About Us

Columbia Manufacturing, Inc. is a privately owned company located at One Cycle Street in Westfield, Massachusetts.  Columbia was originally founded in 1877 by Colonel Albert Pope and established itself as a premier bicycle manufacturer that became known as Americas First Bicycle.  As a way to diversify its product line and to help keep the factory busy in the slow periods, Columbia started manufacturing school furniture in 1952.

The facility sits on 36 acres and still has the original factory as its core.  Over the years it has expanded and currently has approximately 500,000 square feet of usable manufacturing space.  The factory is equipped with the latest technology including a zero discharge nickel/chrome plating facility, which has won numerous environmental awards for its recycling abilities and extreme reduction of water usage.  Computer assisted designs are utilized when developing or improving our furniture products.  These designs take into account the latest ergonomic and anthropodic studies to assure that Columbia's furniture is not only well made but allows its ultimate customer, the students, to function in a comfortable and safe manner when utilizing our products accomplishing their dreams.

Columbia is known in the furniture industry as a leader in product innovation and second to none, quality.  Not only does it provide its customers with the best chroming in the industry, it has also introduced the Spec Flek® advantage, which provides its customers with a variety of color choices while providing a paint finish that is extremely durable and provides years of service.

The final ingredient that puts over 125 years of experience and advanced technology to work in providing America's Finest School Furniture is its employees. Columbia employees are dedicated, talented and a diversified group of individuals that work together as a team. Columbia's employment has a long and distinguished history in Westfield.  We dare to say you would be hard pressed to walk into any local restaurant or establishment and not find someone who worked or had a family member that worked at Columbia at some time.  We pride ourselves in that and are thankful to all the local residents that have helped make Columbia so successful over the years.  With that in mind, we have published our company Mission & Vision Statements that embody and express who we are as a company and how we go about our daily activities and accomplish the goals we set for ourselves through out the year.