Erie J. Sauder (August 6, 1904 – June 29, 1997) was an American inventor and furniture-maker. He invented a knock-down table in 1951 and founded a company that produced ready-to-assemble furniture—one of the largest in the United States at the time of his death.

Early life

Sauder was born in

Archbold, Ohio Archbold is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Fulton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,516 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located about southwest of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo, Archbold is home to Northwest Stat ...

, to Daniel and Anne (Schrock) Sauder. In 1927, he married Leona Short. He had only an eighth grade education and was a

Mennonite Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

cabinet maker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (solid ...

. Sauder worked at the Archbold Ladder Company in his home town before he started his own business in 1934.

Manufacturing companies

The Sauder Woodworking Company initially manufactured church pews, tables and other items. In 1954, he formed the Sauder Manufacturing Company and later diversification included the Archbold Container company. The Sauder Woodworking Company manufactured ready-to-assemble furniture, while Sauder Manufacturing handled church furniture, and the Archbold Container company dealt in materials for packaging. With over 3,200 employees, at the time of his death, the Sauder companies constituted one of the largest companies producing ready-to-assemble furniture in the United States. In 1975 Sauder retired, but the businesses continued to be run by family.

Sauder Village

After retiring, Sauder started Sauder Village which depicts life in nineteenth-century Ohio.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sauder, Erie J. 1904 births 1997 deaths People from Fulton County, Ohio American Mennonites 20th-century American inventors