Chairman of the Board Shelby Williams Industries, Inc. Current: Chairman Executive Committee – Chicago, Illinois
Manfred Steinfeld’s drive and trend-analysis helped build and reshape a company he bought for $10,000 in 1954 into the world’s largest manufacturer of public seating and a multimillion dollar enterprise. His exceptional ability to anticipate trends has been responsible for the growth of Shelby Williams Industries, the company he founded and heads as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Beginning with a bentwood chair company, he innovated service to a newly burgeoning field …sales to architects and interior designers involving interior specifications for public accommodations. He awakened other manufacturers to the staggering potential of the contract field and is acknowledged as the leader to that industry. He is a classic example of finding a need and fulfilling it. His service to his industry and his community are beyond easy measure. “The real key to success, I have found, is in adversity and how you handle it.”
