With Philippe Starck, we create Broom from recycled polypropylene and discarded wood. Nendo pushes the envelope with SU stools, featuring reclaimed barn wood and eco-concrete. With Navy Wood, solid wood enters the collection as we partner with Amish woodworkers in neighboring Lancaster, PA. All the while, recycled aluminum remains our core material.

Portrait of Emecos Gregg and Jaye Buchbinder

2018

A family affair

Gregg's daughter Jaye grows up watching her dad flip over chairs at every restaurant and café they pass. She also follows him into the ocean to start swimming and surfing at a young age. Passionate about sustainability and engineering, just like her dad, she joins Emeco as a Product Developer and today heads up Sustainability.

Gregg and Jaye still flip over chairs in restaurants and surf together every Thursday.

Emecos carbon footprint declaration of the 1006 Navy Chair

2020

Taking measures

We've always believed in sitting lightly on the planet. To fully own our impact, we decide it's time to measure and declare the carbon footprint of our products.

Whilst 'carbon neutral' sounds great, the fact is that all products have an impact on the environment. Our goal is to to minimize our impact in the first place, not to compensate for it by buying carbon offset credits afterwards. Measuring it is the first step towards reducing it.

2022

House-proud

We open the doors to Emeco House - another example of turning what's left over into something that will last. In this case a neglected 1940's sewing shop in Venice Beach, California, converted into a modern, zero-energy space where architects, designers, and the local community can connect. At our California outpost, nothing is flashy but everything is thought through. The focus is on humble, honest materials that will stand the test of time. Just how we like it.

2024

From Hanover, PA, to Triennale Milano

2024 marks 80 years since we started making chairs for the US Navy. As part of our celebrations, Emeco went on exhibition at Triennale Milano during Milan Design Week in April. Designed by renowned designer and long-time Emeco collaborator Jasper Morrison, the exhibition "Emeco to Emeco" celebrated the transformative power of design, tracing Emeco’s origins and story, and the designs that have made us what we are today.

Emeco craftsman at the factory in Hanover, Pennsylvania, holding a 20-06 chair

...and beyond

Some things change. Some remain the same.

The world will keep turning. Change is inevitable - and in many cases, much needed. In Hanover, Pennsylvania, we will continue to build furniture according to the principles we inherited from our founders: "Begin with what's left over. Turn it into what will last." And the 1006 Navy chair will continue to offer solid support to people around the world. A humble chair, with a rich history - and future. Proudly unimproved since 1944.