Family-owned Lawn Chair USA proudly makes lawn chairs in the United States.
Lawn chairs are an American classic and a sure sign of summer.
They are used to relax on your front porch, share a meal at barbecues, or to gather with friends around a bonfire. But for one Florida company, they are also a family tradition.
Founded by Gary Pokrandt, Lawn Chair USA has been making old school-style folding aluminum webbed lawn chairs in the United States since 2010. Gary now co-owns the company with his son, Andrew Pokrandt, who explained to us how the lawn chair roots go back to previous generations.
“My grandfather, also named Gary, owned a company that made plastic yarn and webbing. When these chairs were very popular, most of the webbing came from my grandfather’s factory,” Pokrandt said. “My father purchased that company from my grandfather. However, the lawn chairs were starting to be made overseas and the lawn chair webbing business faded.”
Seeing this industry move away from America inspired the family to reboot the lawn chair business.
“Years later, my father noticed that these chairs were not for sale anymore, and purchased the equipment from an old customer,” Pokrandt said. “He put up a website and slowly the orders started coming in. We are now shipping many chairs every year and are still growing.”
The chairs are assembled by five employees in the company’s two-building factory. The buildings get hot in the Southern heat, but “it is not too bad with the fans running,” Pokrandt said.
The chair-making process has been perfected by the company over time.
“We receive the aluminum tubes in pre-cut lengths for the different legs, seats, and backs that we offer,” Pokrandt said. “The tubes are first placed into a bender, and then into a machine that punches the correct holes into the pieces. The most time-consuming part of the process is weaving the webbing onto the seat and back. This is all done by hand, and our team is the best at it.”
Lastly, they attach all the pieces, inspect the chairs, and clean them off before their shipping.
One core value of Lawn Chair USA is their commitment to manufacturing in America. Especially with “USA” in their name, this promise is forefront of their company. Pokrandt said making products in America has allowed the company to make the best possible chairs and connect with their consumers.
“My family has been manufacturing in the USA for many, many years,” he noted. “Doing this allows us to produce a superior product for our customers by allowing us to have control over every aspect of the business, from manufacturing to customer support.”
Lawn Chair USA makes chairs with dozens of different styles and designs. In addition to the chairs, the company sell accessories like in-ground cupholders, chair-side pocket organizers, and replacement webbing. If you’re looking for some new outdoor furniture for your home, or planning to get out-of-dodge with your family and friends, be sure to check out this Made in America company.