If you’ve owned a Howard Miller grandfather clock or wall clock, you’ve probably heard some version of this question floating around: is Howard Miller going out of business? It’s a fair thing to wonder, especially since the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. This nearly century-old clockmaker actually did announce a shutdown in 2025 — but that’s not where the story ends. What followed was a surprising turnaround that’s worth understanding in full, especially if you own one of their clocks or care about the brand’s future.
What Actually Happened in July 2025
In July 2025, Howard Miller made a real, official announcement: the company planned to wind down its manufacturing operations. This wasn’t internet speculation or a forum rumor — it came straight from company leadership. Howard J. “Buzz” Miller, the CEO and grandson of founder Howard C. Miller, confirmed the news to employees, distributors, and customers before it went public.
The plan was to stop production by the end of 2025 while keeping the business open into 2026 just long enough to sell off remaining inventory. Roughly 195 jobs were affected across facilities in Zeeland and Traverse City, Michigan, along with two locations in North Carolina. For a company that had been a fixture in its community for nearly 100 years, this was a genuinely emotional and significant moment.
Why Howard Miller Said It Was Closing
The reasons behind the closure weren’t mysterious — they were tied to broader economic pressures hitting the furniture and home goods industry. Buzz Miller pointed to a struggling housing market as one of the biggest factors, since furniture and clock sales tend to rise and fall alongside home sales. When fewer people are buying houses, fewer people are furnishing them.
On top of that, tariffs drove up the cost of components that weren’t available domestically, squeezing profit margins even further. Inflation and rising interest rates piled on additional strain. Miller described it as “a convergence of market influences beyond our control,” which is a polite way of saying the business simply couldn’t keep absorbing rising costs while demand kept softening.
The Search for a Buyer That Didn’t Pan Out
Before making the closure official, Howard Miller’s leadership didn’t just give up quietly. The company actually hired an investment banker and spent time shopping the business around to potential buyers. Unfortunately, that search came up empty. No acquirer stepped forward willing to take on the company as it stood at the time. Even after announcing the wind-down, Howard Miller said it remained open to offers from anyone interested in keeping the brand alive. That detail turned out to matter quite a bit, because it left the door open for exactly what happened next.
The Surprise Comeback: New Ownership in 2026
Just when it looked like Howard Miller’s story was ending, a new chapter began. In March 2026, a group of investors closed a deal to acquire the company, reversing what had seemed like an inevitable shutdown. Instead of disappearing, Howard Miller is relaunching as a smaller, more focused operation under new ownership. The company remains headquartered in Zeeland, Michigan, which matters a lot to longtime fans who worried the brand’s roots might disappear along with its factory floor. This wasn’t a rescue built on nostalgia alone — the new owners clearly saw real value left in the Howard Miller name.
Who’s Behind the Relaunch
The revival is being led by a group of West Michigan investors, including J.C. Huizenga of the Huizenga Group, Phil Poel, who previously handled global supply chain work at Traeger Grills, and Bill McKendry, founder of the branding agency BrandHaven. Jim O’Keefe, who had previously served as Howard Miller’s vice president of sales and marketing, has stepped in as the company’s new president. That’s a meaningful detail, since it means the relaunch isn’t being run by complete outsiders — there’s institutional knowledge carrying over. Members of the Miller family are staying involved as advisors too, which helps preserve continuity between the old company and the new one.
What’s Changing — and What’s Staying the Same
The new Howard Miller isn’t trying to be everything to everyone the way the old company eventually became. Leadership has talked about a “disciplined focus” on the categories where the brand always led: wall clocks, mantel clocks, tabletop clocks, and floor clocks. That’s a narrower lineup than before, when the company had expanded into curio cabinets, upholstery, and broader furniture lines through acquisitions like Hekman Furniture. What’s staying the same is the brand’s identity and craftsmanship reputation — the goal is to build on nearly 100 years of heritage rather than start from scratch. New collections are expected to debut by the end of the year, signaling the company plans to grow again rather than just survive.
What This Means for Existing Clock Owners
If you already own a Howard Miller clock, the good news is that the brand isn’t vanishing, and neither is its legacy. During the original wind-down announcement, the company said it would continue offering customer service, product support, and warranty assistance for the foreseeable future — and with the relaunch, that support looks even more secure going forward. Owners of vintage or heirloom Howard Miller pieces can also feel reassured that the brand’s history and design lineage will keep being represented, rather than fading into “discontinued” status entirely. For anyone who was worried about parts availability or repair support disappearing, this turnaround is a genuinely reassuring development.
Conclusion
Howard Miller’s story took a real and unexpected turn between 2025 and 2026 — from a full shutdown announcement to a fresh start under new ownership. The company didn’t just get saved for sentimental reasons; new investors saw a brand with real staying power, even after a rough stretch tied to tariffs, housing market struggles, and rising costs. So if you’re wondering whether Howard Miller is going out of business today, the answer is no — it’s doing the opposite. It’s rebuilding, refocusing, and getting ready to write its next chapter.
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