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What Manufacturer's don't want you to know about Church Chairs...

There are "insider secrets" in every industry, and the church chair business is no different from other industries.  In fact, since this is something that most folks only do one time during their lifetime, few people are interested in "revealing" what they do know.  Here are some of the secrets...

CHURCH CHAIRS   - Check Issues and Complaints Here

There are many considerations when considering church chairs.  Before this recent recession, there were about 5 or 6 major companies offering church chairs.  Due to economic conditions, two things have come to the front of this industry.

1. Some of the major players in this business are in dire financial condition, due largely to having too much overhead, large facilities, staff and overhead, and an influx of "new players" at a time when many churches are not buying anything.   BE SURE to check the financial condition of any company you are considering.  Get a report from Dunn and Bradstreet (You can get a financial report from Dunn and Bradstreet.  Yes you have to pay for it, but it is a lot easier to explain to your church that you invested $100 in a report than to report you lost $20,000 by failing to check out the company.  Our church furniture blog and the Better Business Bureau may also have some info for you.   Check this BBB Report!

2. A good number of NEWCOMERS have jumped into selling chairs, in order to make a quick dollar (many of these folks are out of work and have just set up their website or are selling on eBay)  Beware of newer "shops".  They are usually undercapitalized, will offer little or no warranty, and as soon as the recession ends and they get a real job, they will be gone.  One way to determine this is to do a WHOIS lookup of their domain. It will tell you who owns the company, when it started and how long their domain is registered for.   If they don't identify themselves, stay away.          

If they have not been in business for a few years, STAY AWAY. 

If their domain expires this year, STAY AWAY.

CONSTRUCTION

Almost all chair manufacturer's today, foreign or domestic, use excellent quality materials and workmanship.  Look for plywood cores inside the seat and back, 1" steel frames, T-Nuts which hold the frame to the wood, olefin fabrics (excellent durability and stain resistance).  There is almost no difference in 95% of the chairs offered today.  Beware of those with polyester fabrics as these will not be stain resistant and may not be as durable.  Also be careful about chairs that you have to put together in any fashion, it will add time and work on your end, and volunteers are not always accurate in their placement of screws. 

Plywood or plastic?  Some companies offer plywood backs, some plastic inside the fabric. A few still offer particleboard (run from them!).   Plastic backs, made from petroleum (oil) are easier to shape into a curved back. They have not been used long enough to know how screws will hold long term.  Plywood backs have proven screw holding capability. And plywood is a renewal resource!

As competition increases, and prices drop, at some point quality will drop.  We are beginning to see that chairs in the $32 range with "free shipping" are popping up.  These chairs are made with polyester fabric instead of the better quality olefin fabric.  Olefin is more expensive but is considered a stain proof fabric, and is worth the difference in price.

TWO WAYS TO BUY CHAIRS

Worship Chairs today are available in two ways.  They are either already built and ready to ship (or will be in a few days), or available to order in custom fabrics.  The chairs already built are generally $15-20 less, per chair, than those made to order.

MADE IN AMERICA?

Some companies highlight that their chairs are "Made in America".  Keep in mind that "America" is not only the name of our country, but also the name of two continents.  Made in America could mean made in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, or Peru.  All are part of America.  We ordered a sample of one of those "Made in America" chairs, and when we took it apart, the plywood inside said Canadian product!

Whether the chair is Made in the USA or America or China, you need to first investigate the manufacturer or distributor's history.  The best method is to check with the Better Business Bureau and D&B (the business financial rating service).  Yes there is a fee to check, but it is better to be penny wise than pound foolish!

FINANCIAL STABILITY

Church Chair Industries, one of the largest players in this industry, who formerly was dominant, is now in bankruptcy. The company was in trouble for some time, but still taking orders and deposits! No matter who you do business with, get that DNB report before you order, or ask for very recent references!  (Another chair company and three pew manufacturer's have shut their doors in the past year, also!)

FREE SAMPLE CHAIRS

Over the years, some companies have offered a "free" sample chair if you are planning to buy 100 or more.  A "free" chair costs that company $80 on average to produce and ship to you.  Don't be fooled, that "free chair" cost is hidden in your price or shipping charges.

REFERENCES

It bears repeating so you will know to do this - get at least 3 recent references, call them and ask if they were satisfied.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTRACTS

Some companies will take your money with the pretense of a delivery date soon, but end up taking a long time, sometimes months, to get your chairs.  Ask for a written contract that specifies a firm delivery date "no later than...." or you can cancel the order and get a full refund.  If they will not offer that, STAY AWAY!   Some fabric mills are having difficulty getting fabric made, due to the recent closing of a major American fabric yarn provider .  Others are having trouble getting fabrics and materials because they have not been paying their bills on time.  Be sure you have your ducks in a row, including a financial reference such as Dunn and Bradstreet, before you order.  Remember, if you send a company $5000 and they go bankrupt next week, you are out of $5000.  There is NOTHING you can do (unless you pay by credit card).

CREDIT CARDS

Speaking of credit cards, remember that any business that accepts a credit card pays a fee of about 3% to the bank for the privilege of accepting the cards. If you are paying by check, you are saving the chair company money - ask if they will give it back to you!

MAIN PLAYERS IN THE BUSINESS

The chair business was largely started by Church Chair Industries of Rome, GA.  Undoubted they have a history that starts with the beginning of this business and had at one time the largest facilities for manufacturing of chairs.  They offer custom made chairs largely, but have tried importing chairs in the past. Currently Church Chair Industries is in US Bankruptcy court.  Their future is unknown.

Another large supplier is Bertolini of California. They operate a number of websites and offer  American made chairs.  They have factories in California and Tennessee.

Uniflex is a company in Texas that offers custom made chairs. Another exporter / manufacturer  is Carstone Industries of Kentucky.

In 2005, Worship Chairs was the first company to offer pricing on their website.  Their competitive online pricing forced other companies to do the same and lower prices. As an independent dealer, they can offer better pricing and options than factories like Church Church, Bertolini, and others.  Many companies do not offer pricing on their sites, so beware of hidden costs and shipping charges.

One of the largest suppliers is Comfortek Seating, a Canadian company that stocks over 35,000 chairs for quick delivery from their warehouses in Virginia, Texas or California. Comfortek is sold only through a dealer network.

Two new players in the industry are BizChair and New Church Chairs. Both offer heavily discounted chairs ($28 range) that require some light assembly.

FREE SHIPPING

Let us say a word about "FREE SHIPPING".  Like "free samples" you should be smart enough to realize that there is nothing free in life.  "Free Shipping" just means that shipping is included.  However, in order for a company to do that, they must include shipping charges to the furthest points away (California, Maine, Florida, etc).  So, in essence, by getting free shipping you are paying more for shipping than if you get "regular shipping"!

CHURCH CHAIR SUPPLIERS

We are putting a list together of Church Chair Manufacturer's and Suppliers. Please email us to be added to the list.

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