subject: Background of Hon File Cabinets [print this page] Operating out of Muscatine, Iowa; the HON Company was originally started in 1944 under the business title of Home-O-Nize Co. In 1955, Home-O-Nize decided to increase it's target on office supplies and business furniture, so they created an independent division for those products. They also elected to construct a new name for the new department so this section became known as H-O-N (Home-O-Nize). Since that time, HON has grown to become a business leader in the office furniture marketplace.
One of HON's first office furniture products was a combination filing cabinet called the "Unifile". This cabinet was fairly successful so HON started creating additional filing cabinets that could be taken to industry.
HON proceeded to become the dominant filing cabinet maker in the industry. Their current filing cabinet product offering includes over 300 different styles. Before you start shopping for a filing cabinet, it is advisable to understand some frequent terms about filing cabinets:
Lateral filing cabinets - Lateral filing cabinets are also called horizontal filing cabinets. Most lateral filing cabinets are around 20 inches deep, and generally come in widths of 30, 36, or 42 inches. They also come in 2, 3, 4, or 5 drawer versions. The 2 drawer models perform best in smaller places like an office cubicle. HON produces quite a few lateral file models in order to meet any situation. All their lateral models have leveling glides, super quiet ball bearings, and a single drawer lock that secures all the drawers. The HON model 500, 600, or 800 series are fantastic selections in this style.
Vertical filing cabinets - Actually designed in 1898 by Edwin Seibels, the vertical filing cabinet has grown to become the most popular filing cabinet style. This style is particularly effective for offices or home offices with limited space as they have a smaller footprint compared to a lateral or horizontal model. The HON models are extremely well made and will serve you for a lifetime. My parents have a HON vertical in their basement that is over 40 years old. Even after 40 years, it looks and works almost as well as the day it was purchased. If you are looking for a vertical model, take into account the HON model 310 or 530 as both are a HON bestseller.
The HON file cabinets come in a myriad of distinctive finishes like Columbian walnut laminate, Taupe, Putty, black, light gray, charcoal, shaker cherry laminate, shadow Zephyr, cloud zephyr, desert zephyr, canyon zephyr, morro zephyr, muslin, greige, carob, platinum metallic, and champagne metallic.
If you're in the market for a new filing cabinet, give the HON line a look as they produce great cabinets at affordable prices with excellent support.
