The beginning of a new furniture industry was born when Erie invented the first “knock-down” table. Packed flat in a box, the customer could easily carry the product home, open the box, and assemble within minutes. No tools, hardware, or glue was needed.

Patented in 1953, this knock-down concept was expanded to a five unit series – cocktail table, lamp table, end table, step table and corner table. These became the “Model T” of the ready-to-assemble industry and were produced for 15 years, the longest-running series produced at Sauder. In the mid-1950s, each piece sold for about $4 or $5.
 



Erie’s sons, Delmar, Maynard, and Myrl, grew up right next door to the Sauder factory and spent their childhood playing in and around the facilities. As adults, the sons started full-time careers at the company. By 1965, the three were performing various roles in the family-run business. From right to left: Erie, president; Maynard, general manager; Leona, secretary; Delmar, factory worker; and Myrl, engineering R&D.
 
About half of Sauder sales in 1974 generated from its OEM business, selling parts to mobile home, piano/organ, kitchen cabinet, and other manufacturers. Herculex was Sauder’s trade name for the low-pressure polyester laminate used primarily for this business.
Seventy-one-year-old Erie was now actively involved in constructing the Sauder Historical Village, an 80-acre non-profit living history museum designed to preserve the lifestyle of the pioneers who settled the Great Black Swamp area of northwest Ohio. His son, Maynard, was named president of the 40-year-old furniture company. Erie assumed the role of chairman of the board.
In his new role as company president, Maynard purchased the Foremost name from an outside firm and organized a sales team to market Sauder furniture from within. This set the stage for Sauder’s explosive growth over the following decades.

Sauder’s advanced panel manufacturing process made étagère shelving a functional and affordable option in many U.S. households. In 1978, Sauder received a patent for a fully laminated and wrapped raised panel door that closely resembled the look of “real wood” furniture. The first use of the raised panel door in RTA furniture was in 1980.

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 The advent of the microwave oven created a need for this popular cart.

As Sauder celebrated its 50th anniversary, the company now employed 1,200 people. The expanse of the Sauder facilities had more than quadrupled in the past 10 years, now totaling 1.2 million-square-feet.

The Princeton grouping defined a new standard in RTA furniture. The collection offered traditional design and styling, advanced detailing, solid wood and a wider distribution through new retail channels.

A third generation of the Sauder family joined the company when Maynard’s son, Kevin, was named sales manager, office products division in 1988. (pictured left to right: Myrl, Maynard, Erie, and Kevin)