Meet&CoZEELAND, Mich. — Howard Miller is returning under new West Michigan ownership and leadership less than a year after announcing plans to wind down operations, reviving the nearly 100-year-old clock and furniture maker with a renewed focus on its core product categories.
The company will be led by longtime executive Jim O’Keefe as president and part of the new ownership group. The relaunch follows the company’s July 2025 announcement that it would close manufacturing operations due to a weak housing market, inflation, rising interest rates, and tariffs that disrupted supply chains.
The new ownership team includes West Michigan business leaders J.C. Huizenga, founder and chairman of Huizenga Group; Phil Poel, executive vice president of global supply chain for Traeger Grills; and Bill McKendry, founder and CEO of BrandHaven. Members of the Miller family will remain involved as advisors.
O’Keefe stated that the company feels a responsibility to build on a tradition of quality craftsmanship and iconic design, noting that Howard Miller has always maintained a deep connection with customers who bring these clocks into their homes. Huizenga described Howard Miller as a rare brand with deep cultural roots and a legacy of craftsmanship that still resonates, expressing an opportunity to reintroduce the brand for the next generation.
Former CEO Buzz Miller expressed pride in the brand’s century-long legacy, adding that the new ownership group’s genuine understanding of the business and its community significance gives him great confidence in the company’s future.
The relaunched company will initially focus on its most established categories, including wall storage, mantel, tabletop, and floor clocks. It will operate with a Zeeland-based team supported by a national sales force, with new product introductions expected by the end of 2026.
A related business, Howard Miller Memorial — including urns, clock urns, keepsakes, and memorial medallions — was separately acquired by longtime executives Andrew Christmann and Eric Greenberg through Howard Miller Memorial LLC. That division plans to continue U.S.-based manufacturing while focusing on digital growth and customer support.
