USM

USM, founded in 1885, has always been about sustainability, adaptability and design excellence. Their modular furniture, incorporating separate pieces used together in a design, offers aesthetics, functionality and flexibility for the office, home or other bespoke spaces. Their tables, shelving and storage solutions are made to last, and pieces created fifty years ago pair with those purchased today.

Originally a family-run metal factory, Paul Schärer Jr., grandson of the founder and father of the current leader, steered USM into the modern world in the early 1960s. He commissioned the Swiss architect Fritz Haller, one of the most influential Swiss architects of the 20th century, to design a new type of flexible building that could accommodate the company’s administration and adapt to various manufacturing processes. Paul Schärer Jr. and Fritz Haller developed the USM Haller fitting system, which has since become an international benchmark for furniture.

USM takes its initials from its founder, Ulrich Schärer, and Münsingen, the Swiss village outside Bern where he was born. Since its creation in 1885 and without interruption, the company USM has stayed rooted in Münsingen, Switzerland. They are GreenGuard Certified, manufactured with minimal environmental impact, and Cradle to Cradle Certified for developing up-cyclable products.