For more than six generations, The Kittinger Furniture Company has set an unparalleled standard among manufacturers of fine furniture.
The company was established in 1866 – one year after peace between the North and South was restored. It was a time when America held a wealth of natural resources, a burgeoning free–trade market, and a massive western frontier waiting to be developed. Industrial entrepreneurs were filled with high hopes and magnificent expectations. George and Oliver Colie were such entrepreneurs.
The Colies opened a paper factory in the bustling Great Lakes port of Buffalo, New York. Soon thereafter, they also began to manufacture upholstered furniture and that business boomed. In 1885, they opened a furniture plant that produced beautiful hand–crafted furniture in classic 18th century styles.
When George Colie’s son-in-law, Irvine J. Kittinger, took the helm in 1913, The Kittinger Furniture Company was born. To Irvine Kittinger, quality was paramount. “Our business is not primarily to turn furniture into money, but to produce something really worthwhile.” he wrote.
Kittinger’s philosophy remains the cornerstone of the company’s business today. The Kittinger Furniture Company still produces the world’s finest handcrafted furniture, using the same care, detailing and innovation for which it has been renowned throughout the century. The Kittinger Furniture Company takes great pride in the fact that it has served many customers again and again, including families across several generations. It has also built custom furnishings for government offices at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue for more than 40 years.