Kentwood Office Furniture welcomes Tim Shields as new CEO and President

Shields comes to Kentwood Office after over two decades with both Herman Miller and MillerKnoll, as well as an extensive background in the office furniture industry. 

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – The Kentwood Office Furniture Board of Directors has announced that Tim Shields will take over as CEO and President effective March 2023. 

Shields comes to Kentwood Office after over two decades with Herman Miller and MillerKnoll. He most recently led the integration and transformation for Herman Miller's acquisition of Knoll for the Americas contract business.  Shields has an extensive background in the office furniture industry, having been involved in every aspect of the industry from sales leadership to dealer distribution to leading a dealer.

Shields started his career working in the manufacturing facility at Meridian, a file manufacturer for Herman Miller. From there, he moved into project management and workplace management leadership positions with their CORO Services division. Shields was then recruited away from Herman Miller where he was responsible for leading workplace and facilities management solutions for Fortune 500 companies. After owning his own consulting firm, Shields was recruited back to Herman Miller as a business unit leader and it was there that Herman Miller recognized Tim's capabilities as a problem solver and a leader that developed people and culture.

Eventually, Shields was asked to move to Toronto to serve as the interim President of Herman Miller’s certified dealer. There he was responsible for turning around all aspects of the dealership and he significantly improved top-line sales and bottom-line profitability while developing the team and leaders. 

Due to that success, Tim was promoted to Vice President of Nemschoff, a Herman Miller-owned subsidiary, and then promoted to President of Herman Miller Canada. Throughout his career, Tim has proven himself a strong, capable business leader with a  record of positive profit and loss results.

“In my tenure at MillerKnoll, I have been asked and volunteered to take on tough assignments where the businesses were having challenges,” Shields explained. “I have a passion for going where I’m called, building teams, turning companies around, and helping to foster flourishing cultures. “Really, it’s about helping people personally and professionally and constantly learning and developing others.”

Along with his extensive history within the industry, and as a former US Navy veteran, Shields is no stranger to moving frequently and has lived all across North America. The West Michigan native recently moved back to the Holland area with his wife of over 30 years and looks forward to planting deep roots within Kentwood Office Furniture and the broader community. 

“It feels really good to not only be back home but be part of an organization that cares so much about its employees and its communities,” Shields said. “I am excited to become a part of the fabric of the community that makes up Kentwood Office and to be a part of an employee-owned company. It’s about more than just business, it’s about being part of something bigger than myself and having the opportunity to continue to make an impact in the communities where we work and live.”

Shields’ various experiences and successes were impressive to Kentwood’s Board of Directors and it was clear that Shields would be a perfect fit for the culture of the employee-owned company. 

Learn more about Kentwood Office Furniture here.

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About Kentwood Office Furniture:
Kentwood Office Furniture is focused on providing an exceptional customer experience from start to finish. Kentwood is a full-service furniture dealership representing over 150 manufacturers of contract furniture and architectural products. Since 1976, we have provided our customers with a complete range of cost-effective, mid-market solutions. We work with companies of all sizes across a wide variety of environments including commercial, healthcare, education, and government sectors. Kentwood has six locations across the Midwest and serves customers nationwide. Our corporate headquarters is in Grand Rapids, MI with additional offices in Lansing, MI; Jackson, MI; Detroit, MI; Indianapolis, IN; and Chicago, IL.