Companies in this industry manufacture household, office, and institutional furniture and related products, including mattresses. Major companies include Heritage Home Group, Herman Miller, HNI, La-Z-Boy, Leggett & Platt, Steelcase, and Tempur Sealy (all based in the US), along with Hunter Douglas and IKEA (both in the Netherlands), Natuzzi (Italy), Okamura Corporation (Japan), and Samson Holding (China).

The volume of home furniture sold depends heavily on the level of home sales, while office furniture sales depend on the health of the US economy overall. The profitability of individual companies is closely linked to volume, since many costs are fixed. Large companies enjoy economies of scale in purchasing. Small companies can compete effectively if they produce specialty items or high-quality workmanship that can sell for a premium price. Some segments, such as mattress manufacturing and office furniture manufacturing, are highly concentrated, but the US industry as a whole is fragmented: the