Our Story

OM has come a long way since we hatched in March 1986 on an egg ranch outside of SanDiego. In fact, in those early days we used to deliver a dozen eggs with every chair purchase. (Well, not really, but imagine if?!)

These days, OM has true nationwide reach and is focused on delivering genuine, smart solutions to our customers’ wide-ranging needs. We do so by offering an extensive portfolio of chair families that fit nearly every work mode and work space.

From the largest standards programs for +$1B construction projects to single chair ergonomic specs, OM prides itself on genuinely listening to customers and then coming through with responsive solutions. And even though we love our chairs (and hope you do too), we constantly remind ourselves that we can’t sit still…

Our seating offering is constantly evolving to be even more responsive. Our design detailing has become ever more refined to reflect a growing appeal to the higher‐end customers we have already long served. In fact even aspects as fundamental as our logo and name have changed over time. The name shift from Office Master to the abbreviation OM is a recognition that the modern “office” is many things and many places.

Our new logo illustrates an idea we’re proud of: that our company, our reason for being, our success even, is the product of multiple overlapping “threads”: our manufacturer’s representatives, our dealer network, influencers (like architects, ergonomists, and designers), our vendors, our employees, and our end users. All of these threads come together in a complementary whole – the seventh thread – to form what OM truly is: a Family.

Through all this drive to change – and grow, improve – there are a few principles that have NOT changed.

• Be an original. Even if our process brings us back to something tried and true, we thrive by coming from an original, genuine place. This attitude applies to our chair designs, work processes, and even our relationships.
• Don’t be afraid to show some personality. I mean, heck, our mascot is a little green frog with a magnetic personality – Ozzie! Again, as we strive to be genuine on a daily basis, we need to be unafraid of our quirks and of doing the little things that make working with us positively different. Lots of chair companies are out there . . . but there’s only one OM.
• Be balanced. Isn’t this true everywhere in Life? Why not keep the principle intact in our work – in the way we work, in the chairs we work on (and in), and in the way we relate to the people who are our customers, vendors, partners.

As OM strides forward into the next 30 years, we maintain our firm commitment to serving people and honoring relationships. Our seating is designed with that in mind.

So, Chairs! to you, and Chairs to Family!

Sincerely,

Wilson Chow
President, OM