Trendway Corp., an employee-owned office furniture manufacturer, celebrated its 50-year anniversary with a visit from State Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof last Wednesday. More than 100 employees joined company leadership and its board of directors at Trendway's headquarters in Holland for refreshments, a meet-and-greet with Arlan Meekhof, and remarks from chairman and CEO Don Heeringa.
“The core of Trendway is its people,” said Heeringa. “The credit for our success goes to our incredibly talented and passionate employees and their ongoing commitment to customer service and our community.” Meekhof applauded Trendway for its commitment to the Holland community and its employees. “As a legislator, it's been my privilege to create an environment where people want to take risks, invest in their community, and create jobs,” said Meekhof. “If we continue to remove the barriers, people, like Mr. Heeringa, will continue to grow companies that cherish its employees.”
The celebration also included an unveiling of a vintage Holland Furnace Co. horse carriage that Heeringa and Trendway employee Ken Harper restored. The horse carriage was donated to the Holland Museum by Holly Palmer, widow of former Holland Furnace Co. president, P.T. Cheff, after sitting dormant at the Cheff estate for over 50 years. Heeringa's wife, Jodi Heeringa, is the granddaughter of A.H. Landwehr, a founder of Holland Furnace Co., and rode in the wagon at the age of five.
After being restored to its former beauty, the cart will be featured in the 2018 Tulip Time Volksparade and Muziekparade. “We're going to see the cart pulled by a team of horses for the first time in over 50 years,” said Heeringa.
Founded in 1968, Trendway began manufacturing a gypsum-based wall panel that offered higher fire resistance and better sound rating than any other partitions available at the time. When the Heeringa family purchased the company in 1973, the business was struggling, but Don Heeringa held the company together through his leadership and commitment to service. 50 years later, Trendway continues to offer a combination of quality, service, and unmatched responsiveness. In March, Trendway was honored by Michigan Celebrates Small Business (MCSB) as the 2018 SBA Michigan Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year.