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HNI Corporation

hni · NYSE Industrials
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Ticker hni
Exchange NYSE
Sector Industrials
Industry Business Equipment & Supplies
Employees 7600
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FY2014 Annual Report · HNI Corporation
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HNI Corporation

2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Financial Highlights

 (Amounts in thousands, except for per share)

2014

2013

Increase

INCOME STATEMENT DATA

Net sales

Gross profit

Selling and administrative expenses

Restructuring related and impairment charges

Non-GAAP net income attributable to HNI Corporation*

Non-GAAP net income as a % of net sales*

Per common share:

  Non-GAAP net income attributable to HNI Corporation—diluted*

  Cash dividends

BALANCE SHEET DATA

Total assets

Long-term debt and capital lease obligations

Debt/capitalization ratio

HNI Corporation’s shareholders’ equity

Working capital

OTHER DATA

Capital expenditures (including capitalized software)

Cash flow from operations

Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted

$ 2,222,695

$  784,200

$  638,332

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

33,019

89,730

4.0%

1.97

0.99

$ 2,059,964

$  715,292

$  608,972

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

333

65,516

3.2%

1.43

0.96

7.9%

37.0%

37.8%

$ 1,239,334

$  197,736

$ 1,134,705

$  150,197

32.3%

25.6%

$  414,587

$ 

(1,774)

$  436,328

$ 

21,644

$  112,713

$  167,796

45,578,872

$ 

78,895

$  165,002

45,956,280

*GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliation

2014

2013

2012

GAAP net income

Adjustments

  Restructuring and impairment

  Transition costs

(Gain) loss on sale assets

  Total adjustments

  Tax impact of adjustments

Amount

% of Net 
Sales

Earnings 
Per 
Share

Amount

% of Net 
Sales

Earnings 
Per 
Share

Amount

% of Net 
Sales

Earnings 
Per 
Share

$ 61,471

2.8%

$1.35

$ 63,683

3.1%

$1.39

$ 48,967

2.4%

$1.07

$ 38,232

4,894

(10,723)

$ 32,403

(4,144)

$ 

333

—

2,460

$  2,793

(960)

$  2,259

1,901

—

$  4,160

(1,556)

Non-GAAP net income

$ 89,730

4.0%

$1.97

$65,516

3.2%

$1.43

$51,571

2.6%

$1.13

 
Delivering Results

NET SALES
(in millions)

$2,223

$2,004

$2,060

NON-GAAP
NET INCOME*
(in millions)

$90

$66

$52

CASH FLOW 
FROM OPERATIONS
(in millions)

$165

$168

$145

2012

2013

2014

2012

2013

2014

2012

2013

2014

11%
Revenue 
Growth

74%
Profit
Growth

$478
Cash
Generated

(2012–2014)

(2012–2014)

(2012–2014)

CASH DIVIDEND
(per common share)

$0.86

$0.86

$0.86

$0.92

$0.95

$0.96

$0.99 

$0.78

$0.72

$0.62

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

*See GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliation on the inside front cover

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

1

Dear Shareholder

WE HAD ANOTHER GREAT YEAR IN 
2014. WE EXCEEDED OUR FINANCIAL 
COMMITMENTS—SIGNIFICANTLY 
GROWING SALES, DELIVERING SOLID 
EARNINGS AND GENERATING STRONG 
CASH FLOW. WE OUTPERFORMED THE 
COMPETITION IN OUR MARKETS 
WHILE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN 
OUR BUSINESSES FOR LONG-TERM, 
PROFITABLE GROWTH.” 

Our strategies are working and unchanged: focus on 
the core, split and focus with leverage, core plus and 
rapid continuous improvement driven by the strength 
of our member/owner culture. 

We are pleased with our results, yet are clearly focused 
on our opportunities for future significant value creation.

HEARTH BUSINESS—RECORD EARNINGS
Our Hearth business achieved record financial results, 
delivering  $77  million  of  operating  profits  on  $484 
million  of  sales.  Market  momentum  was  very  strong 
with a twenty-nine percent sales increase. To put this 
in  perspective,  prior  peak  operating  profits  of  $75 
million were generated on sales of $595 million. The 
foundation for these outstanding financial results was 
established  through  the  aggressive  cost  structure 
reset  and  strategic  investments  implemented  during 

the  recession.  We  completed  the  acquisition  of  the 
Vermont Castings Group in the fourth quarter, further 
strengthening  our  market-leading  position.  We  have 
the best brands, products, distribution and customer 
focused  organization  in  the  industry,  making  us  the 
preferred choice for builders, dealers and homeowners. 
We  expect  significant  future  sales  and  earnings 
growth in this business.

OFFICE FURNITURE—STRONG PERFORMANCE
Our  Office  Furniture  businesses  had  strong  earnings 
driven  by  a  three  percent  sales  increase  and  strong 
operational performance. North American sales were 
led  by  accelerating  momentum  in  our  contract 
business,  which  grew  approximately  nine  percent. 
Sales  in  our  international  businesses  were  down 
modestly,  commensurate  with  slow  economic 
conditions in China and India.

2

HNI CORPORATION

THANK YOU
I  want  to  thank  our  customers,  members  and 
stakeholders  for  their  contributions  to  our  success 
over the past year. We appreciate the continued loyalty 
and trust placed in us by customers and shareholders. 
We  are  grateful  to  our  members  for  their  continued 
dedication and hard work to drive value creation.

We  have  significant  opportunities  offering  exciting 
potential  and  possibilities  for  the  future.  We  are  
committed  to  meet  these  challenges  to  deliver  
significant  long-term  value  for  our  customers, 
members and shareholders.

Stan A. Askren

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

HNI Corporation

We  aggressively  invested  for  the  long  term  in  new  
product solutions and platforms to meet the evolving 
needs  of  our  customers  and  channel  partners.  We  
continued to accelerate investments in new processes 
and capabilities in manufacturing and distribution for 
consistent flawless execution and best cost.

Looking  forward,  we  expect  these  investments  to 
continue  to  deliver  Office  Furniture  business  profit 
improvement  similar  to  the  results  achieved  by  our 
Hearth business. Our unique market position, with the 
broadest  and  deepest  distribution,  product  solutions 
and platforms, places us in an advantaged position as 
the office furniture market recovers.

Our  long-term  investment  and  commitment  to 
Business  Systems  Transformation  (BST)  strategic 
initiative  continues.  We  made  solid  progress 
simplifying and transforming our business processes 
to deliver more value to our customers while reducing 
non-value  added  costs.  BST  will  continue  as  a 
significant  focus  and  strategic  investment  for  the 
organization.

MEMBERS AND OUR CULTURE CREATE VALUE
Driving  our  success  is  a  set  of  unique  and  strongly 
aligned beliefs, behaviors and processes enthusiastically 
shared  by  our  members.  We  create  value  for  our 
customers through the commitment of our members 
and the capital of our shareholders. When we create 
value for our customers, we grow and generate profits, 
which we share with our shareholders and members. 
It’s a powerful equation and self-sustaining cycle. 

We  manage  through  split  and  focus.  We  improve 
through  rapid  continuous  improvement.  We  grow 
through  core  plus.  This  integrated  business  model 
and  set  of  processes  drive  continuous  performance 
improvement  over  the  long  term.  Members  share  in 
profits,  which  engages  our  members  to  best  serve  
our  customers.  By  staying  true  to  our  culture  and 
business  processes,  we  will  continue  to  create 
significant  long-term  value  for  our  customers, 
shareholders and members.

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

3

Office Furniture Leader

Helping organizations deliver  

workplace outcomes that matter

K–12 thought leader helping educators 

prepare students for what’s next

India’s leading office furniture  

company and pioneer of modern  

modular furniture

The trusted partner for the professional services client, 

providing a broad range of premium furniture solutions 

that enhance comfort, collaboration and productivity

Inspired design and uncompromised  

craftsmanship in elegant furniture and  

fabrics for high impact customer spaces

Inspired by practicality, offering a full 

line of high-quality solutions serving 

the small and medium-sized workplace

Greater China’s trusted leader in  

manufacturing and marketing of  

workplace furniture solutions

Office furniture systems with planning 

and design technologies for small and 

mid-sized businesses

TM

®

®

®

®

®

Delivering relevant solutions with  

®

differentiated service

4

HNI CORPORATION

Hearth Products Leader

America’s most prominent specialty 

hearth retailer and builder design center

Producer of premium wood 

and pellet stoves

The recognized leader in design and 

innovative technologies

The most preferred fireplace brand among 

building professionals since 1927

More than 50 years of style, 

performance and durability in 

wood and gas fireplaces

®

Leading log and venting technologies

A legacy of performance and easy 

operation in wood and pellet products

Iconic American-made cast iron 

®

stoves, fireplaces and grills that blend 

tradition with innovation

®

®

®

ANNUAL REPORT 2014

5

Our Vision

WE, THE MEMBERS OF HNI CORPORATION, ARE DEDICATED TO CREATING LONG-TERM VALUE FOR ALL  

STAKEHOLDERS, EXCEEDING OUR CUSTOMERS’ EXPECTATIONS AND MAKING OUR COMPANY A GREAT PLACE 

TO WORK. WE WILL TREAT EACH OTHER, CUSTOMERS, SUPPLIERS, SHAREHOLDERS AND OUR COMMUNITIES, 

WITH FAIRNESS AND RESPECT. OUR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON RAPID CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, MEMBER 

ENGAGEMENT, INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE INTEGRITY, AND INNOVATION IN EVERYTHING WE DO. WE 

RELENTLESSLY PURSUE THE FOLLOWING LONGSTANDING COMMITMENTS:

WE WILL BE A PREFERRED PROVIDER  
OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
We  will  deliver  quality  and  performance  that  is 
constantly  improving.  We  will  exceed  our  customers’ 
expectations, consistently representing their best choice 
among all options.

WE WILL CREATE LONG-TERM VALUE  
FOR SHAREHOLDERS.
We will invest for the long term. We will grow profitably 
and  earn  financial  returns  greater  than  our  cost  of 
capital. We will safeguard our shareholders’ investment 
with  a  strong  balance  sheet  providing  the  flexibility  to 
excel in a continuously changing business environment.

WE WILL BE A GREAT PLACE TO WORK.
We  will  create  an  environment  that  encourages  and 
recognizes  active  involvement,  ongoing  learning 
and  achievement  of  excellence  by  each  member.  
We  seek  and  value  diversity.  We  attract  members  who 
are  highly  motivated  to  make  our  company  and  fellow 
members successful.

WE WILL BE A RESPONSIBLE GLOBAL CITIZEN.
We will conduct our business to improve the well-being 
of  our  society,  environment  and  community.  We  follow 
legal  and  ethical  business  practices.  We  will  provide  a 
safe work environment. Our company and our members 
will actively participate in civic, cultural and educational 
activities through commitment of time, talent and financial 
contributions.

WE WILL GROW PROFITABLY.
We will grow by building mutually profitable relationships 
with  our  customers,  distributors  and  suppliers.  Only 
when  we  achieve  a  fair  profit  can  we  realize  the  other 
elements of this vision.

WHEN OUR COMPANY IS FAVORED  
BY OUR CUSTOMERS, VALUED BY  
OUR SHAREHOLDERS, DRIVEN BY OUR 
 MEMBERS, SUPPORTED BY OUR SUPPLIERS 
AND RESPECTED BY THE PUBLIC,  
THIS VISION IS FULFILLED.

6

HNI CORPORATION

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 10-K 

(Mark One) 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE
ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended January 3, 2015 

OR

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

An Iowa Corporation

Commission File Number 1-14225

HNI Corporation
408 East Second Street
P. O. Box 1109
Muscatine, IA 52761-0071
563/272-7400

IRS Employer No. 42-0617510

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class
Common Stock, with par value of $1.00 per share.

Name of each exchange on which registered
New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:  None.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes 

 No 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes 

 No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities 
Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such 
reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes 

 No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every 
Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during 
the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Yes 

 No 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not 
contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements 
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a 
smaller reporting company.  See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in 
Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
Yes 

 No 

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by nonaffiliates of the Registrant, as of June 27, 2014 was $1,030,079,764, 
based on the New York Stock Exchange closing price for such shares on that date, assuming for purposes of this calculation that 
all 5% holders and all directors and executive officers of the Registrant are affiliates.

The number of shares outstanding of the Registrant's common stock, as of February 6, 2015 was 44,166,714.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 
May 5, 2015 are incorporated by reference into Part III.

Table of Contents

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

Page

Item    1.

Item 1A.

Item 1B.

Item    2.

Item    3.

Item    4.

Item    5.

Item    6.
Item    7.

Item 7A.
Item    8.

Item    9.
Item 9A.

Item 9B.

Item 10.

Item 11.
Item 12.

Item 13.

Item 14.

Business

Risk Factors

Unresolved Staff Comments

Properties

Legal Proceedings

Mine Safety Disclosures
Table I – Executive Officers of the Registrant

PART II

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of 
Equity Securities

Selected Financial Data 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures

Other Information

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation

PART III

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder 
Matters

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

Principal Accounting Fees and Services

PART IV

Item 15.

Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules

Signatures
Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Financial Statements
Financial Statement Schedules
Index of Exhibits

4

10

16

17

18

18

19

20

21
22

32
33

33
33

33

34
34

34

34

34

35

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73

-3-

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

General

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

PART I

HNI Corporation (the “Corporation”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is an Iowa corporation incorporated in 1944.  The Corporation is a 
provider of office furniture and hearth products.  A broad office furniture product offering is sold to dealers, wholesalers, national 
office product distributors, end-user customers, and federal, state and local governments.  Dealers, wholesalers and national office 
products distributors are the largest channels based on sales.  Hearth products include a full array of gas, wood and pellet burning 
fireplaces, inserts, stoves, facings and accessories.  These products are sold through a national system of dealers and distributors, 
as well as Corporation-owned distribution and retail outlets.  In fiscal 2014, the Corporation had net sales of $2.2 billion, of which 
approximately $1.7 billion or 78% was attributable to office furniture products and $0.5 billion or 22% was attributable to hearth 
products.  Please refer to Operating Segment Information in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information 
about operating segments.

The Corporation is organized into a corporate headquarters and operating units with offices, manufacturing plants, distribution 
centers and sales showrooms in the United States, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India and Taiwan.  See Item 2."Properties" for 
additional related discussion.

Nine operating units, marketing under various brand names, participate in the office furniture industry.  These operating units 
include:  The HON Company LLC ("HON"), Allsteel Inc., Maxon Furniture Inc., The Gunlocke Company L.L.C., Paoli LLC, 
Hickory Business Furniture, LLC (“HBF”), Artco-Bell Corporation. ("Artcobell"), HNI Hong Kong Limited (“Lamex”) and BP 
Ergo Limited ("BP Ergo").  Each of these operating units provides products which are sold through various channels of distribution 
and segments of the industry.  HNI International Inc. (“HNI International”) sells office furniture products manufactured by the 
Corporation’s operating units in select markets outside the United States and Canada. 

The Corporation distributes its office furniture products through an extensive network of independent office furniture dealers, 
office  products  dealers,  wholesalers  and  retailers.  The  Corporation  is  a  supplier  of  office  furniture  to  the  largest  nationwide 
distributors of office products.

The operating unit Hearth & Home Technologies LLC (“Hearth & Home”) participates in the hearth products industry.  The retail 
and distribution brand for this operating unit is Fireside Hearth & Home.

During fiscal 2014, the Corporation completed the acquisition of Vermont Castings Group ("VCG"), a leading manufacturer of 
free-standing hearth stoves and fireplaces, for a purchase price of approximately $62 million. 

The Corporation has been committed to systematically eliminating waste through its process improvement approach known as 
Rapid  Continuous  Improvement  (“RCI”),  which  focuses  on  stngreamlining  design,  manufacturing  and  administrative 
processes.  The Corporation's RCI program has contributed to increased productivity, lower costs, improved product quality and 
enhanced workplace safety.  In addition, the Corporation's RCI efforts enable it to offer short average lead times, from receipt of 
order to delivery and installation, for most products.

The Corporation's product development efforts are focused on developing and providing relevant and differentiated solutions  
delivering quality, aesthetics and style.

An important element of the Corporation's success has been its member-owner culture, which has enabled it to attract, develop, 
retain and motivate skilled, experienced and efficient members (i.e., employees).  Each of the Corporation's eligible members has 
the opportunity to own stock in the Corporation through a number of stock-based plans, including a member stock purchase plan 
and a profit-sharing retirement plan, which drives a unique level of commitment to the Corporation’s success throughout the 
workforce.

For further financial-related information with respect to acquisitions, divestitures, operating segment information, restructuring 
and the Corporation’s operations in general, refer to “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and 
Results of Operations” in Part II of this report, and the following sections in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements:  Nature 
of Operations, Business Combinations and Operating Segment Information.

-4-

Table of Contents

Industry

According  to  the  Business  and  Institutional  Furniture  Manufacturer's Association  (“BIFMA”),  U.S.  office  furniture  industry 
shipments were estimated to be $9.8 billion in 2014, an increase of 4% compared to 2013, which was a 1% increase from 2012 
levels.  

The U.S. office furniture market consists of two primary channels—the contract channel and the supplies-driven channel.  The 
contract channel has traditionally been characterized by sales of office furniture and services to large corporations, primarily for 
new office facilities, relocations or department or office redesigns, which are frequently customized to meet specific client and 
designer preferences.  Contract furniture is generally purchased through office furniture dealers who typically prepare a custom-
designed office layout emphasizing image and design.  The selling process is complex and lengthy and generally has several 
manufacturers competing for the same projects.

The supplies-driven channel of the market, in which the Corporation is a leader, primarily represents smaller orders of office 
furniture purchased by small/medium businesses on the basis of price, quality, selection and speed and reliability of delivery.  Office 
products  dealers,  wholesalers  and  national  office  product  distributors  are  the  primary  distribution  channels  in  this  market 
channel.  Office furniture and products dealers publish content on the internet and periodic catalogs displaying office furniture 
and products from various manufacturers.

The Corporation also competes in the hearth products industry, where it is a market leader.  Hearth products are typically purchased 
by  builders  during  the  construction  of  new  homes  and  homeowners  during  the  renovation  of  existing  homes.  Both  types  of 
purchases  involve  seasonality  with  remodel/retrofit  activity  being  concentrated  in  the  September  to  December  time-
frame.  Distribution is primarily through independent dealers, who may buy direct from the manufacturer or from an intermediate 
distributor.  

Growth Strategy

The Corporation's strategy is to build on its position as a leading manufacturer of office furniture and hearth products in North 
America and pursue select global markets where opportunities exist to create shareholder value.  The components of this growth 
strategy are to introduce new products, build brand equity, provide outstanding customer satisfaction by focusing on the end-user, 
strengthen the distribution network, respond to global competition, pursue complementary strategic acquisitions, enter markets 
not currently served and continually reduce costs.

The Corporation’s strategy has a dual focus:  working continuously to extract new growth from its core markets while identifying 
and developing new, adjacent potential areas of growth.  The Corporation focuses on extracting new growth from each of its 
existing businesses by deepening its understanding of end-users, using new insights gained to refine branding, selling and marketing 
and developing new products to serve them better.  The Corporation also pursues opportunities in potential growth drivers related 
to its core business, such as vertical markets or new distribution models.

Employees/Members

As of January 3, 2015, the Corporation employed approximately 11,000 persons, 10,400 of whom were full-time and 600 of whom 
were temporary personnel.  The Corporation believes its labor relations are good.

Products and Solutions

Office Furniture

The Corporation designs, manufactures and markets a broad range of office furniture systems and seating across a range of price 
points.  The Corporation's portfolio includes panel-based and freestanding furniture systems and complementary products such 
as seating, storage and tables.  The Corporation offers a complete line of office panel system products and freestanding desks, 
classroom solutions, bookshelves and credenzas in order to meet the needs of a wide spectrum of organizations.   The Corporation 
offers a variety of storage options designed either to be integrated into the Corporation's office systems products or to function as 
freestanding  furniture  in  office  applications.   The    Corporation's  seating  line  includes  chairs  designed  for  all  types  of  office 
work.  The chairs are available in a variety of frame colors, coverings and a wide range of price points.  

To meet the demands of various markets, the Corporation's products are sold under the Corporation's brands – HON®, Allsteel®, 
Maxon®, Gunlocke®, Paoli®, HBF®, artcobellTM, Midwest Folding ProductsTM, American DeskTM,  basyx®  by HON, Lamex® and 
ERGO®, as well as private labels.

-5-

Table of Contents

Hearth Products

The  Corporation  is  North America’s  largest  manufacturer  and  marketer  of  prefabricated  fireplaces,  hearth  stoves  and  related 
products, primarily for the home, which it sells under its widely recognized Heatilator®, Heat & Glo®, Majestic®, Monessen®, 
Quadra-Fire®, Harman StoveTM , Vermont Castings®and PelProTM brand names. 

The Corporation’s line of hearth products includes a full array of gas, wood and pellet burning fireplaces, inserts, stoves, facings 
and accessories.  Heatilator® , Heat & Glo® , Majestic®and Monessen® are brand leaders in the two largest segments of the home 
fireplace market: gas and wood fireplaces.  The Corporation is the leader in “direct vent” fireplaces, which replace the chimney-
venting system used in traditional fireplaces with a less expensive vent through the roof or an outer wall.  In addition, the Corporation 
is the leader in wood and pellet-burning stoves and furnaces with its Quadra-Fire®, Harman StoveTM ,Vermont Castings® and 
PelProTM product lines which provide home heating solutions using renewable fuels.  See “Intellectual Property” under Item 1. 
"Business" for additional details.

Manufacturing

The Corporation manufactures office furniture in Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, New York, North Carolina, Texas, China and India.  The 
Corporation manufactures hearth products in Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.

The Corporation purchases raw materials and components from a variety of suppliers, and generally most items are available from 
multiple sources.  Major raw materials and components include coil steel, aluminum, zinc, castings, lumber, veneer, particleboard, 
fabric, paint, lacquer, hardware, glass, plastic products and shipping cartons.

Since its inception, the Corporation has focused on making its manufacturing facilities and processes more flexible while at the 
same time reducing cost, eliminating waste and improving product quality.  The Corporation applies the principles of RCI and a  
lean manufacturing philosophy leveraging the creativity of its members to eliminate and reduce costs.  To achieve flexibility and 
attain efficiency goals, the Corporation has adopted a variety of production techniques, including cellular manufacturing, focused 
factories, just-in-time inventory management, value engineering, business simplification and 80/20 principles.  The application 
of RCI has increased productivity by reducing set-up and processing times, square footage, inventory levels, product costs and 
delivery times, while improving quality and enhancing member safety.  The Corporation's RCI process involves production and 
administrative  employees,  management,  customers  and  suppliers.  The  Corporation  has  facilitators,  coaches  and  consultants 
dedicated to the RCI process and strives to involve all members in the RCI process.  Manufacturing also plays a key role in the 
Corporation's concurrent product development process in order to design new products for ease of manufacturability.

Product Development

The Corporation's product development efforts are primarily focused on developing relevant and differentiated end-user solutions 
focused on quality, aesthetics, style, sustainable design and on reducing manufacturing costs.  The Corporation accomplishes this 
through  improving  existing  products,  extending  product  lines  and  platforms,  applying  ergonomic  research,  improving 
manufacturing processes, applying alternative materials and providing engineering support and training to its operating units.  The 
Corporation conducts its product development efforts at both the corporate and operating unit level.  The Corporation invested 
approximately  $29.7  million,  $27.3  million  and  $26.9  million  in  product  development  during  fiscal  2014,  2013  and  2012, 
respectively.

Intellectual Property

As of January 3, 2015, the Corporation owned 273 U.S. and 267 foreign patents with expiration dates through 2039 and had 
applications pending for 26 U.S. and 67 foreign patents.  In addition, the Corporation holds 200 U.S. and 485 foreign trademark 
registrations and has applications pending for 20 U.S. and 13 foreign trademarks.

The Corporation's principal office furniture products do not require frequent technical changes.  The Corporation believes neither 
any individual office furniture patent nor the Corporation's office furniture patents in the aggregate are material to the Corporation's 
business as a whole.

The Corporation’s patents covering its hearth products protect various technical innovations.  While the acquisition of patents 
reflects Hearth & Home’s position in the market as an innovation leader, the Corporation believes neither any individual hearth 
product patent nor the Corporation’s hearth product patents in the aggregate are material to the Corporation’s business as a whole.

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The Corporation applies for patent protection when it believes the expense of doing so is justified, and the Corporation believes 
the duration of its registered patents is adequate to protect these rights.  The Corporation also pays royalties in certain instances 
for the use of patents on products and processes owned by others.

The Corporation applies for trademark protection for brands and products when it believes the expense of doing so is justified.  
The Corporation actively protects trademarks it believes have significant value.  The Corporation believes neither the loss of any 
individual  trademark  nor  the  loss  of  the  Corporation's  trademarks  in  the  aggregate  would  materially  adversely  affect  the 
Corporation's business as a whole, except for HNI, HON and Allsteel.

Sales and Distribution: Customers

The Corporation sells its office furniture products through five principal distribution channels.  The first channel consisting of 
independent, local office furniture and office products dealers, specializes in the sale of a broad range of office furniture and office 
furniture systems to business, government, education and health care entities.

The second distribution channel comprises national office product distributors including Staples, Inc. and Office Depot, Inc. which 
have recently announced a planned merger.  These distributors sell furniture along with office supplies through a national network 
of dealerships and sales offices, which assist their customers with the evaluation of office space requirements, systems layout and 
product selection and design and office solution services provided by professional designers.  These distributors also sell through 
on-line and retail office products stores.

The third distribution channel is where the Corporation has the lead selling relationship with the end-user.  

The fourth distribution channel comprises wholesalers serving as distributors of the Corporation's products to independent dealers 
and national office products distributors.  The Corporation sells to the nation's largest office supply/furniture wholesalers, United 
Stationers Supply Co. and S.P. Richards Company.  Wholesalers maintain inventory of standard product lines for resale to the 
various dealers and national office products distributors.  They also special order products from the Corporation in customer-
selected models and colors.  The Corporation's wholesalers maintain warehouse locations throughout the United States, which 
enables the Corporation to make its products available for rapid delivery to resellers anywhere in the country.

The fifth distribution channel comprises direct sales of the Corporation's products to federal, state and local government offices.

The  Corporation's  office  furniture  sales  force  consists  of  regional  sales  managers,  salespersons  and  firms  of  independent 
manufacturers' representatives who collectively provide national sales coverage.  Sales managers and salespersons are compensated 
by a combination of salary and variable performance compensation.

Office products dealers, national wholesalers and national office product distributors market their products over the Internet and 
through catalogs published periodically.  These catalogs are distributed to existing and potential customers.  

The Corporation also makes export sales through HNI International to office furniture dealers and wholesale distributors serving 
select foreign markets.  Distributors are principally located in the Middle East, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.  Through 
Lamex and BP Ergo, the Corporation manufactures and distributes office furniture directly to end-users and through independent 
dealers and distributors in China, India and the rest of Asia.

Limited quantities of select finished goods inventories primarily built to order and awaiting shipment are at the Corporation's 
principal manufacturing plants and at its various distribution centers.

Hearth & Home sells its fireplace and stove products through dealers, distributors and Corporation-owned distribution and retail 
outlets.  The  Corporation  has  a  field  sales  organization  of  regional  sales  managers,  salespersons  and  firms  of  independent 
manufacturers' representatives.

In fiscal 2014, the Corporation's five largest customers represented approximately 21% of its consolidated net sales.  No single 
customer accounted for 10% or more of the Corporation’s consolidated net sales in fiscal 2014.  The substantial purchasing power 
exercised by large customers may adversely affect the prices at which the Corporation can successfully offer its products.  

The above percentages do not include revenue from various government agencies.  In aggregate, entities purchasing under the 
Corporation's U.S. General Services Administration contracts collectively accounted for approximately 2% of the Corporation's 
consolidated net sales.  

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As of January 3, 2015, the Corporation had an order backlog of approximately $192.4 million, which will be filled in the ordinary 
course  of  business  within  the  first  few  months  of  the  fiscal  year.  This  compares  with  $163.5  million  as  of  December 28, 
2013.  Backlog, in terms of percentage of net sales, was 8.7% and 7.9% for fiscal 2014 and 2013, respectively.  The Corporation’s 
products  are  typically  manufactured  and  shipped  within  a  few  weeks  following  receipt  of  order.  The  dollar  amount  of  the 
Corporation’s order backlog is, therefore, not considered by management to be a leading indicator of the Corporation’s expected 
sales in any particular fiscal period.

Competition

The Corporation is a leading global office furniture manufacturer and believes it is the largest provider of furniture to small- and 
medium-sized workplaces.  The Corporation is North America's largest manufacturer and marketer of fireplaces.

The  office  furniture  industry  is  highly  competitive,  with  a  significant  number  of  competitors  offering  similar  products.  The 
Corporation  competes  by  emphasizing  its  ability  to  deliver  compelling  value  products,  solutions  and  a  high  level  of  tailored 
customer service.  The Corporation competes with large office furniture manufacturers, which cover a substantial portion of the 
North America market share in the contract-oriented office furniture market, such as Steelcase Inc., Haworth, Inc., Herman Miller, 
Inc. and Knoll, Inc.  The Corporation also competes with a number of other office furniture manufacturers, including The Global 
Group (a Canadian company), Kimball International, Inc., Krueger International Inc. (KI), Virco Mfg. Corporation and Teknion 
Corporation (a Canadian company), as well as global importers.  The Corporation faces significant price competition from its 
competitors and may encounter competition from new market entrants.

Hearth products, consisting of prefabricated fireplaces and related products, are manufactured by a number of national and regional 
competitors.  The  Corporation  competes  primarily  against  a  broad  range  of  manufacturers,  including  Travis  Industries  Inc., 
Comvest  Partners  (Innovative  Hearth  Products),  Wolf  Steel  Ltd.  (Napoleon)  and  FPI  Fireplace  Products  International  Ltd. 
(Regency).

Both office furniture and hearth products compete on the basis of performance, quality, price, complete and on-time delivery to 
the customer and customer service and support.  The Corporation believes it competes principally by providing compelling value 
products designed to be among the best in their price range for product quality and performance, superior customer service and 
short lead-times.  This is made possible, in part, by the Corporation's on-going investment in brands, product development, highly 
efficient and low cost manufacturing operations and an extensive distribution network.

For further discussion of the Corporation's competitive situation, refer to “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of 
Financial Condition and Results of Operations” later in this report.

Effects of Inflation

Certain business costs may, from time to time, increase at a rate exceeding the general rate of inflation.  The Corporation’s objective 
is to offset the effect of normal inflation on its costs primarily through productivity increases in combination with certain adjustments 
to the selling price of its products as competitive market and general economic conditions permit.

Investments are routinely made in modernizing plants, equipment, information technology capabilities and RCI programs.  These 
investments collectively focus on business simplification and increasing productivity which helps to offset the effect of rising 
material and labor costs.  The Corporation also routinely employs ongoing cost control disciplines.  In addition, the last-in, first-
out ("LIFO") valuation method is used for most of the Corporation's inventories, which ensures changing material and labor costs 
are recognized in reported income and, more importantly, these costs are recognized in pricing decisions.

Environmental

The Corporation is subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations governing the use of materials and substances in 
products, the management of wastes resulting from use of certain material and the remediation of contamination associated with 
releases of hazardous substances used in the past.  Although the Corporation believes it is in material compliance with all of the 
various regulations applicable to its business, there can be no assurance requirements will not change in the future or the Corporation 
will  not  incur  material  costs  to  comply  with  such  regulations.  The  Corporation  has  trained  staff  responsible  for  monitoring 
compliance with environmental, health and safety requirements.  The Corporation’s environmental staff works with responsible 
personnel at each manufacturing facility, the Corporation’s environmental legal counsel and consultants on the management of 
environmental, health and safety issues.  The Corporation’s environmental objective is to reduce and, when practical, eliminate 
the human and ecosystem impacts of materials and manufacturing processes.

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The Corporation’s environmental management system has earned the recognition of numerous state and federal agencies as well 
as non-government organizations.  Aligning continuous improvement initiatives with the Corporation’s environmental objectives 
creates a model of the triple bottom line of sustainable development where members work toward shared goals of personal growth, 
economic reward and a healthy environment for the future.

Over  the  past  several  years,  the  Corporation  has  expanded  its  environmental  management  system  and  established  metrics  to 
influence product design and development, supplier and supply chain performance, energy and resource consumption and the 
impacts of its facilities.  In addition, the Corporation is providing sustainability training to senior decision makers and has assigned 
resources  to  documenting  and  communicating  its  progress  to  an  increasingly  knowledgeable  market.  Integrating  sustainable 
objectives into core business systems is consistent with the Corporation’s vision and ensures its commitment to being a sustainable 
enterprise remains a priority for all members.  

Compliance with federal, state and local environmental regulations has not had a material effect on the capital expenditures, 
earnings  or  competitive  position  of  the  Corporation  to  date.  The  Corporation  does  not  anticipate  financially  material  capital 
expenditures will be required during fiscal 2015 for environmental control facilities.  It is management’s judgment that compliance 
with current regulations should not have a material effect on the Corporation’s financial condition or results of operations.  However, 
there can be no assurance new environmental legislation, material science or technology in this area will not result in or require 
material capital expenditures.

Business Development

The development of the Corporation's business during the fiscal years ended January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013 and December 29, 
2012 is discussed in “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

Available Information

Information regarding the Corporation’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 
8-K, and any amendments to these reports, will be made available, free of charge, on the Corporation’s website at www.hnicorp.com, 
as soon as reasonably practicable after the Corporation electronically files such reports with or furnishes them to the Securities 
and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).  The Corporation’s information is also available from the SEC’s Public Reference room 
at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, or on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this report to the extent they are not statements of historical or present fact, including statements as to plans, outlook, 
objectives and future financial performance, are “forward-looking” statements, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities 
Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the 
Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act  of  1995.  Words,  such  as  “anticipate,”  “believe,”  “could,”  “confident,”  “estimate,” 
“expect,” “forecast,” “hope,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” 
“would” and variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Corporation’s actual results 
in the future to differ materially from expected results.  The most significant factors known to the Corporation that may adversely 
affect the Corporation’s business, operations, industries, financial position or future financial performance are described later in 
this report under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”  The Corporation cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any 
forward-looking statement which speaks only as of the date made and to recognize forward-looking statements are predictions of 
future results, which may not occur as anticipated.  Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-
looking statements and from historical results due to the risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this report, including under 
the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” as well as others that the Corporation may consider immaterial or does not anticipate at this 
time.  The risks and uncertainties described in this report, including those under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” are not 
exclusive  and  further  information  concerning  the  Corporation,  including  factors  that  potentially  could  materially  affect  the 
Corporation’s financial results or condition, may emerge from time to time.

The  Corporation  assumes  no  obligation  to  update,  amend  or  clarify  forward-looking  statements,  whether  as  a  result  of  new 
information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.  The Corporation advises you, however, to consult 
any further disclosures made on related subjects in future quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed 
with or furnished to the SEC.

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ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

The following risk factors and other information included in this report should be carefully considered.  If any of the following 
risks actually occur, our business, operating results, cash flows or financial condition could be materially adversely affected.

The existence of various unfavorable macroeconomic and industry factors, or deterioration of economic conditions, for a prolonged 
period could adversely affect our business operating results or financial condition.

Office furniture industry sales are impacted by a variety of macroeconomic factors including service-sector employment levels, 
corporate  profits,  small  business  confidence,  commercial  construction  and  office  vacancy  rates.    Industry  factors,  including 
corporate restructuring, technology changes, corporate relocations, health and safety concerns, including ergonomic considerations, 
and the globalization of companies also influence office furniture industry revenues.  Despite economic recovery in the United 
States, generally, economic conditions remain uncertain.  Service-sector employment has rebounded slowly and may not return 
to pre-recession levels, which could decrease demand for our office furniture products and have adverse effects on our operating 
results.

Hearth products industry sales are impacted by a variety of macroeconomic factors as well, including housing starts, overall 
employment levels, interest rates, consumer confidence, energy costs, disposable income and changing demographics.  Industry 
factors, such as technology changes, health and safety concerns and environmental regulation, including indoor air quality standards, 
also influence hearth products industry revenues.  Deterioration of the economic conditions or a slowdown in the recovery in the 
homebuilding industry and the hearth products market could decrease demand for our hearth products and have additional adverse 
effects on our operating results.

Economic growth has slowed, and may continue to slow, in several key international markets, including China and India, which 
could have adverse effects on our international office furniture sales and our operating results.

Deteriorating economic conditions could affect our business significantly, including:  reduced demand for products; insolvency 
of our dealers resulting in increased provisions for credit losses; insolvency of our key suppliers resulting in product delays; 
inability of customers to obtain credit to finance purchases of our products; decreased customer demand, including order delays 
or cancellations; and counter-party failures negatively impacting our treasury operations.

We may need to take additional impairment charges related to goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, which would adversely 
affect our results of operations.

Goodwill and other acquired intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but are tested for impairment annually, and 
when an event occurs or circumstances change making it reasonably possible an impairment may exist.  As of January 3, 2015, 
we had goodwill of $279 million recorded on our balance sheet.  We test for impairment annually during the fourth quarter of the 
year and whenever indicators of impairment exist.  We test goodwill for impairment by first comparing the carrying value of net 
assets to the fair value of the reporting unit.  If the fair value is determined to be less than carrying value, a second step is performed 
to determine the implied fair value of goodwill associated with the reporting unit.  If the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the 
implied  fair  value  of  goodwill,  the  excess  represents  the  amount  of  goodwill  impairment,  and  accordingly,  an  impairment  is 
recognized.

We estimate the fair values of the reporting units using discounted cash flows.  Forecasts of future cash flows are based on our 
best estimate of longer term, broad market trends.  We combine this trend data with estimates of current economic conditions in 
the U.S. and other countries where we have a presence, competitor behavior, the mix of product sales, commodity costs, wage 
rates, the level of manufacturing capacity and the pricing environment.  In addition, estimates of fair value are impacted by estimates 
of the market-participant-derived weighted average cost of capital.  Changes in these forecasts could significantly change the 
amount  of  impairment  recorded,  if  any.   As  a  result  of  impairment  testing,  we  recorded  goodwill  and  other  long-lived  asset 
impairments of $29 million during 2014.  We have one recently acquired reporting unit within the office furniture segment where 
the fair value exceeds the carrying value by two percent.  There is approximately $3 million of total goodwill associated with this 
reporting unit.

The office furniture and hearth products industries are highly competitive and, as a result, we may not always be successful.

Both the office furniture and hearth products industries are highly competitive, with a significant number of competitors in both 
industries offering similar products.  While competitive factors vary geographically and between differing sales situations, typical 
factors for both industries include:  price; delivery and service; product design and features; product quality; strength of dealers 
and other distributors; and relationships with customers and key influencers, including architects, designers, home-builders and 
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facility managers.  Our principal competitors in the office furniture industry include The Global Group, Haworth, Inc., Kimball 
International, Inc., Steelcase Inc., Herman Miller, Inc., Teknion Corporation, Virco Mfg. Corporaton, Krueger International Inc. 
(KI) and Knoll, Inc.  Our principal competitors in the hearth products industry include Travis Industries Inc., Comvest Partners 
(Innovative  Hearth  Products), Wolf  Steel  Ltd.  (Napoleon)  and  FPI  Fireplace  Products  International  Ltd.  (Regency).  In  both 
industries, most of our top competitors have an installed base of products that can be a source of significant future sales through 
repeat and expansion orders.  These competitors manufacture products with strong acceptance in the marketplace and are capable 
of developing products that have a competitive advantage over our products.

Our continued success will depend on many factors, including our ability to continue to manufacture and market high quality, 
high performance products at competitive prices and our ability to adapt our business model to effectively compete in the highly 
competitive environments of both the office furniture and hearth products industries.  Our success is also subject to our ability to 
sustain and grow our positive brand reputation and recognition among existing and potential customers and use our brands and 
trademarks effectively in entering new markets.

In both the office furniture and hearth products industries, we also face significant price competition from our competitors and 
from new market entrants who primarily manufacture and source products from lower cost countries.  Price competition impacts 
our ability to implement price increases or, in some cases, even maintain prices, which could lower our profit margins.  In addition, 
we may not be able to maintain or raise the prices of our products in response to rising raw material prices and other inflationary 
pressures.  

The concentration of our customer base, changes in demand and order patterns from our customers, as well as the increased 
purchasing power of these customers, could adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition.

We sell our products through multiple distribution channels.  These distribution channels have been consolidating  and may continue 
to consolidate in the future.  Consolidation may result in a greater proportion of our sales being concentrated in fewer customers, 
including as a result of the recent mergers and announced mergers of national office product distributors.  The increased purchasing 
power exercised by larger customers may adversely affect the prices at which we can successfully offer our products.  As a result 
of this consolidation, changes in the purchase patterns or the loss of a single customer may have a greater impact on our business, 
operating results or financial condition than the events would have had prior to the consolidation.

The growth in sales  of  private-label products  by  some of  our largest office furniture customers may reduce our revenue and 
adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition.

Private-label products are products sold under the name of the distributor or retailer, but manufactured by another party.  Some 
of our largest customers have aggressive private-label initiatives to increase sales of office furniture.  If successful, they may 
reduce our revenue and inhibit our ability to raise prices and may, in some cases, even force us to lower prices, which could result 
in an adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.

Increases in basic commodity, raw material, component and transportation costs, as well as disruptions to the supply of basic 
commodities, raw materials and components or transportation and shipping challenges, could adversely affect our profitability.

Fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of the commodities, raw materials and components used by us in manufacturing 
could have an adverse effect on our costs of sales, profitability and our ability to meet customers' demand.  We source commodities, 
raw materials and components from domestic and international suppliers for both our office furniture and hearth products.  From 
both  domestic  and  international  suppliers,  the  cost,  quality  and  availability  of  commodities,  raw  materials  and  components, 
including steel, our largest raw material category, have been significantly affected in recent years by, among other things, changes 
in  global  supply  and  demand,  changes  in  laws  and  regulations  (including  tariffs  and  duties),  changes  in  exchange  rates  and 
worldwide price levels, natural disasters, labor disputes, terrorism and political unrest or instability.  These factors could lead to 
further price increases or supply interruptions in the future.  Our profit margins could be adversely affected if commodity, raw 
material and component costs remain high or escalate further, and we are either unable to offset such costs through strategic 
sourcing initiatives and continuous improvement programs or, as a result of competitive market dynamics, unable to pass along 
a portion of the higher costs to our customers.

We rely primarily on third-party freight and transportation providers to deliver our products to customers.  Increasing demand for 
freight providers and a shortage of qualified drivers may cause delays in our shipments and increase the cost to ship our products, 
which  may  adversely  affect  our  profitability.   Additionally,  we  import  and  export  products  and  components,  primarily  using 
container ships, which load and unload through several U.S. ports, including ports on the West Coast.  Port-caused delays in the 
shipment or receipt of products and components, including related to the current labor dispute at certain West Coast ports, could 
cause delayed receipt of our products and components.  These delays could cause manufacturing disruptions, increased expense 
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resulting from alternate shipping methods or the inability to meet customer delivery expectations, which may adversely affect our 
sales and profitability.

The cost of energy could adversely affect our gross margins and profitability.

Our gross margins and the profitability of our business operations are sensitive to the cost of energy because it is reflected in our 
cost  of  transportation,  petroleum-based  materials  like  plastics  and  operation  of  our  manufacturing  facilities.  If  the  costs  of 
petroleum-based products, operating our manufacturing facilities or transportation increase, it could adversely affect our gross 
margins and profitability.

Our efforts to introduce new products to meet customer and workplace requirements may not be successful, which could limit our 
sales growth or cause our sales to decline.

To meet the changing needs of our customers and keep pace with market trends in both the office furniture and hearth products 
industries, we regularly introduce new products.  Trends include changes in workplace and home design and increases in the use 
of technology and evolving regulatory and industry requirements, including environmental, health, safety and similar standards 
for  the  workplace  and  home  and  for  product  performance.  The  introduction  of  new  products  in  both  industries  requires  the 
coordination of the design, manufacturing and marketing of the products, which may be affected by factors beyond our control.  The 
design and engineering of certain new products can take up to a year or more, and further time may be required to achieve client 
acceptance.  In  addition,  we  may  face  difficulties  introducing  new  products  if  we  cannot  successfully  align  ourselves  with 
independent architects, home-builders and designers who are able to design, in a timely manner, high quality products consistent 
with our image and our customers' needs.  Accordingly, the launch of any particular product may be later or less successful than 
we originally anticipated.  Difficulties or delays introducing new products or lack of customer acceptance of new products could 
limit our sales growth or cause our sales to decline and may result in an adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial 
condition.

We have grown, and may continue to grow, our business through acquisitions and alliances, which could adversely affect our 
business, operating results or financial condition.

One of our growth strategies is to supplement our organic growth through acquisitions of, and or strategic alliances with, businesses 
with technologies or products complimenting or augmenting our existing products or distribution or adding new products or 
distribution to our business.  In the past few years, we acquired Vermont Castings Group, a hearth stoves and fireplace company, 
Artcobell, an education furniture company, and BP Ergo, an office furniture company in India, each of which we continue to 
integrate into our business.  The benefits of these acquisitions, or future acquisitions or alliances may take more time than expected 
to develop or integrate into our operations, and we cannot guarantee any completed or future acquisitions or alliances will in fact 
produce any benefits.  In addition, acquisitions and alliances involve a number of risks, including, without limitation:

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diversion of management’s attention, including significant management time devoted to integrating acquisitions;
difficulties in assimilating the operations and products of an acquired business or in realizing projected efficiencies, cost 
savings and revenue synergies;
potential loss of key employees or customers of the acquired businesses or adverse effects on existing business relationships 
with suppliers and customers;
adverse impact on overall profitability if acquired businesses do not achieve the financial results projected in our valuation 
models;
reallocation  of  amounts  of  capital  from  other  operating  initiatives  or  an  increase  in  our  leverage  and  debt  service 
requirements to pay the acquisition purchase prices, which could in turn restrict our ability to access additional capital 
when needed or to pursue other important elements of our business strategy;
inaccurate assessment of undisclosed, contingent or other liabilities or problems and unanticipated costs associated with 
the acquisition; and
incorrect estimates made in accounting for acquisitions, incurrence of non-recurring charges and write-off of significant 
amounts of goodwill that could adversely affect our operating results.

Our ability to grow through future acquisitions will depend, in part, on the availability of suitable acquisition candidates at an 
acceptable price, our ability to compete effectively for these acquisition candidates and the availability of capital to complete the 
acquisitions.  These risks could be heightened if we complete several acquisitions within a relatively short period of time.  In 
addition, there can be no assurance we will be able to continue to identify attractive opportunities or enter into any transactions 
with acceptable terms in the future.  If an acquisition is completed, there can be no assurance we will be able to successfully 
integrate the acquired entity into our operations or achieve sales and profitability justifying our investment in the businesses.  Any 
potential acquisition may not be successful and could adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition.

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We are subject to extensive environmental regulation and have exposure to potential environmental liabilities.

The past and present operation and ownership by us of manufacturing facilities and real property are subject to extensive and 
changing federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, including those relating to discharges in air, water and land, 
the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous waste and the remediation of contamination associated with releases of hazardous 
substances.  Compliance with environmental regulations has not had a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings or 
competitive position to date; however, compliance with current laws or more stringent laws or regulations which may be imposed 
on us in the future, stricter interpretation of existing laws or discoveries of contamination at our real property sites which occurred 
prior to our ownership or the advent of environmental regulation may require us to incur additional expenditures in the future, 
some of which may be material.

Increasing healthcare costs could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

We provide healthcare benefits to the majority of our members and are self-insured.  Healthcare costs have continued to rise over 
time, which increases our annual spending on healthcare and could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial 
condition.

Our inability to improve the quality/capability of our network of independent dealers or the loss of a significant number of dealers 
could adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition.

In both the office furniture and hearth products industries, we rely in large part on a network of independent dealers to market our 
products to customers.  We also rely upon these dealers to provide a variety of important specification, installation and after-market 
services to our customers.  Many of our dealers may terminate their relationships with us at any time and for any reason.  The loss 
or termination of a significant number of dealer relationships could cause difficulties for us in marketing and distributing our 
products, resulting in a decline in our sales, which may adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition.

Our international operations expose us to risks related to conducting business in multiple jurisdictions outside the United States.

During the past several years, we have experienced growth in our international operations and sales, including in China and India.  
We plan to continue to grow internationally.  We primarily sell our products and report our financial results in U.S. dollars; however, 
our increased business in countries outside the United States exposes us to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, including 
the recent weakening of the Rupee in India and the Canadian Dollar.  Paying our expenses in other currencies can result in a 
significant increase or decrease in the amount of those expenses in terms of U.S. dollars, which may affect our profits.  In the 
future, any foreign currency appreciation relative to the U.S. dollar would increase our expenses that are denominated in that 
currency.  Additionally, as we report currency in the U.S. dollar, our financial position is affected by the strength of the currencies 
in countries where we have operations relative to the strength of the U.S. dollar.

Further, certain countries have complex regulatory systems which impose administrative and legal requirements which make 
managing international operations more difficult, including approvals to transfer funds into certain countries.  If we are unable to 
provide financial support to our international operations in a timely manner, our business, operating results and financial condition 
could be adversely affected.

We periodically review our foreign currency exposure and evaluate whether we should enter into hedging transactions.

Our international sales and operations are subject to a number of additional risks, including, without limitation:

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• 

social and political turmoil, official corruption and civil and labor unrest;
restrictive government actions, including the imposition of trade quotas and tariffs and restrictions on transfers of funds;
changes in labor laws and regulations affecting our ability to hire, retain or dismiss employees;
the need to comply with multiple and potentially conflicting laws and regulations, including environmental and corporate 
laws and regulations;
preference for locally branded products and laws and business practices favoring local competition;
less effective protection of intellectual property and increased possibility of loss due to cyber-theft;
unfavorable business conditions or economic instability in any particular country or region;
infrastructure disruptions;
potentially conflicting cultural and business practices; and
difficulty in obtaining distribution and support.

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Restrictions imposed by the terms of our credit facility and note purchase agreement may limit our operating and financial flexibility.

Our credit facility and note purchase agreement, dated as of April 6, 2006, pursuant to which we issued $150 million of senior, 
unsecured notes designated as Series 2006-A Senior Notes, limit our ability to finance operations, service debt or engage in other 
business activities that may be in our interest.  Specifically, our credit facility restricts our ability to incur additional indebtedness, 
create or incur certain liens with respect to any of our properties or assets, engage in lines of business substantially different than 
those currently conducted by us, sell, lease, license or dispose of any of our assets, enter into certain transactions with affiliates, 
make certain restricted payments or take certain restricted actions and enter into certain sale-leaseback arrangements.  Our note 
purchase agreement contains customary restrictive covenants, among other things, placing limits on our ability to incur liens on 
assets, incur additional debt, transfer or sell our assets, merge or consolidate with other persons or enter into material transactions 
with affiliates.  Our credit facility and note purchase agreement also require us to maintain certain financial covenants.

Our failure to comply with the obligations under our credit facility may result in an event of default, which, if not cured or waived, 
may cause accelerated repayment of the indebtedness under the credit facility and could result in a cross default under our note 
purchase agreement.  We cannot be certain we will have sufficient funds available to pay any accelerated repayments or we will 
have the ability to refinance accelerated repayments on terms favorable to us or at all.

Costs related to product defects, including product liability costs, could adversely affect our profitability.

We incur various expenses related to product defects, including product warranty costs, product recall and retrofit costs and product 
liability costs.  These expenses relative to product sales vary and could increase.  We use chemicals and materials in our products 
and include components in our products from external suppliers, which we believe are safe and appropriate for their designated 
use; however, harmful effects may become known which could subject us to litigation, including health-related litigation, and 
significant losses.  We maintain reserves for product defect-related costs based on estimates and our knowledge of circumstances 
indicating the need for such reserves.  We cannot, however, be certain these reserves will be adequate to cover actual product 
defect-related claims in the future.  We also purchase insurance coverage to reduce our exposure to significant levels of product 
liability claims and maintain a reserve for our self-insured losses based upon estimates of the aggregate liability using claims 
experience and actuarial assumptions, but we cannot be certain insurance would cover all losses related to product claims.  Incorrect 
estimates or any significant increase in the rate of our product defect expenses could have a material adverse effect on operations.

We may require additional capital in the future, which may not be available or may be available only on unfavorable terms.

Our  capital  requirements  depend  on  many  factors,  including  capital  improvements,  tooling,  new  product  development  and 
acquisitions.  To the extent our existing capital is insufficient to meet these requirements and cover any losses, we may need to 
raise additional funds through financings or curtail our growth and reduce our assets.  Our ability to generate cash depends on 
economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that may be beyond our control.  Future borrowings or 
financings may not be available to us under our credit facility or otherwise in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our debt or 
meet our liquidity needs.

Any equity or debt financing, if available at all, could have terms unfavorable to us.  In addition, financings could result in dilution 
to our shareholders or the securities may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our common stock.  If our need 
for capital arises because of significant losses, the occurrence of these losses may make it more difficult for us to raise the necessary 
capital.

Our sales to the U.S. government have declined in recent years and our sales to the U.S. state and local governments are subject 
to uncertain future funding levels and federal, state and local procurement laws and are governed by restrictive contract terms; 
any of these factors could limit current or future business.

We derive a portion of our revenue from sales to various U.S. federal, state and local government agencies and departments.  Our 
ability to compete successfully for and retain business with the U.S. government, as well as with state and local governments, is 
highly dependent on cost-effective performance.  Our government business is highly sensitive to changes in procurement laws; 
national, international, state and local public priorities; and budgets at all levels of government, which have recently experienced 
downward pressure and, in the case of the federal budget, are subject to uncertainty due to continuing budget cuts.  Although sales 
to the federal government increased by 10% in 2014, after falling 28% and 26% in fiscal years 2013 and 2012, respectively, they 
may decline going forward, which could adversely impact our operating results.

Our contracts with government entities are subject to various statutes and regulations that apply to companies doing business with 
the government.  The U.S. government as well as state and local governments can typically terminate or modify their contracts 
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with us either for their convenience or if we default by failing to perform under the terms of the applicable contract.  A termination 
arising out of our default could expose us to liability and impede our ability to compete in the future for contracts and orders with 
agencies and departments at all levels of government.  Moreover, we are subject to investigation and audit for compliance with 
the  requirements  governing  government  contracts,  including  requirements  related  to  procurement  integrity,  export  controls, 
employment practices, the accuracy of records and reporting of costs.  If we were found to not be a responsible supplier or to have 
committed fraud or certain criminal offenses, we could be suspended or debarred from all further federal, state or local government 
contracting.

Increased government focus on enforcement may significantly increase our operating costs.

The federal government has increased its focus on enforcement under a wide range of laws and regulations impacting our business, 
particularly in the following areas:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

antitrust and competition;
foreign corrupt practices;
government contracting;
securities and public company reporting;
labor and employment practices;
fraud and abuse; and
tax reporting.

Should we become the target of a government investigation or enforcement action, we could incur significant costs and suffer 
damage to our reputation which could adversely impact our business, operating results or financial condition.

Our implementation and use of a new business software system, and accompanying transformation of our business processes, 
could result in problems that could negatively impact our business and results of operations.

We are engaged in a multi-year, company-wide program to implement new integrated software systems (the "System") to support 
and streamline our business processes.  We expect implementation of the System will require transformation of business and 
financial processes to realize the full benefits of the project.  Significant efforts are required to design, test and implement the 
System, requiring investment of resources, including additional selling, general and administrative and capital expenditures.  There 
can be no assurance other issues relating to System implementation will not occur, including compatibility issues, integration 
challenges and delays, and higher than expected implementation costs.  Additionally, when implemented, the System could function 
improperly or not deliver the projected benefits, which could significantly disrupt our business, including our ability to provide 
quotes,  process  orders,  ship  products,  invoice  customers,  process  payments,  generate  management  and  financial  reports  and 
otherwise run our business.  Our business and results of operations may be adversely affected if we experience problems related 
to the System. 

We rely on information technology systems to manage numerous aspects of our business, and a disruption or failure of these 
systems could adversely affect our business.

In the ordinary course of business, we rely upon information technology networks and systems to process, transmit and store 
electronic information, and to manage numerous aspects of our business and provide information to management.  Additionally, 
we collect and store sensitive data of our customers and suppliers, as well as personally identifiable information of our employees, 
in data centers and on information technology networks. The secure operation of these information technology networks, and the 
processing and maintenance of this information, is critical to our business operations and strategy. These networks and systems, 
despite security and precautionary measures, are vulnerable to, among other things, damage and interruption from power loss or 
natural disasters, computer system and network failures, loss of telecommunications services, physical and electronic loss of data, 
security breaches, hackers and employee misuse. We may face unauthorized attempts by hackers seeking to harm us or as a result 
of industrial espionage to penetrate our network security and gain access to our network, steal intellectual or other proprietary 
data, including design, sales or personally identifiable information, introduce malicious software or interrupt our internal systems, 
manufacturing or distribution.  Though we attempt to prevent and detect these incidents, we may not be successful.  Any disruption 
of our information technology networks or systems, or access to or disclosure of information stored in or transmitted by our 
systems, could result in legal claims and damages, loss of intellectual property or other proprietary information, including customer 
data, disrupt operations, result in competitive disadvantage and damage our reputation, which could adversely affect our business 
and results of operations.  We are also required to comply with certain information technology standards, including standards 
imposed by credit card providers regarding the storage, processing and transmission of cardholder data.  These standards continue 

-15-

 
 
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to become more challenging to meet, and any failure of our systems to meet these standards could result in our inability to accept 
certain forms of customer payments or risk of cardholder data being breached as described above.

Natural disasters, acts of God, force majeure events or other catastrophic events may impact the Corporation's production capacity 
and, in turn, negatively impact profitability.

Natural disasters, acts of God, force majeure events or other catastrophic events, including severe weather, military action, terrorist 
attacks, power interruptions and fires, could disrupt operations and likewise the ability to produce or deliver our products.  Several 
of our production facilities, members and key management are located within a small geographic area in eastern Iowa and a natural 
disaster or catastrophe in the area could have a significant adverse effect on our results of operations and business conditions.  
Further, several of our production facilities are single-site manufacturers of certain products, and an adverse event affecting any 
of  those  facilities  could  significantly  delay  production  of  certain  products  and  adversely  affect  our  operations  and  business 
conditions.  Members are an integral part of our business and events including an epidemic could reduce the availability of members 
reporting for work.  In the event we experience a temporary or permanent interruption in our ability to produce or deliver product, 
revenues could be reduced, and business could be materially adversely affected.  In addition, any continuing disruption in our 
computer system could adversely affect our ability to receive and process customers' orders, manufacture products and ship products 
on a timely basis and could adversely affect relations with customers, potentially resulting in reduction in orders from customers 
or loss of customers.  We maintain insurance to help protect us from costs relating to some of these events, but it may not be 
sufficient or paid in a timely manner in the event we suffer such an event.

Our business is subject to a number of other miscellaneous risks that may adversely affect our business, operating results or 
financial condition.

Other miscellaneous risks include, without limitation:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

reduced demand for our storage products caused by changes in office technology, including the change from paper record 
storage to electronic record storage;

our ability to realize cost savings and productivity improvements from our cost containment, business simplification, 
manufacturing consolidation and logistical realignment initiatives;

volatility in the market price and trading volume of equity securities may adversely affect the market price for our common 
stock;

our ability to protect our intellectual property, including trade secrets and key business operations data;

labor or other manufacturing inefficiencies due to items including new product introductions, a new operating system or 
turnover in personnel;

our ability to effectively manage working capital and maintain our effective tax rate;

potential claims by third parties that we infringed upon their intellectual property rights;

our insurance may not adequately (1) insulate us from expenses for product defects and the negligent acts and omissions 

of our members and agents and (2) compensate us for damages to our facilities and equipment and loss of business; and

• 

our ability to retain our experienced management team and recruit other key personnel.

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

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Table of Contents

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES

The Corporation maintains its corporate headquarters in Muscatine, Iowa, and conducts operations at locations throughout the 
United States, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India and Taiwan, which house manufacturing, distribution and retail operations and 
offices totaling an aggregate of approximately 10.4 million square feet.  Of this total, approximately 1.6 million square feet are 
leased.

Although the plants are of varying ages, the Corporation believes they are well maintained, equipped with modern and efficient 
equipment, in good operating condition and suitable for the purposes for which they are being used.  The Corporation has sufficient 
capacity to increase output at most locations by increasing the use of overtime or the number of production shifts employed.

The Corporation's principal manufacturing and distribution facilities (200,000 square feet in size or larger) are as follows:

Location
Cedartown, Georgia

Dongguan, China

Hickory, North Carolina
Lake City, Minnesota

Milan, Illinois
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine, Iowa

Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine, Iowa

Muscatine, Iowa
Nagpur, India

Orleans, Indiana
Paris, Kentucky

Temple, Texas
Temple, Texas

Wayland, New York

Approximate
Square Feet
550,000

1,007,716

206,316
241,500

244,017
288,006

272,900
578,284

236,100
636,250

237,800
355,135

1,196,946
300,000

395,372
354,000

716,484

Owned or
Leased
Owned

Owned

Owned
Owned

Leased
Owned

Owned
Owned

Owned
Owned

Owned
Owned

Owned
Owned

Owned
Leased

Owned

Description
of Use

Manufacturing office furniture (1)

Manufacturing office furniture (1)
Manufacturing office furniture

Manufacturing fireplaces
Warehousing office furniture components
Manufacturing fireplaces (1)

Manufacturing office furniture
Warehousing office furniture

Manufacturing office furniture
Manufacturing office furniture

Manufacturing office furniture
Manufacturing office furniture

Manufacturing office furniture (1)

Manufacturing fireplaces
Manufacturing office furniture
Warehousing office furniture

Manufacturing office furniture (1)

(1)  Also includes a regional warehouse/distribution center

Other Corporation facilities, under 200,000 square feet in size, are located in various communities throughout the United States, 
Canada, China, Hong Kong, India and Taiwan.  These facilities total approximately 2.6 million square feet with approximately 
1.4 million square feet used for the manufacture and distribution of office furniture and approximately 1.0 million square feet for 
hearth products.  Of this total, approximately 1.0 million square feet are leased.  The Corporation also leases sales showroom space 
in office furniture market centers in several major metropolitan areas.

There are no major encumbrances on Corporation-owned properties.  Refer to Property, Plant, and Equipment in the Notes to 
Consolidated Financial Statements for related cost, accumulated depreciation and net book value data.

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ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Corporation is involved in various kinds of disputes and legal proceedings that have arisen in the ordinary course of its 
business, including pending litigation, environmental remediation, taxes and other claims.  It is the Corporation’s opinion, after 
consultation with legal counsel, that liabilities, if any, resulting from these matters are not expected to have a material adverse 
effect on the Corporation’s financial condition, cash flows or on the Corporation’s quarterly or annual operating results when 
resolved in a future period.

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

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TABLE I
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT
January 3, 2015 

Name
Stan A. Askren

Family
Relationship
None

Age
54

Steven M. Bradford

57

None

Position

Chairman of the Board                
Chief Executive Officer        
President
Director
Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary

Position
Held Since
2004
2004
2003
2003
2008

Other Business Experience
During Past Five Years

Bradley D. Determan

53

None

Jerald K. Dittmer

57

None

Jeffrey D. Lorenger

49

None

Donald T. Mead

Donna D. Meade

Marco V. Molinari

Kurt A. Tjaden

55

49

55

51

None

None

None

None

Executive Vice President
President, Hearth & Home
Technologies Group
Executive Vice President,
President, The HON Company LLC

Executive Vice President
President, HNI Contract Furniture
Group

Executive Vice President
President, The Gunlocke Company
L.L.C.
Vice President, Member Relations

Executive Vice President
President, HNI International Inc.
Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer

2005
2003

2008
2008

2010
2014

2011
2008

2014

2006
2003
2008

President,  Hearth  &  Home 
Technologies LLC (2003-2015)

President, Allsteel, Inc. (2008-2014) 

and 
Vice  President,  Member 
Community Relations, Allsteel Inc. 
(2009-14); 
President, 
Vice 
Organizational  Development,  HNI 
(2005-2009)

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Table of Contents

PART II

ITEM 5.  MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND 
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

The Corporation’s common stock is listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the trading symbol HNI.  As 
of year-end 2014, the Corporation had 7,232 stockholders of record.

Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, St. Paul, Minnesota, serves as the Corporation’s transfer agent and registrar of its common 
stock.  Shareholders may report a change of address or make inquiries by writing or calling:  Wells Fargo Shareowner Services, 
P.O. Box 64874, St. Paul, MN 55164-0854 or telephone 800/468-9716.

Information regarding historical sale prices of and dividends paid on the Corporation's common stock is presented in the Investor 
Information section which follows the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed as part of this report and is incorporated 
herein by reference.

The Corporation expects to continue its policy of paying regular quarterly cash dividends.  Dividends have been paid each quarter 
since the Corporation paid its first dividend in 1955.  The average dividend payout percentage for the most recent three-year period 
has been 82% of prior year earnings.  Future dividends are dependent on future earnings, capital requirements and the Corporation’s 
financial condition, and are declared in the sole discretion of the Corporation’s Board of Directors.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities:

The following is a summary of share repurchase activity during the quarter ended January 3, 2015.    

(a) Total Number
of Shares (or
Units) Purchased
(1)

(b) Average
Price Paid
per Share or
Unit

36,300

344,850
321,750

702,900

$41.61

$45.86
$47.41

(d) Maximum
Number (or 
Approximate
Dollar Value) of
Shares (or Units)
that May Yet be 
Purchased Under
the Plans or
Programs

$50,446,317

$234,631,970
$219,378,434

(c) Total Number 
of
Shares (or Units)
Purchased as Part 
of Publicly 
Announced
Plans or Programs

36,300

344,850
321,750

702,900

Period

9/28/14 - 10/25/14

10/26/14 - 11/22/14
11/23/14 - 1/03/15

Total

(1) No shares were purchased outside of a publicly announced plan or program.

The Corporation repurchases shares under previously announced plans authorized by the Board as follows:

• 

Plan announced November 9, 2007, providing share repurchase authorization of $200,000,000 with no specific expiration 
date, with increase announced November 7, 2014, providing additional share repurchase authorization of $200,000,000 
with no specific expiration date.

•  No repurchase plans expired or were terminated during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, nor do any plans exist under 

which the Corporation does not intend to make further purchases.

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ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA — FIVE-YEAR SUMMARY

Per Common Share Data (Basic and Dilutive)

Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations
Attributable to HNI Corporation – basic

Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations
Attributable to HNI Corporation – diluted

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to HNI
Corporation – basic

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to HNI
Corporation – diluted

Cash Dividends

Book Value – year-end

Net Working Capital – year-end

Operating Results (Thousands of Dollars)

Net Sales

Gross Profit as a % of Net Sales
Interest Expense

Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations as a
% of Net Sales
Discontinued Operations
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to HNI
Corporation
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to HNI
Corporation as a % of Net Sales

Cash Dividends
% Return on Average Shareholders’ Equity

Depreciation and Amortization

Financial Position (Thousands of Dollars)

Current Assets
Current Liabilities

Working Capital
Current Ratio

$

$

$

$

$

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

$

1.37

$

1.41

$

1.08

$

1.03

$

1.35

1.37

1.35

0.99

9.39
(0.04)

1.39

1.41

1.39

0.96

9.70

0.48

1.07

1.08

1.07

0.95

9.35

0.29

1.01

1.03

1.01

0.92

9.34

1.10

0.66

0.65

0.60

0.59

0.86

9.10

1.14

$ 2,222,695

$ 2,059,964

$ 2,004,003

$ 1,833,450

$ 1,686,728

35.3%

8,336

$

34.7%
9,906

$

61,155

63,369

34.4%

34.9%

34.7%

$

10,865

48,326

$

11,951

45,748

11,903

29,681

2.8%
— $

3.1%
— $

2.4%
— $

2.5%
— $

1.8%
(2,558)

61,471

63,683

48,967

45,986

26,941

$

$

$

2.8%

44,328

14.4%

56,722

455,559
457,333
(1,774)
1.00

$

$

$

3.1%

43,494

14.9%

46,621

433,228
411,584

21,644
1.05

$

$

$

2.4%

43,041

11.7%

43,360

402,375
389,171

13,204
1.03

2.5%

41,250

11.1%

46,287

431,504
382,270

49,234
1.13

$

$

$

$

$

1.6%

38,737

6.5%

58,630

405,621
354,701

50,920
1.14

995,340

5.8%

150,111
407,985

Total Assets
% Return on Beginning Assets Employed
Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations $
Shareholders’ Equity

$ 1,239,334

$ 1,134,705

$ 1,077,066

$ 1,051,722

9.9%

9.8%

8.3%

8.2%

197,736
414,587

$

150,197
436,328

$

150,372
420,359

$

150,540
419,057

Current Share Data

Number of Shares Outstanding at Year-End
Weighted-Average Shares Outstanding During
Year – basic
Weighted-Average Shares Outstanding During
Year – diluted
Number of Shareholders of Record at Year-End

Other Operational Data

Capital Expenditures (Thousands of Dollars)

$

Members (Employees) at Year-End

2014 reflects a 53-week year

44,165,676

44,981,865

44,950,703

44,855,207

44,840,701

44,759,716

45,250,665

45,211,385

44,803,248

44,993,934

45,578,872
7,232

45,956,280
7,538

45,819,979
7,790

45,694,278
7,259

45,808,704
7,866

$

74,323

10,984

$

60,977

10,310

39,473

10,352

$

27,795

$

25,683

9,490

8,470

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ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF 
OPERATIONS

The following discussion of the Corporation’s historical results of operations and of its liquidity and capital resources should be 
read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Corporation and related notes.  Statements that are not 
historical are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and 
elsewhere in this report.

Overview

The Corporation has two reportable segments:  office furniture and hearth products.  The Corporation is a leading global office 
furniture  manufacturer  and  North America’s  leading  manufacturer  and  marketer  of  gas  and  wood  burning  fireplaces.  The 
Corporation utilizes its split and focus, decentralized business model to deliver value to its customers with various brands and 
selling models.  The Corporation is focused on growing its existing businesses while seeking out and developing new opportunities 
for growth.

The Corporation delivered strong top-line growth in both the office furniture and hearth products segments in 2014.  Growth in 
the office furniture segment was led by accelerating momentum in the contract channel.  The Corporation's hearth products segment 
leveraged its leading market position to increase sales and drive significant profit improvement as the housing market continued 
to recover and demand for alternative fuel products increased.  The Corporation continued its disciplined approach to managing 
cost and made the decision to close three office furniture manufacturing facilities and consolidate production into existing facilities 
in 2014.  The Corporation also remained committed to long-term profitable growth across its core businesses and increased the 
amount of focused investments in selling, marketing, manufacturing and product initiatives.  The Corporation completed the 
acquisition of Vermont Castings Group ("VCG"), a manufacturer of free-standing hearth stoves and fireplaces, during the fourth 
quarter of 2014.

Net sales during 2014 were $2.2 billion, an increase of 7.9 percent, compared to net sales of $2.1 billion in 2013.  The sales increase 
was driven by increased volume in both the supplies-driven and contract channels of the office furniture segment as well as both 
the new construction and remodel/retrofit channels of the hearth products segment.  Fiscal 2014 included 53 weeks compared to 
52 weeks in 2013.  Due to the Corporation's holiday schedule and production shutdowns, the extra week had minimal impact on 
net sales and operating income.  

The Corporation recorded $29.4 million of goodwill and intangible impairment charges during 2014 related to reporting units in 
the office furniture segment acquired over the past four years due to current and projected market conditions and product and 
operational transformation. 

Management  is  optimistic  about  the  office  furniture  and  hearth  markets.   The  Corporation  will  continue  to  invest  in  selling, 
marketing and product initiatives and remain focused on improving operations and reducing cost.

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Table of Contents

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth the percentage of consolidated net sales represented by certain items reflected in the Corporation’s 
Consolidated Statements of Income for the periods indicated.

Fiscal
Net Sales
Cost of products sold
Gross profit
Selling and administrative expenses
(Gain) loss on sale of assets
Restructuring related charges
Operating income
Interest income (expense) net
Income before income taxes
Income taxes
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest
Net income attributable to HNI Corporation

Net Sales

2014

2013

2012

100.0%
64.7
35.3
29.2
(0.5)
1.5
5.1
(0.4)
4.7
2.0
—
2.8%

100.0%
65.3
34.7
29.4
0.1
—
5.1
(0.5)
4.7
1.6
—
3.1%

100.0%
65.6
34.4
29.9
—
0.1
4.4
(0.5)
3.9
1.5
—
2.4%

Net sales during 2014 were $2.2 billion, an increase of 7.9 percent, compared to net sales of $2.1 billion in 2013.   Both the office 
furniture segment and the hearth products segment experienced better price realization and increased volume.  Compared to the 
prior year, the acquisition of VCG net of divestitures of several small businesses, including office furniture dealers, increased sales 
$7.5 million.  Fiscal 2014 included 53 weeks compared to 52 weeks in 2013.  Due to the Corporation's holiday schedule and 
production shutdowns, the extra week had minimal impact on net sales and operating income.  

Net sales during 2013 were $2.1 billion, an increase of 2.8 percent, compared to net sales of $2.0 billion in 2012.  The office 
furniture segment experienced better price realization and increased volume in commercial markets offset by a 28 percent decline 
in sales to the federal government.  The hearth products segment experienced increased volume and better price realization in both 
the new construction and remodel/retrofit channels.  Compared to prior year, divestitures of several small businesses, including 
office furniture dealers, partially offset by the acquisition of BP Ergo, reduced sales $27.5 million.

Gross Profit

Gross profit as a percent of net sales increased 60 basis points in 2014 as compared to 2013 due to higher volume, better price 
realization and strong operational performance offset partially by unfavorable product mix, investments in operations, higher 
warranty costs and increased restructuring and transition costs.  Gross profit as a percent of net sales increased 30 basis points in 
2013 as compared to 2012 due to higher volume, better price realization and lower material costs offset partially by unfavorable 
mix, new product ramp-up and operation reconfiguration costs to meet changing market demand.

Selling and Administrative Expenses

Selling and administrative expenses increased 7.0 percent in 2014 and 1.1 percent in 2013.  The increase in 2014 was due to 
volume related expenses, increased freight costs due to carrier capacity constraints, investments in selling and growth initiatives, 
increased group medical costs, higher incentive-based compensation and costs associated with an acquisition.  The increase in 
2013 was due to volume related expenses, investments in selling and growth initiatives and higher incentive-based compensation.  

Selling  and  administrative  expenses  include  freight  expense  for  shipments  to  customers,  product  development  costs  and 
amortization expense of intangible assets.  Refer to Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Goodwill and Other Intangible 
Assets in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding the comparative expense levels for 
these items.

Gain/Loss on Sale of Assets

The Corporation realized gains totaling $10.7 million on the sale of two facilities and California air emission credits in 2014.  The
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Corporation realized a $2.5 million loss on the sale of a non-core office furniture business in 2013.

Restructuring and Impairment Charges

During 2014, the Corporation made decisions to close three office furniture manufacturing facilities located in Florence, Alabama, 
Chicago,  Illinois  and  Nalagarh,  India  and  consolidate  production  into  existing  office  furniture  manufacturing  facilities.    In 
connection with these decisions the Corporation recorded $8.8 million of pre-tax charges which included $5.2 million of accelerated 
depreciation on machinery and equipment recorded in cost of sales and $3.6 million of severance and facility exit costs which 
were recorded as restructuring charges during the year. The closure and consolidation of these facilities is expected to be substantially 
completed by the first quarter of 2015. The Corporation anticipates additional restructuring costs of approximately $1 million 
related to these closures during 2015.

During 2011, the Corporation made the decision to transition out of its Lithia Springs, Georgia office furniture distribution center 
and the transition was completed in the fourth quarter of 2012.  In addition, during 2011, the Corporation made the decision to 
consolidate some office furniture manufacturing production from its Hickory, North Carolina facility into its Wayland, New York 
facility.   During 2012, the Corporation recorded current period charges which included $0.3 million of accelerated depreciation 
of machinery and equipment recorded in cost of sales and $1.5 million of severance and facility exit costs recorded as restructuring 
costs.  These included impairment of leasehold improvements of $0.2 million which was a non-cash transaction.

During 2010, the Corporation completed the shutdown of an office furniture facility in South Gate, California and consolidated 
production into existing office furniture manufacturing facilities.  During 2012 and 2013, the Corporation incurred $0.4 million 
and  $0.3  million  of  current  period  charges  due  to  ongoing  costs  related  to  a  vacant  building  recorded  as  restructuring  costs, 
respectively.

The Corporation recorded $29.4 million of goodwill and intangible impairments in 2014 related to two recently acquired reporting 
units in the office furniture segment due to current and projected market conditions and costs associated with product and operational 
transformation.

Operating Income

Operating income increased $6.9 million to $112.8 million in 2014, compared to $106.0 million in 2013.  The increase was due 
to higher volume, better price realization, strong operational performance and gains on sale of assets.  These were offset partially 
by  investments  in  operations,  unfavorable  product  mix,  increased  warranty  costs,  higher  freight  costs  due  to  carrier  capacity 
constraints, increased group medical costs, higher incentive-based compensation and restructuring, impairment and transition 
costs.  Operating income increased $18.4 million to $106.0 million in 2013, compared to $87.6 million in 2012.  The increase was 
due  to  higher  volume,  better  price  realization,  lower  material  costs  and  distribution  network  realignment  savings  and  lower 
restructuring costs.  These were offset partially by new product ramp-up, facility reconfiguration to meet changing market demands, 
selling, marketing and product initiatives, higher incentive-based compensation and a loss on the sale of a small non-core business.  

Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes reflect an effective tax rate of 41.7 percent, 34.5 percent and 37.7 percent for 2014, 2013 and 2012, 
respectively.  The current year increase in the effective tax rate was primarily driven by the non-deductibility of goodwill impairment.  
On December 19, 2014 the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 was signed into law which extended several expired tax incentives 
including the Research Tax Credit and bonus depreciation.  The impact of this legislation, resulting in a benefit of $2.6 million, 
was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2014.  The decrease in 2013 was primarily driven by the federal research and development 
credit extension which was effective from January 2, 2013, resulting in both the 2012 and 2013 related credits of $1.3 million 
each being recognized in fiscal 2013.  

Net Income Attributable to HNI Corporation

Net income attributable to HNI Corporation decreased 3.5 percent to $61.5 million in 2014 compared to $63.7 million in 2013 
and $49.0 million in 2012.  Net income per diluted share decreased 2.9 percent to $1.35 in 2014 compared to $1.39 in 2013 and 
$1.07 in 2012.  

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Office Furniture

Office  furniture  comprised  78  percent,  82  percent  and  84  percent  of  consolidated  net  sales  for  2014,  2013  and  2012, 
respectively.  Net sales for office furniture increased $53.8 million or 3.2 percent in 2014 to $1.739 billion compared to $1.685 
billion in 2013 including increased price realization of $36 million.  Compared to prior year, divestitures of several small businesses, 
including office furniture dealers, reduced sales by $17.7 million.  The Corporation experienced growth in both the supplies-driven 
and contract channels.  

Net sales for office furniture decreased $2.1 million or 0.1 percent in 2013 to $1.685 billion compared to $1.687 billion in 2012 
including increased price realization of $30 million.  Compared to prior year, divestitures of several small businesses, including 
office furniture dealers, partially offset by the acquisition of BP Ergo, reduced sales by $27.5 million.  The Corporation experienced 
growth in both the supplies-driven and contract channels which was more than offset by a large decline in sales to the federal 
government.  BIFMA reported 2014 shipments up 4 percent from 2013 levels which were up 1 percent from 2012 levels.

Operating profit as a percent of net sales was 5.0 percent in 2014, 5.8 percent in 2013 and 5.4 percent in 2012.  The decrease in 
operating margins in 2014 was due to unfavorable product mix, investment in operations, higher freight costs due to carrier capacity 
constraints, increased incentive-based compensation, restructuring charges, goodwill and intangible impairments and transition 
costs.  These were partially offset by higher volume, better price realization, strong operational performance and gains on sale of 
assets.  The increase in operating margins in 2013 was due to better price realization, lower material costs, distribution network 
realignment savings and lower restructuring costs.  These were partially offset by unfavorable mix, new product ramp-up, facility 
reconfiguration costs to meet changing market demands and loss on the sale of a small non-core business. 

Hearth Products

Hearth products sales increased $108.9 million or 29.1 percent in 2014 to $484 million compared to $375 million in 2013 including 
increased price realization of $6 million and incremental sales from the VCG acquisition of $25 million.  The sales increase was 
also due to an increase in both the new construction channel due to the continued housing market recovery and the remodel/retrofit 
channel due to strong biofuel product sales.  

Hearth products sales increased 18.3 percent in 2013 to $375 million compared to $317 million in 2012 including increased price 
realization of $5 million.  The sales increase was also due to an increase in the new construction channel due to housing market 
recovery and the remodel/retrofit channel due to strong remodeling activity.     

Operating profit as a percent of sales in 2014 was 15.9 percent compared to 12.5 percent in 2013 and 8.4 percent in 2012.  The 
increase in operating margins in 2014 was due to higher volume and better price realization.  These were partially offset by increased 
material costs, higher warranty expense, increased incentive-based compensation and impact of the acquisition.  The increase in 
operating margins in 2013 was due to higher volume, better price realization and lower material costs.  These were partially offset 
by investments in growth initiatives and higher incentive-based compensation.   

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash Flow – Operating Activities

Cash generated from operating activities in 2014 totaled $167.8 million compared to $165.0 million generated in 2013.  Changes 
in working capital balances resulted in a $3.7 million use of cash in 2014 compared to $11.5 million source of cash in the prior 
year.  Cash generated from operating activities in 2012 totaled $144.8 million and changes in working capital balances resulted 
in a $32.9 million source of cash.

The use of cash related to working capital balance in 2014 was primarily driven from higher inventory of $23.4 million due to 
strategic initiatives, impact of west coast port congestion and timing of shipments.  This use of cash was offset partially by an $8.6 
million decrease in trade receivables due to strong collection efforts and timing and a $15.7 million increase in current liabilities.  
The increase in current liabilities is comprised of a $15.0 million increase in trade accounts payable, an $11.9 million increase in 
other accruals, namely compensation, benefit and marketing accruals offset by an $11.2 million decrease in tax related accruals.

The source of cash related to working capital balances in 2013 was primarily driven from lower inventory of $1.6 million and 
increased current liabilities of $30.4 million.  The increase in current liabilities is comprised of a $14.6 million increase in trade 
accounts payable, an $11.3 million increase in other accruals, namely compensation, marketing and freight expense accruals and 

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a $4.5 million increase in tax-related accruals.  These sources of cash were offset partially by a $21.0 million increase in trade 
receivables due to increased sales during the fourth quarter.

The source of cash related to working capital balances in 2012 was primarily driven from lower inventory of $9.5 million and 
increased current liabilities of $32.2 million.  The increase in current liabilities is comprised of a $25.4 million increase in trade 
accounts payable, a $2.1 million increase in other accruals, namely compensation and marketing expense accruals and a $4.7 
million increase in tax-related accruals.  These sources of cash were offset partially by a $7.0 million increase in trade receivables 
due to increased sales during the fourth quarter.

The Corporation places special emphasis on management and control of working capital with a particular focus on trade receivables 
and inventory levels.  The success achieved in managing receivables is in large part a result of doing business with quality customers 
and maintaining close communication with them.  Management believes recorded trade receivable valuation allowances at the 
end of 2014 are adequate to cover the risk of potential bad debts.  Allowances for non-collectible trade receivables, as a percent 
of gross trade receivables, totaled 2.1 percent, 2.6 percent and 2.4 percent at the end of fiscal years 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. 
The Corporation’s inventory turns were 12, 15 and 14, for fiscal years 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  The decrease in current 
year inventory turns was due to strategic initiatives, west coast port congestion and timing of shipments.

Cash Flow – Investing Activities

Capital expenditures, including capitalized software, were $112.7 million in 2014, $78.9 million in 2013 and $60.3 million in 
2012.  These expenditures continue to focus on machinery, equipment and tooling required to support new products, continuous 
improvements  in  our  manufacturing  processes  and  cost  savings  initiatives  as  well  as  the  implementation  of  new  integrated 
information systems to support business process transformation.  The Corporation anticipates capital expenditures for 2015 to 
total $110 million to $115 million, primarily related to new products, operational process improvements and capabilities and the 
business process transformation project referred to above.

In 2014, the investing activities reflected a net cash outflow of $61.8 million related to the acquisition of VCG.  The acquisition 
of VCG adds brands, strong customer relationships and quality products to the Corporation's Hearth and Home Technologies 
business.  In 2012, the investing activities reflected a net cash outflow of $25.5 million related to the acquisition of BP Ergo and 
$1.5 million related to the acquisition of a pellet stove business.  The addition of BP Ergo provides the Corporation a presence in 
the India office furniture market. Refer to the Business Combination note in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for 
additional information.    

In 2014, the Corporation completed the sales of a facility located in South Gate, California, a facility and equipment located in 
Chicago, Illinois and California air emission credits.  The proceeds from these sales of $16 million are reflected in the Consolidated 
Statement of Cash Flows as “Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment” for  2014.

Cash Flow – Financing Activities

On September 28, 2011, the Corporation amended and restated its existing revolving credit facility dated June 11, 2010.  The 
Corporation increased its borrowing capacity from $150 million to $250 million and has the option to increase its borrowing 
capacity by an additional $100 million.  The Corporation also extended the term to the earlier of (i) September 28, 2016 or (ii) the 
date  90  days  prior  to  the  maturity  date  of  the  Corporation's  senior  notes  (April  6,  2016),  subject  to  certain  exceptions. The  
Corporation effectively decreased interest costs.  Amounts borrowed under the credit agreement may be borrowed, repaid and 
reborrowed from time to time. The Corporation paid approximately $1.2 million of debt issuance costs that are being amortized 
straight-line over the term of the credit agreement.  During 2014 net borrowings under the revolving credit facility peaked at $60 
million.  As of January 3, 2015, there was $47.7 million outstanding under the revolving credit facility classified as long-term as 
the Corporation does not expect to repay the borrowings within a year.

In 2006, the Corporation refinanced $150 million of borrowings outstanding under its prior revolving credit facility with 5.54 
percent, ten-year unsecured Senior Notes due in 2016 issued through the private placement debt market.  Interest payments are 
due semi-annually on April 1 and October 1 of each year and the principal is due in a lump sum in 2016.  The Corporation currently 
expects to be able to refinance the debt under is credit facility and its Senior Notes when given its past history.  However, if there 
is a deterioration in the credit markets, the Corporation's ability to refinance such debt may be adversely affected.

Additional borrowing capacity of $250 million is available through the revolving credit facility in the event cash generated from 
operations should be inadequate to meet future needs.  The Corporation does not currently expect access to future capital to be a 
constraint on planned growth.  Long-term debt, including capital lease obligations, was 32%, 26% and 26% of total capitalization 
as of January 3, 2015,  December 28, 2013 and  December 29, 2012, respectively.

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The credit agreement governing the revolving credit facility and the note purchase agreement pertaining to the Senior Notes contain 
covenants that, among other things, restrict, subject to certain exceptions, our ability to:

incur additional indebtedness and lease obligations and make guarantees;
create liens on assets;
engage in any material line of business substantially different from existing lines of business;
sell assets;

• 
• 
• 
• 
•  make investments, loans and advances, including acquisitions;
• 
• 
• 

engage in sale-leaseback transactions in excess of $50 million in the aggregate;
repay the Senior Notes or enter into certain amendments thereof; and
engage in certain transactions with affiliates.

The  credit  agreement  governing  the  revolving  credit  facility  contains  a  number  of  covenants,  including  covenants  requiring 
maintenance of the following financial ratios as of the end of any fiscal quarter:

• 

• 

• 

a consolidated interest coverage ratio of not less than 4.0 to 1.0, based upon the ratio of (a) consolidated EBITDA (as 
defined in the credit agreement) for the last four fiscal quarters to (b) the sum of consolidated interest charges; and
a consolidated leverage ratio of not greater than 3.0 to 1.0, based upon the ratio of (a) the quarter-end consolidated funded 
indebtedness (as defined in the credit agreement) to (b) consolidated EBITDA for the last four fiscal quarters; or
a consolidated leverage ratio of not greater than 3.5 to 1.0, based upon the ratio of (a) the quarter-end consolidated funded 
indebtedness  to  (b)  consolidated  EBITDA  for  the  last  four  fiscal  quarters  following  any  qualifying  debt  financed 
acquisition.

The note purchase agreement governing the Senior Notes also contains a number of covenants, including a covenant requiring 
maintenance of consolidated debt to consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the note purchase agreement) of not greater than 3.5 to 
1.0, based upon the ratio of (a) the quarter-end consolidated funded indebtedness (as defined in the note purchase agreement) to 
(b) consolidated EBITDA for the last four fiscal quarters.

The revolving credit facility and Senior Notes are the primary sources of committed funding from which the Corporation finances 
its planned capital expenditures, strategic initiatives such as repurchases of common stock and certain working capital needs.  Non-
compliance with the various financial covenant ratios could prevent the Corporation from being able to access further borrowings 
under the revolving credit facility, require immediate repayment of all amounts outstanding with respect to the revolving credit 
facility and Senior Notes and increase the cost of borrowing.

The most restrictive of the financial covenants is the consolidated leverage ratio requirement of 3.0 to 1.0 included in the credit 
agreement governing the revolving credit facility.  Under the credit agreement, adjusted EBITDA is defined as consolidated net 
income before interest expense, income taxes and depreciation and amortization of intangibles, as well as non-cash nonrecurring 
charges and all non-cash items increasing net income.  At January 3, 2015, the Corporation was well below this ratio at 1.14 and 
was in compliance with all of the covenants and other restrictions in the credit agreement and note purchase agreement.  The 
Corporation currently expects to remain in compliance over the next twelve months.

During 2014, the Corporation repurchased 1,665,850 shares of its common stock at a cost of approximately $67.9 million, or an 
average price of $40.76 per share.  The Board authorized $200 million on November 9, 2007, and an additional $200 million on 
November 7, 2014, for repurchases of the Corporation’s common stock.  As of January 3, 2015 approximately $219.4 million of 
this authorized amount remained unspent.   During 2013, the Corporation repurchased 740,000 shares of its common stock at a 
cost of approximately $27.5 million, or an average price of $37.15 per share.  During 2012, the Corporation repurchased 800,000 
shares of its common stock at a cost of approximately $21.0 million, or an average price of $26.28 per share.       

A cash dividend has been paid every quarter since April 15, 1955, and quarterly dividends are expected to continue.  Cash dividends 
were $0.99 per common share for 2014, $0.96 for 2013 and $0.95 for 2012.  The last quarterly dividend increase was from $0.24 
to $0.25 per common share effective with the May 30, 2014 dividend payment for shareholders of record at the close of business 
on May 16, 2014.  The average dividend payout percentage for the most recent three-year period has been 82 percent of prior year 
earnings or 29 percent of prior year cash flow from operating activities.

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $37.2 million at the end of 2014 compared to $72.3 million at the end 
of 2013 and $49.0 million at the end of 2012.  These funds, coupled with cash from future operations, borrowing capacity under 
the existing facility and the ability to access capital markets are expected to be adequate to fund operations and satisfy cash flow 
needs for at least the next twelve months.  As of the end of 2014, $17.1 million of cash was held overseas and considered permanently 

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reinvested.  If such amounts were repatriated it could result in additional tax expense to the Corporation.  The Corporation does 
not believe asserting this cash as permanently reinvested will have any impact on its liquidity.

Contractual Obligations
The following table discloses the Corporation’s obligations and commitments to make future payments under contracts:

(In thousands)

Long-term debt obligations, including
estimated interest (1)

Capital lease obligations

Operating lease obligations

Purchase obligations (2)

Other long-term obligations (3)

Total

Payments Due by Period

Total

Less than
1 Year

1 – 3
Years

3 – 5
Years

More than
5 Years

$

209,679

$

9,222

$

200,457

$

108

91,692

68,040

48,630

108

28,811

68,040

4,420

—

36,623

—

12,318

— $

—

15,213

—

3,412

$

418,149

$

110,601

$

249,398

$

18,625

$

—

—

11,045

—

28,480

39,525

(1)  Interest has been included for all debt at the fixed or variable rate in effect as of January 3, 2015, as applicable.

(2)  Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable, legally binding and specify 

all significant terms, including the quantity to be purchased, the price to be paid and the timing of the purchase.

(3)  Other long-term obligations represent payments due to members who are participants in the Corporation’s deferred and 
long-term  incentive  compensation  programs,  liability  for  unrecognized  tax  liabilities  and  contribution  and  benefit 
payments  expected  to  be  made  pursuant  to  the  Corporation’s  post-retirement  benefit  plans.  It  should  be  noted  the 
obligations related to post-retirement benefit plans are not contractual and the plans could be amended at the discretion 
of the Corporation.  The disclosure of contributions and benefit payments has been limited to 10 years, as information 
beyond this time period was not available.

Litigation and Uncertainties
The Corporation is involved in various kinds of disputes and legal proceedings that have arisen in the ordinary course of business, 
including pending litigation, environmental remediation, taxes and other claims.  It is the Corporation’s opinion, after consultation 
with legal counsel, that additional liabilities, if any, resulting from these matters are not expected to have a material adverse effect 
on the Corporation’s financial condition, cash flows or on the Corporation’s quarterly or annual operating results when resolved 
in a future period.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Corporation does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future
material effect on the Corporation's financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures
or capital resources.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

General

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon the Consolidated Financial 
Statements, prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP").  The preparation of these financial 
statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue 
and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities.  Management bases its estimates on historical experience 
and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis 
for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.  Senior 
management has discussed the development, selection and disclosure of these estimates with the Audit Committee of the Board.  
Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

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An accounting policy is deemed to be critical if it requires an accounting estimate be made based on assumptions about matters 
uncertain at the time the estimate is made, and if different estimates that reasonably could have been used, or changes in the 
accounting estimates that are reasonably likely to occur periodically, could materially impact the financial statements.  Management 
believes the following critical accounting policies reflect its more significant estimates and assumptions used in the preparation 
of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Fiscal year-end – The Corporation follows a 52/53-week fiscal year which ends on the Saturday nearest December 31.  Fiscal 
year 2014 ended on January 3, 2015; 2013 ended on December 28, 2013; and 2012 ended on December 29, 2012.  The financial 
statements for fiscal year 2014 are on a 53-week basis.  The financial statements for fiscal years 2013 and 2012 are on a 52-week 
basis.  A 53-week year occurs approximately every sixth year.

Revenue recognition – Sales of office furniture and hearth products are generally recognized when title transfers and the risks and 
rewards of ownership have passed to customers.  Typically title and risk of ownership transfer when the product is shipped.  In 
certain circumstances, title and risk of ownership do not transfer until the goods are received by the customer or upon installation 
or customer acceptance.  Revenue includes freight charged to customers; related costs are included in selling and administrative 
expense.  Rebates, discounts and other marketing program expenses directly related to the sale are recorded as a reduction to 
sales.  Marketing program accruals require the use of management estimates and the consideration of contractual arrangements 
subject to interpretation.  Customer sales that achieve or do not achieve certain award levels can affect the amount of such estimates, 
and actual results could differ from these estimates.  Future market conditions may require increased incentive offerings, possibly 
resulting in an incremental reduction in net sales at the time the incentive is offered.

Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable – The allowance for doubtful accounts receivable is based on several factors, including 
overall customer credit quality, historical write-off experience, the length of time a receivable has been outstanding and specific 
account analysis that projects the ultimate collectability of the account.  As such, these factors may change over time causing the 
Corporation to adjust the reserve level accordingly.

When the Corporation determines a customer is unlikely to pay, a charge is recorded to bad debt expense in the income statement 
and the allowance for doubtful accounts is increased.  When the Corporation is reasonably certain the customer cannot pay, the 
receivable is written off by removing the accounts receivable amount and reducing the allowance for doubtful accounts accordingly.

As of January 3, 2015, there was approximately $245 million in outstanding accounts receivable and $5 million recorded in the 
allowance for doubtful accounts to cover potential future customer non-payments.  However, if economic conditions deteriorate 
significantly or one of the Corporation’s large customers declares bankruptcy, a larger allowance for doubtful accounts might be 
necessary.  The allowance for doubtful accounts was approximately $6 million at year-end 2013.

Inventory valuation – Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market.  Cost is principally determined using the last-in, first-
out ("LIFO") method.  The value of inventories on the LIFO basis represented about 71% and 74% of total inventories at January 3, 
2015 and December 28, 2013, respectively.  If the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method had been in use, inventories would have been 
$28.0 million and $27.7 million higher than reported at January 3, 2015 and December 28, 2013, respectively.

Long-lived assets - The Corporation reviews long-lived assets for impairment as events or changes in circumstances occur indicating 
the amount of the asset reflected in the Corporation’s balance sheet may not be recoverable.  The Corporation compares an estimate 
of undiscounted cash flows produced by the asset, or the appropriate group of assets, to the carrying value to determine whether 
impairment  exists.  The  estimates  of  future  cash  flows  involve  considerable  management  judgment  and  are  based  upon  the 
Corporation’s assumptions about future operating performance.  The actual cash flows could differ from management’s estimates 
due to changes in business conditions, operating performance and economic conditions.  Asset impairment charges associated 
with the Corporation’s restructuring activities are discussed in Restructuring Related and Impairment Charges in the Notes to 
Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Corporation’s continuous focus on improving the manufacturing process tends to increase the likelihood of assets being 
replaced; therefore, the Corporation is regularly evaluating the expected useful lives of its equipment which can result in accelerated 
depreciation.

Goodwill and other intangibles – The Corporation evaluates its goodwill for impairment on an annual basis during the fourth 
quarter or whenever indicators of impairment exist.  The Corporation had nine reporting units within its office furniture and hearth 
products  operating  segments,  which  contained  goodwill  during  the  fourth  quarter  analysis.  These  reporting  units  constitute 
components for which discrete financial information is available and regularly reviewed by segment management.    The accounting 
standards for goodwill permit entities to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not the fair value 
of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform a two-step goodwill 
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impairment test. The Corporation did not elect to use the qualitative assessment in 2014.  The Corporation performed a two-step 
goodwill impairment test for all reporting units.  In estimating the fair value of its reporting units, the Corporation relied on an 
average of the income approach and the market approach. In the income approach, the estimate of fair value of each reporting unit 
is based on management’s projection of revenues, gross margin, operating costs and cash flows considering historical and estimated 
future results, general economic and market conditions as well as the impact of planned business and operational strategies.  The 
valuations  employ  present  value  techniques  to  measure  fair  value  and  consider  market  factors.    In  the  market  approach,  the 
Corporation utilized the guideline company method, which involved calculating valuation multiples based on operating data from 
guideline publicly-traded companies.  These multiples were then applied to the operating data for the reporting units and adjusted 
for factors similar to those used in the discounted cash flow analysis.  Management believes the assumptions used for the impairment 
test are consistent with those utilized by a market participant in performing similar valuations of its reporting units.  Management 
bases its fair value estimates on assumptions they believe to be reasonable at the time, but such assumptions are subject to inherent 
uncertainty.  Actual results may differ from those estimates.  

If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an additional step is required to determine the implied fair 
value of goodwill associated with that reporting unit.  The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by first allocating the fair 
value of the reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities and then computing the excess of the reporting unit’s fair value over 
the amounts assigned to the assets and liabilities.  If the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill, 
such excess represents the amount of goodwill impairment and, accordingly, such impairment is recognized.

The decision to close a facility and exit a product line as well as lower expected growth than projected at one of the Corporation's 
recently acquired reporting units in the office furniture segment were identified as a triggering event for purposes of long-lived 
asset and goodwill impairment testing during the second quarter of 2014.  As a result the Corporation recognized pre-tax goodwill 
impairment expense of $8.9 million during the second quarter of 2014.  The remaining net goodwill as of January 3, 2015 for this 
reporting unit was $3 million.

As a result of the required annual impairment assessment performed in the fourth quarter of 2014, the Corporation determined the 
fair value of a different recently acquired reporting unit within the office furniture segment was below its carrying value.  The 
decline in the estimated fair value of this reporting unit was largely driven by lower than expected operating performance in 2014.  
The projections used in the impairment model reflected management's assumptions regarding revenue growth rates, economic 
and market trends, cost structure, investments required for sales force and operation transformation and other expectations about 
the anticipated short-term and long-term operating results of the reporting unit.  Based on the two-step analysis, the Corporation 
recorded a $13.9 million goodwill impairment charge in 2014, and there was no remaining net goodwill in the reporting unit as 
of January 3, 2015.  Additionally, the Corporation tested the recoverability of the long-lived assets, other than goodwill, which 
included definite-lived intangibles assets consisting of customer lists and trade names, and recorded an impairment charge of $6.6 
million.

Based on the results of the annual impairment tests, the Corporation concluded that no other goodwill impairment existed apart 
from the impairment charges discussed above.  For all other reporting units included in the annual two-step impairment test except 
one, the estimated fair value is significantly in excess of carrying value.  The one reporting unit within the office furniture segment 
that incurred an impairment charge in the second quarter of 2014, exceeded is carrying value by approximately 2 percent as of 
the end of fiscal 2014.

For the office furniture reporting unit that exceeded its carrying value by approximately 2 percent, the Corporation assumed a 
discount rate of 11.0 percent, near term growth rates ranging from negative 4.1 percent to positive 11.0 percent and a terminal 
growth rate of 3 percent.  The fair value model assumes continued positive economic momentum and transformation of the reporting 
unit including sales and marketing initiatives, new product development and operational processes.  Holding other assumptions 
constant a 100 basis point increase in the discount rate would result in a $2 million decrease in the estimated fair value of the 
reporting unit and a 100 basis point decrease in the long-term growth rate would result in a $1 million decrease in the estimated 
fair value of the reporting unit.  Either of these scenarios individually would result in the reporting unit failing step one.

Assessing the fair value of goodwill includes, among other things, making key assumptions for estimating future cash flows and 
appropriate market multiples.  These assumptions are subject to a high degree of judgment and complexity.  The Corporation 
makes every effort to estimate future cash flows as accurately as possible with the information available at the time the forecast 
is developed.  However, changes in assumptions and estimates may affect the estimated fair value of the reporting unit, and could 
result in an impairment charge in future periods.  Factors that have the potential to create variances in the estimated fair value of 
the reporting unit include but are not limited to economic conditions in the U.S. and other countries where the Corporation has a 
presence, competitor behavior, the mix of product sales, commodity costs, wage rates, the level of manufacturing capacity, the 
pricing environment and currency exchange fluctuations.  In addition, estimates of fair value are impacted by estimates of the 
market-participant derived weighted average cost of capital. 

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Additionally, the Corporation compared the estimated aggregate fair value of its reporting units to its overall market capitalization.

Goodwill of approximately $279 million remains on the consolidated balance sheet as of the end of fiscal 2014.

The Corporation also evaluates the fair value of indefinite-lived trade names on an annual basis during the fourth quarter or 
whenever indication of impairment exists.  The Corporation performed its fiscal 2014 assessment of indefinite lived trade names 
during the fourth quarter.  The estimate of the fair value of the trade names was based on a discounted cash flow model using 
inputs which included:  projected revenues from management’s long-term plan, assumed royalty rates that could be payable if the 
trade names were not owned and a discount rate.  As a result of the review performed in the fourth quarter of 2014, the Corporation 
determined the fair value of all trade names exceeded the respective carrying value and, therefore no impairment was recorded.   
A carrying value of all indefinite-lived trade names of approximately $41 million remains on the consolidated balance sheet at the 
end of fiscal 2014.

For all trade names except one, the estimated fair value significantly exceeds carrying value.  One trade name within the office 
furniture segment exceeded its carrying value by approximately 6 percent and had a carrying value of $11.2 million.  For this trade 
name the Corporation assumed a discount rate of 13 percent, terminal growth rate of 3 percent and a royalty rate of 2.5 percent.  
Holding other assumptions constant, a nominal change in the discount rate or royalty rate could trigger an impairment.

The  Corporation  has  definite-lived  intangibles  that  are  amortized  over  their  estimated  useful  lives.  Impairment  losses  are 
recognized if the carrying amount of an intangible, subject to amortization, is not recoverable from expected future cash flows 
and its carrying amount exceeds its fair value.  As previously discussed, the Corporation recorded a fourth quarter impairment 
charge  of  $6.6  million  for  definite-lived  intangibles  associated  with  a  recently  acquired  office  furniture  reporting  unit  in 
2014.  Intangibles, net of amortization, of approximately $141 million are included on the consolidated balance sheet as of the 
end of fiscal 2014.

Key to recoverability of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangibles and long-lived assets is the forecast of the speed and magnitude of 
the economic recovery and its impact on future revenues, operating margins and cash flows.  Management’s projection for the 
U.S. office furniture and domestic hearth markets and global economic conditions is inherently subject to a number of uncertain 
factors,  such  as  global  economic  improvement,  the  U.S  housing  market,  credit  availability  and  borrowing  rates,  and  overall 
consumer confidence.  In the near term, as management monitors the above factors, it is possible it may change the revenue and 
cash flow projections of certain reporting units, which may require the recording of additional asset impairment charges.

Self-insured reserves – The Corporation is primarily self-insured or carries high deductibles for general, auto, and product liability; 
workers’ compensation; and certain employee health benefits.  The general, auto, product, and workers’ compensation liabilities 
are managed via a wholly-owned insurance captive; the related liabilities are included in the accompanying financial statements.  As 
of January 3, 2015, those liabilities totaled $29 million.  The Corporation’s policy is to accrue amounts in accordance with the 
actuarially determined liabilities.  The actuarial valuations are based on historical information along with certain assumptions 
about future events.  Changes in assumptions for such matters as the number or severity of claims, medical cost inflation, and 
magnitude of change in actual experience development could cause these estimates to change in the near term.

Stock-based compensation – The Corporation measures the cost of employee services in exchange for an award of equity instruments 
based on the grant-date fair value of the award and recognizes cost over the requisite service period.  This resulted in a cost of 
approximately $8.6 million in 2014, $7.5 million in 2013 and $6.4 million in 2012.  

Income taxes – The provision for income taxes is determined using the asset and liability approach taking into account guidance 
related to uncertain tax positions.  Deferred income taxes are provided for the temporary differences between the financial reporting 
basis and the tax basis of the Corporation’s assets and liabilities.  The Corporation provides for taxes that may be payable if 
undistributed earnings of overseas subsidiaries were to be remitted to the United States, except for those earnings that it considers 
to be permanently reinvested.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In July 2013, the FASB issued accounting guidance on the financial statement presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when
a net operating loss carryforward, or similar tax loss, or a tax carryforward exists. The guidance was effective for annual
reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Corporation 
adopted the guidance effective December 29, 2013, the beginning of the Corporation's 2014 fiscal year.  The guidance did not 
have a material impact on the Corporation's financial statements.

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In April 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance which changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented 
as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements.  The guidance will be effective for fiscal years beginning 
on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within those annual periods with early adoption allowed.  This guidance would 
impact the Corporation's consolidated results of operations and financial condition only in the instance of a disposal under this 
guidance.

In May 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting 
for revenue arising from contracts with customers. The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity should recognize 
revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which 
the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance will be effective for fiscal years, and interim 
periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Corporation is currently 
evaluating the impact of adopting this standard and the method of adoption on its financial statements.

Looking Ahead

Management remains optimistic about the office furniture and hearth markets and the Corporation's long-term prospects.  

The Corporation remains focused on creating long-term shareholder value by growing its business through investment in building 
brands, product solutions and selling models, enhancing its strong member-owner culture and remaining focused on its long-
standing rapid continuous improvement programs to build best total cost and a lean enterprise.

ITEM 7A.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

During the normal course of business, the Corporation is subjected to market risk associated with interest rate movements.  Interest 
rate risk arises from our variable interest debt obligations.  For information related to the Corporation’s long-term debt, refer to 
the Long-Term Debt disclosure in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed as part of this report.  The Corporation 
does not currently have any interest rate swap agreements in place.  The Corporation does not currently have any significant foreign 
currency exposure.

The Corporation began using derivative instruments to mitigate the volatility of diesel fuel prices and related fuel surcharges, and 
not to speculate on the future price of diesel fuel, in April of 2010.  The hedging instruments consist of a series of financially 
settled fixed forward contracts with expiration dates ranging up to twelve months.   At January 3, 2015, the effect on the consolidated 
balance sheet was insignificant.  The effect on the consolidated statement of income for the year ended January 3, 2015 was an  
increase in operating expense of $0.1 million.

The Corporation is exposed to risks arising from price changes for certain direct materials and assembly components used in its 
operations.  The most significant material purchases and cost for the Corporation are for steel, plastics, textiles, wood particleboard 
and cartoning.  Steel, aluminum and wood/wood related products are the most significant raw material used in the manufacturing 
of products.  The market price of plastics and textiles in particular are sensitive to the cost of oil and natural gas.  The cost of wood 
particleboard has been impacted by continued downsizing of production capacity as well as increased volatility in input and 
transportation costs.  All of these materials are impacted increasingly by global market pressure.  The Corporation works to offset 
these increased costs through global sourcing initiatives, product re-engineering and price increases on its products; however, 
historically, margins have been negatively impacted due to the lag between cost increases and the Corporation’s ability to increase 
its  prices.  The  Corporation  believes  future  market  price  increases  on  its  key  direct  materials  and  assembly  components  are 
likely.  Consequently, it views the prospect of such increases as an outlook risk to the business.

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ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

The financial statements listed under Item 15(a)(1) and (2) are filed as part of this report and are incorporated herein by reference.

The Summary of Unaudited Quarterly Results of Operations follows the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements filed as part 
of this report and are incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9.  CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL 
DISCLOSURE

None.

ITEM 9A.  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Corporation in the 
reports it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized 
and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.  Disclosure controls and procedures are also designed 
to ensure information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial 
Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

Under the supervision and with the participation of management, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the 
Corporation have evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Corporation’s disclosure controls and procedures 
as defined in Rules 13a – 15(e) and 15d – 15(e) under the Exchange Act.  As of January 3, 2015, and, based on their evaluation, 
the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded these controls and procedures are effective.  There have 
not been any changes in the Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended 
January 3, 2015 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Corporation’s internal control over 
financial reporting.

Management’s annual report on internal control over financial reporting and the attestation report of the Corporation’s independent 
registered public accounting firm are included in Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules of this report under the headings 
“Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting” and “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting 
Firm,” respectively and management's annual report is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9B.  OTHER INFORMATION

None.

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PART III

ITEM 10.  DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information under the caption "Proposal No. 1 - Election of Directors" of the Corporation's Definitive Proxy Statement on 
Schedule  14A  for  the Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders  to  be  held  on  May 5,  2015,  is  incorporated  herein  by  reference.  For 
information with respect to executive officers of the Corporation, see Table I - Executive Officers of the Registrant included in 
Part I of this report.

Information relating to the identification of the audit committee and audit committee financial expert of the Corporation is contained 
under the caption “Information Regarding the Board” of the Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the 
Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 5, 2015, and is incorporated herein by reference.

Code of Ethics

The information under the caption “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics” of the Corporation’s Definitive Proxy Statement on 
Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 5, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference.

Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act

The information under the caption "Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance" of the Corporation's Definitive 
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 5, 2015, is incorporated herein by 
reference.

ITEM 11.  EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information under the captions “Executive Compensation” and “Director Compensation” of the Corporation's Definitive 
Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 5, 2015, is incorporated herein by 
reference.

ITEM 12.  SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The information under the captions “Security Ownership” and “Equity Compensation Plan Information” of the Corporation's 
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 5, 2015, is incorporated 
herein by reference.

ITEM 13.  CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information under the captions “Information Regarding the Board” and “Review, Approval or Ratification of Transactions 
with Related Persons” of the Corporation's Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders 
to be held on May 5, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14.  PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

The  information  under  the  caption  “Fees  Incurred  for  PricewaterhouseCoopers  LLP”  of  the  Corporation’s  Definitive  Proxy 
Statement on Schedule 14A for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 5, 2015, is incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 15.  EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)(1)   Financial Statements

PART IV

The following consolidated financial statements of the Corporation and its subsidiaries included in the Corporation's 

2014 Annual Report to Shareholders are filed as a part of this Report pursuant to Item 8:

Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013 and December 29, 
2012

Consolidated Balance Sheets – January 3, 2015 and December 28, 2013 

Consolidated Statements of Equity for the Years Ended January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Investor Information

(2)   Financial Statement Schedules

The following consolidated financial statement schedule of the Corporation and its subsidiaries is attached:

Page

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

71

Schedule II

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts for the Years Ended January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013,
and December 29, 2012

72

All other schedules for which provision is made in the applicable accounting regulation of the SEC are not 

required under the related instructions or are inapplicable and, therefore, have been omitted.

(b) 

Exhibits

An exhibit index of all exhibits incorporated by reference into, or filed with, this Report appears on Page 73.  The 

following exhibits are filed herewith:

Exhibit

(21)  
(23)  
(31.1)  
(31.2)  
(32.1)

101

Subsidiaries of the Registrant
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Certification of the CEO Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

Certification of the CFO Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Certification of CEO and CFO Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906
of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The following materials from HNI Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 
January 3, 2015 formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) and furnished 
electronically herewith: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets; (ii) Consolidated Statements of 
Comprehensive Income; (iii) Consolidated Statements of Equity; (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash 
Flows; and (iv) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this 
Annual Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

HNI Corporation

Date: February 27, 2015

By:

/s/ Stan A. Askren
Stan A. Askren
Chairman, President and CEO

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons 
on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.  Each Director whose signature appears below authorizes 
and appoints Stan A. Askren as his or her attorney-in-fact to sign and file on his or her behalf any and all amendments and post-
effective amendments to this report.

Signature

Title

Date

/s/ Stan A. Askren
Stan A. Askren

/s/ Kurt A. Tjaden
Kurt A. Tjaden

/s/ Mary H. Bell
Mary H. Bell

/s/ Miguel M. Calado
Miguel M. Calado

/s/ Cheryl A. Francis
Cheryl A. Francis

/s/ James R. Jenkins
James R. Jenkins

/s/ Dennis J. Martin
Dennis J. Martin

/s/ Larry B. Porcellato
Larry B. Porcellato

Chairman, President and CEO,
Principal Executive Officer,

and Director

Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer, Principal Financial Officer and

Principal Accounting Officer

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

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February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Signature

Title

Date

/s/ Abbie J. Smith
Abbie J. Smith

/s/ Brian E. Stern
Brian E. Stern

/s/ Ronald V. Waters, III
Ronald V. Waters, III

Lead Director

February 27, 2015

Director

Director

February 27, 2015

February 27, 2015

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Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management of HNI Corporation is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting 
as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  HNI Corporation’s internal control over 
financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the 
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United 
States of America.  HNI Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting includes those written policies and procedures that:

• 

• 

• 

pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions 
of the assets of HNI Corporation;
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in 
accordance  with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the  United  States  of America,  and  that  receipts  and 
expenditures of HNI Corporation are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors 
of HNI Corporation; and
provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of 
assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Internal control over financial reporting includes the controls themselves, monitoring (including internal auditing practices), and 
actions taken to correct deficiencies as identified.

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements.  Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk controls may become inadequate because of 
changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

On  October  1,  2014,  the  Corporation  completed  the  acquisition  of  Vermont  Castings  Group  as  discussed  in  the  Business 
Combination footnote to the Corporation's consolidated financial statements. Management excluded Vermont Castings Group 
from its assessment of the Corporation's internal control over financial reporting as it was acquired during the fiscal year. Vermont 
Castings Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary, whose total assets and total revenues represent 6% and 1%, respectively, of the 
consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended January 3, 2015.

Management  assessed  the  effectiveness  of  HNI  Corporation’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of  January 3, 
2015.  Management based this assessment on criteria for effective internal control over financial reporting described in  Internal 
Control  –  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway 
Commission.  Management’s assessment included an evaluation of the design of HNI Corporation’s internal control over financial 
reporting and testing of operational effectiveness of HNI Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting.  Management 
reviewed the results of its assessment with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.

Based on this assessment, management determined, as of January 3, 2015, HNI Corporation maintained effective internal control 
over financial reporting.

The  effectiveness  of  HNI  Corporation’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of  January 3,  2015  has  been  audited  by 
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in its report which appears herein.

February 27, 2015 

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of HNI Corporation:

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(1), present fairly, in all material 
respects, the financial position of HNI Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Corporation”) at January 3, 2015 and December 28, 
2013, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended January 3, 2015 in 
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.  In addition, in our opinion, the financial 
statement schedule listed in the index appearing under Item 15(a)(2) presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set 
forth therein when read in conjunction with the related consolidated financial statements.  Also in our opinion, the Corporation 
maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of January 3, 2015, based on criteria 
established  in  Internal  Control  -  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the 
Treadway  Commission  (COSO).  The  Corporation's  management  is  responsible  for  these  financial  statements  and  financial 
statement schedule, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness 
of internal control over financial reporting, included in the Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 
appearing  under  Item  15.  Our  responsibility  is  to  express  opinions  on  these  financial  statements,  on  the  financial  statement 
schedule, and on the Corporation's internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits.  We conducted our 
audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  Those standards 
require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of 
material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.  Our 
audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the 
financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the 
overall financial statement presentation.  Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding 
of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design 
and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk.  Our audits also included performing such other procedures 
as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability 
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted 
accounting principles.  A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain 
to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets 
of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial 
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are 
being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable 
assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that 
could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements.  Also, 
projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because 
of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

As described in the Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, management has excluded Vermont Castings 
Group from its assessment of internal control over financial reporting as of January 3, 2015, because it was acquired by the 
Corporation in a purchase business combination during 2014. We have also excluded Vermont Castings Group from our audit of 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting. Vermont  Castings  Group  is  a  wholly-owned  subsidiary,  whose  total  assets  and  total 
revenues represent 6% and 1%, respectively, of the related consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended 
January 3, 2015.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chicago, Illinois
February 27, 2015 

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HNI CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(Amounts in thousands, except for per share data)
For the Years

Net sales

Cost of products sold

Gross profit

Selling and administrative expenses

(Gain) loss on sale of assets

Restructuring and impairment charges

Operating income

Interest income

Interest expense

Income before income taxes

Income taxes

Net income
Less: Net (loss) attributable to the  noncontrolling interest

Net income attributable to HNI Corporation
Net income attributable to HNI Corporation per common share – basic

Weighted average shares outstanding – basic
Net income attributable to HNI Corporation per common share –
diluted
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted

Foreign currency translation adjustments
Change in unrealized gains (losses) on marketable securities (net of
tax)
Change in pension and postretirement liabilty (net of tax)
Change in derivative financial instruments (net of tax)

Other comprehensive (loss) net of tax
Comprehensive income

Less: Comprehensive (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest
Comprehensive income attributable to HNI Corporation

2014

2013

2012

$

2,222,695

$

2,059,964

$

2,004,003

1,438,495

1,344,672

1,314,776

784,200

649,055
(10,723)
33,019

112,849

418

8,336

104,931

43,776

61,155
(316)
61,471
1.37

44,759,716

1.35
45,578,872

$
$

$

715,292

606,512

2,460

333

105,987

626

9,906

96,707

33,338

63,369
(314)
63,683
1.41

45,250,665

1.39
45,956,280

$
$

$

689,227

599,656

—

1,944

87,627

842

10,865

77,604

29,278

48,326
(641)
48,967
1.08

45,211,385

1.07
45,819,979

(691) $

(2,562) $

264

(44)
(4,622)
(983)
(6,340) $
54,815
(316)
55,131

$

(124)
2,151
187
(348) $

63,021
(314)
63,335

$

62
(708)
(20)
(402)
47,924
(641)
48,565

$
$

$

$

$

$

 The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

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HNI CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in thousands of dollars and shares except par value)

As of Year-end
Assets
Current Assets

Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term investments
Receivables, net
Inventories, net
Deferred income taxes
Prepaid expenses and other current assets

Total Current Assets
Property, Plant, and Equipment
Goodwill
Other Assets

Total Assets

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity
Current Liabilities

Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Note payable and current maturities of long-term debt and capital
lease obligations
Current maturities of other long-term obligations

Total Current Liabilities

Long-Term Debt
Capital Lease Obligations
Other Long-Term Liabilities
Deferred Income Taxes
Commitments and Contingencies
Shareholders’ Equity
Preferred stock - $1 par value

Authorized:  2,000
Issued:  None

Common stock - $1 par value
Authorized:  200,000
Issued and outstanding:  2014 -44,166; 2013-44,982

Additional paid-in capital
Retained Earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive income

Total HNI Corporation shareholders’ equity

Noncontrolling interest

Total  Equity
Total Liabilities and  Equity

2014

2013

34,144
3,052
240,053
121,791
17,310
39,209
455,559
311,008
279,310
193,457
1,239,334

$

$

453,754

$

160
3,419
457,333
197,736
—
80,353
89,411

65,030
7,251
228,715
89,516
16,051
26,665
433,228
267,401
286,655
147,421
1,134,705

407,799

484
3,301
411,584
150,091
106
67,543
68,964

—

—

44,166

44,982

867
374,929
(5,375)
414,587
(86)
414,501
1,239,334

$

16,729
373,652
965
436,328
89
436,417
1,134,705

$

$

$

$

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

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HNI CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY

Parent Company Shareholders’ Equity

Common
Stock
44,855

$

Additional
Paid-in
Capital
24,277

$

Retained
Earnings
$ 348,210

Accumulated 
Other
Comprehensive
(Loss)/Income
1,715

$

Non-
controlling
Interest

Total
Shareholders’
Equity

$

265

$

419,322

48,967

(641)

48,326

(Amounts in thousands)
Balance, December 31, 2011

Comprehensive income:

Net income

Other comprehensive income (net of
tax)

Distributions to noncontrolling interest

Change in ownership of
noncontrolling interest

Cash dividends; $0.95 per share

Common shares – treasury:

(402)

(124)

801

(194)
(43,041)

(402)

(124)

607

(43,041)

(21,021)

16,993

Shares purchased
Shares issued under Members’ Stock
Purchase Plan and stock awards

(800)

(20,221)

896

16,097

Balance, December 29, 2012

$

44,951

$

20,153

$ 353,942

$

1,313

$

301

$

420,660

Comprehensive income:

Net income (loss)
Other comprehensive (loss) (net of
tax)

Distributions to noncontrolling interest

Change in ownership of
noncontrolling interest

Cash dividends; $0.96 per share
Common shares – treasury:

Shares purchased
Shares issued under Members’ Stock
Purchase Plan and stock awards

Balance, December 28, 2013

Comprehensive income:

Net income (loss)
Other comprehensive (loss) (net of
tax)

Distributions to noncontrolling interest
Change in ownership of
noncontrolling interest
Cash dividends; $0.99 per share
Common shares – treasury:

Shares purchased
Shares issued under Members’ Stock
Purchase Plan and stock awards

63,683

(314)

63,369

(348)

(167)

269

(479)
(43,494)

(740)

(26,748)

771
44,982

$

23,324
16,729

$

$ 373,652

$

965

$

89

$

(348)
(167)

(210)

(43,494)

(27,488)

24,095
436,417

61,471

(316)

61,155

(146)
(44,328)

(1,666)

(50,522)

(15,720)

850

34,660

(6,340)

(5)

146

(6,340)
(5)

—
(44,328)

(67,908)

35,510

Balance, January 3, 2015

$

44,166

$

867

$ 374,929

$

(5,375) $

(86) $

414,501

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

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HNI CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in thousands)

For the Years
Net Cash Flows From (To) Operating Activities:

Net income
Noncash items included in net income:

Depreciation and amortization
Other postretirement and post-employment benefits
Stock-based compensation
Excess tax benefits from stock compensation
Deferred income taxes
Net (gain) loss on sale of long-lived assets
Loss on impairment of intangibles
Loss on sale of business
Stock issued to retirement plan
Other – net

Changes in working capital, excluding acquisition and disposition:

Receivables
Inventories
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Income taxes

Increase (decrease) in other liabilities

Net cash flows from (to) operating activities

Net Cash Flows From (To) Investing Activities:

Capital expenditures
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment
Capitalized software
Acquisition spending, net of cash acquired
Purchase of investments
Sales or maturities of investments
Other – net

Net cash flows from (to) investing activities

Net Cash Flows From (To) Financing Activities:
Purchase of HNI Corporation common stock
Withholding related to net share settlements of equity based awards
Proceeds from note and long-term debt
Payments of note and long-term debt and other financing
Proceeds from sale of HNI Corporation common stock
Excess tax benefits from stock compensation
Dividends paid

Net cash flows from (to) financing activities

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

$

2014

2013

2012

$

61,155

$

63,369

$

48,326

56,722
1,239
8,597
(2,161)
14,655
(10,327)
29,382
—
6,005
4,693

8,631
(23,437)
(4,622)
26,910
(11,165)
1,519
167,796

(74,323)
16,361
(38,390)
(61,823)
(3,801)
7,770
(4)
(154,210)

(67,908)
(79)
282,808
(235,595)
18,469
2,161
(44,328)
(44,472)
(30,886)
65,030
34,144

46,621
1,309
7,451
(2,211)
18,451
344
—
2,177
5,352
4,419

(21,029)
1,606
526
25,863
4,525
6,229
165,002

(60,977)
421
(17,918)
—
(1,107)
5,053
(891)
(75,419)

(27,488)
(1,598)
157,967
(163,524)
9,591
2,211
(43,494)
(66,335)
23,248
41,782
65,030

$

$

43,360
1,678
6,437
(4,156)
7,060
1,032
—
—
4,864
2,557

(6,993)
9,546
(1,799)
27,531
4,662
672
144,777

(39,473)
1,182
(20,797)
(26,894)
(5,554)
4,762
961
(85,813)

(21,021)
(5,995)
148,844
(179,333)
6,396
4,156
(43,041)
(89,994)
(31,030)
72,812
41,782

 The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.

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HNI CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Nature of Operations
HNI Corporation with its subsidiaries (the “Corporation”) is a provider of office furniture and hearth products.  Both industries 
are reportable segments; however, the Corporation’s office furniture business is its principal line of business.  Refer to Operating 
Segment Information for further information.  Office furniture products are sold through a national system of dealers, wholesalers 
and national office product distributors and directly to end-user customers and federal, state and local governments. Dealers,  
wholesalers and national office products distributors are the major channels based on sales.  Hearth products include a full array 
of gas, wood and pellet burning fireplaces, inserts, stoves, facings and accessories.  These products are sold through a national 
system of dealers and distributors, as well as Corporation-owned distribution and retail outlets.  The Corporation’s products are 
marketed predominantly in the United States and Canada.  The Corporation exports select products to a limited number of markets 
outside North America, principally the Middle East, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, through its export subsidiary and 
manufactures and markets office furniture in Asia and India; however, based on sales, these activities are not significant.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation and Fiscal Year-End
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts and transactions of the Corporation and its subsidiaries.  Intercompany 
accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Corporation follows a 52/53 week fiscal year which ends on the Saturday nearest December 31.  Fiscal year 2014 ended on 
January 3, 2015; 2013 ended on December 28, 2013; and 2012 ended on December 29, 2012.  The financial statements for fiscal 
year 2014 is on a 53-week basis; fiscal 2013 and 2012 are on a 52-week basis.  A 53-week year occurs approximately every sixth 
year.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments
Cash and cash equivalents generally consist of cash and money market accounts.  The fair value approximates the carrying value 
due  to  the  short  duration  of  the  securities.    These  securities  have  original  maturity  dates  not  exceeding  three  months.  The 
Corporation has short-term investments with maturities of less than one year and also has investments with maturities greater than 
one year included in Other Assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  Management classifies investments in marketable securities 
at the time of purchase and reevaluates such classification at each balance sheet date.  Debt securities including government and 
corporate bonds are classified as available-for-sale and stated at current market value with unrealized gains and losses included 
as a separate component of equity, net of any related tax effect.  The specific identification method is used to determine realized 
gains and losses on the trade date.  

At January 3, 2015 and December 28, 2013, cash, cash equivalents and investments consisted of the following:

Year-End 2014

(In thousands)
Held-to-maturity securities

Certificates of deposit
Available-for-sale securities

Debt securities
Cash and money market accounts
Total

Cash and cash
equivalents

Short-term
investments

Long-term
investments

$

$

— $

252

$

—

—
34,144
34,144

$

2,800
—
3,052

$

9,240
—
9,240

The amortized cost basis of the debt securities as of January 3, 2015 was $12.0 million.  Unrealized gains of $0.1 million and 
unrealized losses of $0.0 million are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income as of January 3, 2015 for these debt 
securities. 

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Year-End 2013

(In thousands)
Held-to-maturity securities

Certificates of deposit
Available-for-sale securities

Debt securities
Cash and money market accounts

Total

Cash and cash
equivalents

Short-term
investments

Long-term
investments

$

$

— $

251

$

—

—

65,030

7,000

—

65,030

$

7,251

$

9,113

—

9,113

The amortized cost basis of the debt securities as of December 28, 2013 was $16.0 million.  Unrealized gains of $0.2 million and 
unrealized losses of $0.1 million are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income as of December 28, 2013 for these 
debt securities. 

Receivables
Accounts receivable are presented net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $5.1 million and $6.2 million for 2014 and 2013, 
respectively.  The allowance is developed based on several factors including overall customer credit quality, historical write-off 
experience, and specific account analyses projecting the ultimate collectability of the account.  As such, these factors may change 
over time causing the reserve level to adjust accordingly.

Inventories
The  Corporation  valued  71%  and  74%  of  its  inventory  by  the  LIFO  method  at  January 3,  2015  and  December 28,  2013, 
respectively.  During 2014, 2013 and 2012, inventory quantities were reduced at certain reporting units.  This reduction resulted 
in a liquidation of LIFO inventory quantities carried at lower costs prevailing in prior years as compared with the cost of current 
year purchases, the effect of which decreased cost of goods sold by approximately $0.03 million,  $0.2 million and $0.8 million 
in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  If the FIFO method had been in use, inventories would have been $28.0 million and $27.7 
million higher than reported at January 3, 2015 and December 28, 2013, respectively. 

Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment are carried at cost.  Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.  Major 
improvements that materially extend the useful lives of the assets are capitalized.  Depreciation has been computed using the 
straight-line method over estimated useful lives:  land improvements, 10 – 20 years; buildings, 10 – 40 years; and machinery and 
equipment, 3 – 12 years.

Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment as events or changes in circumstances occur indicating the amount of the asset 
reflected in the Corporation’s balance sheet may not be recoverable.  An estimate of undiscounted cash flows produced by the 
asset, or the appropriate group of assets, is compared to the carrying value to determine whether impairment exists.  The estimates 
of future cash flows involve considerable management judgment and are based upon assumptions about expected future operating 
performance.  The actual cash flows could differ from management’s estimates due to changes in business conditions, operating 
performance and economic conditions.  Asset impairment charges recorded in connection with the Corporation’s restructuring 
activities are discussed in Restructuring Related Charges.  These assets included real estate, manufacturing equipment and certain 
other fixed assets.  The Corporation’s continuous focus on improving the manufacturing process tends to increase the likelihood 
of assets being replaced; therefore, the Corporation is regularly evaluating the expected lives of its equipment and accelerating 
depreciation where appropriate.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
The Corporation evaluates its goodwill for impairment on an annual basis during the fourth quarter or whenever indicators of 
impairment exist.  The Corporation had nine reporting units within its office furniture and hearth products operating segments, 
which contained goodwill during the fourth quarter analysis.  These reporting units constitute components for which discrete 
financial information is available and regularly reviewed by segment management.  Determining the fair value of a reporting unit 
involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions.  Management bases its fair value estimates on assumptions it believes 
to be reasonable at the time, but such assumptions are subject to inherent uncertainty.  Actual results may different from those 
estimates.  

The Corporation also determines the fair value of indefinite-lived trade names on an annual basis during the fourth quarter or 
whenever indication of impairment exists.  The Corporation estimates the fair value of the trade names based on a discounted 

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cash flow model using inputs which included projected revenues from management’s long-term plan, assumed royalty rates that 
could be payable if the trade names were not owned and a discount rate.  Determining the fair value of a trade name involves 
the use of significant estimates and assumptions.  Actual results may differ from those estimates.

The Corporation has definite-lived intangibles, including capitalized software, which are amortized over their estimated useful 
lives.  Impairment losses are recognized if the carrying amount of an intangible, subject to amortization, is not recoverable 
from expected future cash flows and its carrying amount exceeds its fair value.  Definite-lived intangibles, net of amortization, 
of approximately $141 million are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheet as of the end of fiscal 2014.

See Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets footnote for further information.

Product Warranties
The Corporation issues certain warranty policies on its furniture and hearth products that provide for repair or replacement of any 
covered product or component failing during normal use because of a defect in design, materials or workmanship.  Reserves have
been established for the various costs associated with the Corporation's warranty programs.  

A warranty reserve is determined by recording a specific reserve for known warranty issues and an additional reserve for unknown 
claims  expected  to  be  incurred  based  on  historical  claims  experience.  Actual  claims  incurred  could  differ  from  the  original 
estimates, requiring adjustments to the reserve.  Activity associated with warranty obligations was as follows:

(In thousands)
Balance at the beginning of the period
Accrual assumed from acquisition
Accruals for warranties issued during the period
Accrual related to pre-existing warranties
Settlements made during the period
Balance at the end of the period

2014
13,840
1,100
18,951
172
(17,344)
16,719

$

$

2013
13,055
—
21,878
106
(21,199)
13,840

$

$

2012
12,910
301
18,370
432
(18,958)
13,055

$

$

The portion of the reserve for estimated settlements expected to be paid in the next twelve months was $8.5 million and $6.7 
million as of January 3, 2015 and December 28, 2013, respectively, and are included in "Accounts payable and accrued expenses" 
in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The portion of the reserve for settlements expected to be paid beyond one year was $8.2 
million and $7.1 million, as of January 3, 2015 and December 28, 2013, respectively, and are included in "Other Long-Term 
Liabilities" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Revenue Recognition
Sales of office furniture and hearth products are generally recognized when title transfers and the risks and rewards of ownership 
have passed to customers.  Typically title and risk of ownership transfer when the product is shipped.  In certain circumstances, 
title  and  risk  of  ownership  do  not  transfer  until  the  goods  are  received  by  the  customer  or  upon  installation  and  customer 
acceptance.  Revenue  includes  freight  charged  to  customers;  related  costs  are  recorded  in  selling  and  administrative 
expense.  Rebates, discounts and other marketing program expenses directly related to the sale are recorded as a reduction to net 
sales.  Marketing program accruals require the use of management estimates and the consideration of contractual arrangements 
subject to interpretation.  Customer sales that achieve or do not achieve certain award levels can affect the amount of such estimates 
and actual results could differ from these estimates.

Product Development Costs
Product  development  costs  relating  to  development  of  new  products  and  processes,  including  significant  improvements  and 
refinements to existing products, are expensed as incurred.  These costs include salaries, contractor fees, building costs, utilities 
and administrative fees.  The amounts charged against income were $29.7 million in 2014, $27.3 million in 2013 and $26.9 million 
in 2012 and were recorded in Selling and Administrative Expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Freight Expense
The Corporation records freight expense to customers in Selling and Administrative Expenses on the Consolidated Statements of 
Income.  Amounts recorded were $131.0 million in 2014, $123.8 million in 2013 and $122.1 million in 2012.

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Stock-Based Compensation
The Corporation measures the cost of employee services in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date 
fair value of the award and recognizes cost over the requisite service period.  See the Stock-Based Compensation footnote for 
further information.

Income Taxes
The Corporation uses an asset and liability approach that takes into account guidance related to uncertain tax positions and requires 
the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized 
in the Corporation’s financial statements or tax returns.  Deferred income taxes are provided to reflect differences between the tax 
bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements.  The Corporation provides for taxes that may 
be payable if undistributed earnings of overseas subsidiaries were to be remitted to the United States, except for those earnings it 
considers to be permanently reinvested.  There were approximately $31.4 million of accumulated earnings considered permanently 
reinvested in China, Hong Kong and India as of January 3, 2015.  The Corporation believes the U.S. tax cost on unremitted foreign 
earnings would be approximately $9.6 million if the amounts were not considered permanently reinvested. See the Income Tax 
footnote for further information.

Earnings Per Share
Basic  earnings  per  share  are  based  on  the  weighted-average  number  of  common  shares  outstanding  during  the  year.  Shares 
potentially issuable under stock options, restricted stock units and common stock equivalents under the Corporation's deferred 
compensation plans have been considered outstanding for purposes of the diluted earnings per share calculation.  The following 
table reconciles the numerators and denominators used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS):

(In thousands, except per share data)

Numerators:

2014

2013

2012

Numerators for both basic and diluted EPS net income attributable to
parent company

$

61,471

$

63,683

$

48,967

Denominators:

Denominator for basic EPS weighted- average common shares
outstanding

Potentially dilutive shares from stock option plans
Denominator for diluted EPS

Earnings per share – basic
Earnings per share – diluted

44,760
819

45,579
1.37
1.35

$
$

45,251
706
45,956

1.41
1.39

$
$

45,211
609
45,820

1.08
1.07

$
$

Certain exercisable and non-exercisable stock options were not included in the computation of diluted EPS for fiscal years 2014, 
2013 and 2012 because inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.  The number of stock options outstanding, which met this criterion  
was 500,058; 769,394 and 1,760,220 for 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. 

Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires 
management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying 
notes.  The more significant areas requiring use of management estimates relate to allowance for doubtful accounts, inventory 
reserves, marketing program accruals, warranty accruals, accruals for self-insured medical claims, workers’ compensation, legal 
contingencies, general liability and auto insurance claims, valuation of long-lived assets, and useful lives for depreciation and 
amortization.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Self-Insurance
The Corporation is primarily self-insured for general, auto and product liability, workers’ compensation, and certain employee 
health benefits.  The general, auto, product and workers’ compensation liabilities are managed using a wholly owned insurance 
captive; the related liabilities are included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.  As of January 3, 2015, these 
liabilities totaled $28.9 million.  The Corporation’s policy is to accrue amounts in accordance with the actuarially determined 
liabilities.  The  actuarial  valuations  are  based  on  historical  information  along  with  certain  assumptions  about  future 
events.  Changes  in  assumptions  for  such  matters  as  legal  actions,  medical  cost  inflation  and  magnitude  of  change  in  actual 
experience development could cause these estimates to change in the future.

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Foreign Currency Translations
Foreign currency financial statements of foreign operations where the local currency is the functional currency are translated using 
exchange  rates  in  effect  at  period  end  for  assets  and  liabilities  and  average  exchange  rates  during  the  period  for  results  of 
operations.  Related translation adjustments are reported as a component of Shareholders’ Equity.  Gains and losses on foreign 
currency transactions are included in the “Selling and administrative expenses” caption of the Consolidated Statements of Income.

Reclassifications
Certain reclassifications have been made within the footnotes to conform to the current year presentation.  

Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In July 2013, the FASB issued accounting guidance on the financial statement presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when
a net operating loss carryforward, or similar tax loss, or a tax carryforward exists. The guidance was effective for annual
reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. The Corporation 
adopted the guidance effective December 29, 2013, the beginning of the Corporation's 2014 fiscal year.  The guidance did not 
have a material impact on the Corporation's financial statements.

In April 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance which changes the criteria for determining which disposals can be presented 
as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements.  The guidance will be effective for fiscal years beginning 
on or after December 15, 2014 and interim periods within those annual periods with early adoption allowed.  This guidance would 
impact the Corporation's consolidated results of operations and financial condition only in the instance of a disposal under this 
guidance.

In May 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting 
for revenue arising from contracts with customers. The core principle of the revenue model is that an entity should recognize 
revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which 
the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance will be effective for fiscal years, and interim 
periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Corporation is currently 
evaluating the impact of adopting this standard and the method of adoption on its financial statements.

Restructuring and Impairment Charges   
During  2014,  the  Corporation  made  the  decisions  to  close  three  office  furniture  manufacturing  facilities  located  in  Florence, 
Alabama; Chicago, Illinois and Nalagarh, India and consolidate production into existing office furniture manufacturing facilities.  
In  connection  with  these  decisions  the  Corporation  recorded  $8.8  million  of  pre-tax  charges  which  included  $5.2  million  of 
accelerated depreciation on machinery and equipment recorded in cost of sales and $3.6 million of severance and facility exit 
costs which were recorded as restructuring charges during the year. The closures and consolidations of these facilities is expected 
to be substantially completed by the first quarter of 2015. The Corporation anticipates additional restructuring costs of approximately 
$1 million related to these closures during 2015.

During 2011, the Corporation made the decision to transition out of its Lithia Springs, Georgia office furniture distribution center 
and the transition was completed in fourth quarter 2012.  In addition, during 2011, the Corporation made the decision to consolidate 
some office furniture manufacturing production from its Hickory, North Carolina facility into its Wayland, New York facility. 
During 2012, the Corporation recorded current period charges which included $0.3 million of accelerated depreciation of machinery 
and equipment recorded in cost of sales and $1.5 million of severance and facility exit costs recorded as restructuring costs.  These 
included impairment of leasehold improvements of $0.2 million which was a non-cash transaction.

During 2010, the Corporation completed the shutdown of an office furniture facility in South Gate, California and consolidated 
production into existing office furniture manufacturing facilities.  During 2012 and 2013, the Corporation incurred $0.4 million 
and  $0.3  million  of  current  period  charges  due  to  ongoing  costs  related  to  a  vacant  building  recorded  as  restructuring  costs, 
respectively.

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The following table summarizes the restructuring accrual activity since the beginning of fiscal 2012.

(In thousands)

Restructuring reserve at December 31, 2011

Restructuring charges

Cash payments

Restructuring reserve at December 29, 2012

Restructuring charges

Cash payments

Restructuring reserve At December 28, 2013

Restructuring charges

Cash Payments

Restructuring reserve At January 3, 2015

Severance
Costs

Facility
Termination &
Other Costs

Total

$

$

$

$

1,068
(316)
(560)
192
(8)
(135)
49

2,933
(1,769)
1,213

$

$

$

$

31

$

2,107
(2,120)
18

341
(353)
6

705
(711)

$

$

— $

1,099

1,791
(2,680)
210

333
(488)
55

3,638
(2,480)
1,213

The Corporation recorded $29.4 million of goodwill and long-lived asset impairments in 2014 included in the “Restructuring and 
Impairment Charges” line item on the Consolidated Statements of Income. See Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets footnote for 
more information.

Business Combinations
The Corporation completed the acquisition of Vermont Casting Group, a leading manufacturer of free-standing hearth stoves and 
fireplaces to expand its available product offerings, on October 1, 2014 for a purchase price of approximately $62.2 million in an 
all cash transaction.  The Corporation will finalize the allocation of purchase price during the first half of 2015 based on final 
purchase price and fair value adjustments.  Based on the preliminary allocation there were approximately $23.3 million of intangible 
assets other than goodwill associated with this acquisition with estimated useful lives ranging from  five  to  fifteen  years with 
amortization recorded on a straight line basis based on the projected cash flow associated with the respective intangible assets’ 
existing relationship. There was approximately $15.7 million of preliminary goodwill associated with this acquisition assigned to 
the hearth products segment. The goodwill is not deductible for income tax purposes.

The Corporation completed the acquisition of 97.8% of the capital stock of BP Ergo Limited, a leading manufacturer and marketer 
of office furniture in India, on August 13, 2012 for a purchase price of approximately $25.5 million and assumption of $4.1 million 
of short-term bank debt. BP Ergo goes to market through a national network of sales branches and dealers supported by two 
manufacturing locations. There were approximately $9.8 million of intangibles other than goodwill associated with this acquisition 
with estimated useful lives of ten years with amortization recorded on a straight line basis based on the projected cash flow 
associated with the respective intangible assets' existing relationship.  There was approximately $15.9 million of goodwill associated 
with this acquisition assigned to the office furniture segment.  The goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes.  The entire balance 
of goodwill as well as the remaining balance of the definite-lived intangible assets, was impaired during the fourth quarter of 2014.  
As of January 3, 2015 the Corporation owns 99.5% of the capital stock of BP Ergo.

The Corporation completed the acquisition of the pellet stove business of Dansons, Inc. on August 29, 2012 for a purchase price 
of approximately $1.5 million. There were approximately $1.4 million of intangible assets other than goodwill associated with 
this acquisition with estimated useful lives of eight years with amortization recorded based on the projected cash flow associated 
with the respective intangible assets’ existing relationship.

The results of the acquired businesses have been included in the Consolidated Financial Statements since the date of acquisition 
and are immaterial to the consolidated net sales for 2014 and therefore, no pro forma presentation has been provided.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information
The Corporation had certain non-cash operating and investing activities related to accrued purchases of property and equipment 
of  $3.9 million and $3.8 million and capitalized software of $2.2 million and $1.1 million at January 3, 2015 and December 28, 
2013, respectively.

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2014

2013

2012

8,301
36,637

$
$

9,909
9,576

$
$

10,865
13,404

Cash payments for interest and income taxes consisted of the following:

(In thousands)
Interest paid (net of capitalized interest)
Income taxes paid

Inventories

(In thousands)

Finished products

Materials and work in process

LIFO reserve

Property, Plant, and Equipment

(In thousands)

Land and land improvements

Buildings

Machinery and equipment
Construction and equipment installation in progress

Less:  accumulated depreciation

$
$

$

$

$

2014

65,126

$

84,677
(28,012)
121,791

$

2014

27,329

$

298,170

492,646
27,704

845,849
534,841

2013

51,991

65,247
(27,722)
89,516

2013

27,465

284,484

470,748
24,209

806,906
539,505

267,401

$

311,008

$

Total depreciation expense was $46.1 million, $36.3 million and $34.1 million in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. 

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
The Corporation evaluates its goodwill for impairment on an annual basis during the fourth quarter or whenever indicators of 
impairment exist.  The Corporation had nine reporting units within its office furniture and hearth products operating segments, 
which contained goodwill during the fourth quarter analysis.  These reporting units constitute components for which discrete 
financial information is available and regularly reviewed by segment management.    The accounting standards for goodwill permit 
entities to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not the fair value of a reporting unit is less 
than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform a two-step goodwill impairment test. The 
Corporation did not elect to use the qualitative assessment in 2014.  The Corporation performed a two-step goodwill impairment 
test for all reporting units.  In estimating the fair value of its reporting units, the Corporation relied on an average of the income 
approach and the market approach. In the income approach, the estimate of fair value of each reporting unit is based on management’s 
projection of revenues, gross margin, operating costs and cash flows considering historical and estimated future results, general 
economic and market conditions as well as the impact of planned business and operational strategies.  The valuations employ 
present value techniques to measure fair value and consider market factors.   In the market approach, the Corporation utilized the 
guideline company method, which involved calculating valuation multiples based on operating data from guideline publicly-traded 
companies.  These multiples were then applied to the operating data for the reporting units and adjusted for factors similar to those 
used in the discounted cash flow analysis.  Management believes the assumptions used for the impairment test are consistent with 
those utilized by a market participant in performing similar valuations of its reporting units.  Management bases its fair value 
estimates on assumptions they believe to be reasonable at the time, but such assumptions are subject to inherent uncertainty.  Actual 
results may differ from those estimates.  

If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, an additional step is required to determine the implied fair 
value of goodwill associated with that reporting unit.  The implied fair value of goodwill is determined by first allocating the 
fair value of the reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities and then computing the excess of the reporting unit’s fair value 
over the amounts assigned to the assets and liabilities.  If the carrying value of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of 
goodwill, such excess represents the amount of goodwill impairment and, accordingly, such impairment is recognized.

The decision to close a facility and exit a product line as well as lower expected growth than projected at one of the Corporation's 
recently acquired reporting unit in the office furniture were identified as a triggering event for purposes of long-lived asset and 
goodwill impairment testing during the second quarter of 2014.  As a result, the Corporation recognized pre-tax goodwill impairment 
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expense of $8.9 million during the second quarter of 2014.  The remaining net goodwill as of January 3, 2015 for this reporting 
unit was $3.0 million. 

As a result of the required annual impairment assessment performed in the fourth quarter of 2014, the Corporation determined the 
fair value of a different recently acquired reporting units within the office furniture segment was below its carrying value.  The 
decline in the estimated fair value of this reporting unit was largely driven by lower than expected operating performance in 2014  
The projections used in the impairment model reflected management's assumptions regarding revenue growth rates, economic 
and market trends, cost structure, investments required for sales force and operation transformation and other expectations about 
the anticipated short-term and long-term operating results of the reporting unit.  Based on the two-step analysis, the Corporation 
recorded a $13.9 million goodwill impairment charge in 2014, and there was no remaining net goodwill in the reporting unit as 
of January 3, 2015.  Additionally, the Corporation tested the recoverability of the long-lived assets, other than goodwill, which 
included definite-lived intangible assets consisting of customer lists and trade names, and recorded an impairment charge of $6.6 
million.    

Based on the results of the annual impairment tests, the Corporation concluded that no other goodwill impairment existed apart 
from the impairment charges discussed above.  For all reporting units included in the annual two-step impairment test except one, 
the estimated fair value is significantly in excess of carrying value.  The one reporting unit within the office furniture segment 
that incurred an impairment charge in the second quarter of 2014, exceeded its carrying value by approximately 2 percent as of 
the end of fiscal 2014.

For the office furniture reporting unit that exceeded its carrying value by approximately 2 percent, the Corporation assumed a 
discount rate of 11.0 percent, near term growth rates ranging from negative 4.1 percent to positive 11.0 percent and a terminal 
growth rate of 3 percent.  The fair value model assumes continued positive economic momentum and transformation of the reporting 
unit including sales and marketing initiatives, new product development and operational processes.  Holding other assumptions 
constant a 100 basis point increase in the discount rate would result in a $2 million decrease in the estimated fair value of the 
reporting unit and a 100 basis point decrease in the long-term growth rate would result in a $1 million decrease in the estimated 
fair value of the reporting unit.  Either of these scenarios individually would result in the reporting unit failing step one.

Assessing the fair value of goodwill includes, among other things, making key assumptions for estimating future cash flows and 
appropriate market multiples.  These assumptions are subject to a high degree of judgment and complexity.  The Corporation 
makes every effort to estimate future cash flows as accurately as possible with the information available at the time the forecast 
is developed.  However, changes in assumptions and estimates may affect the estimated fair value of the reporting unit, and could 
result in an impairment charge in future periods.  Factors that have the potential to create variances in the estimated fair value of 
the reporting unit include but are not limited to economic conditions in the U.S. and other countries where the Corporation has a 
presence, competitor behavior, the mix of product sales, commodity costs, wage rates, the level of manufacturing capacity, the 
pricing environment and currency exchange fluctuations.  In addition, estimates of fair value are impacted by estimates of the 
market-participant derived weighted average cost of capital.    

Additionally, the Corporation compared the aggregate fair value of its reporting units to its overall market capitalization.

The Corporation also owns trade names having a net value of $41 million as of January 3, 2015, $41 million as of December 28, 
2013, and $41 million as of December 29, 2012.  The Corporation evaluates the fair value of indefinite-lived trade names on an 
annual basis during the fourth quarter or whenever indication of impairment exists.  The Corporation performed its fiscal 2014 
assessment of indefinite lived trade names during the fourth quarter.  The estimate of the fair value of the trade names was based 
on a discounted cash flow model using inputs which included:  projected revenues from management’s long-term plan, assumed 
royalty rates that could be payable if the trade names were not owned and a discount rate.  As a result of the review performed in 
the fourth quarter of 2014, the Corporation determined the fair value of all trade names exceeded the respective carrying value 
and, therefore no impairment was recorded.

For all trade names except one, the estimated fair value is significantly in excess of carrying value.  One trade name within the 
office furniture segment, exceeded its carrying value by approximately 6 percent and had a carrying value of $11.2 million.  For 
this trade name the Corporation assumed a discount rate of 13 percent, terminal growth rate of 3 percent and a royalty rate of 2.5 
percent.  Holding other assumptions constant, a nominal change in the discount rate or royalty rate could trigger an impairment.     

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The table below summarizes amortizable definite-lived intangible assets, which are reflected in Other Assets in the Corporation’s 
Consolidated Balance Sheets:

(In thousands)
Patents
Less:  accumulated amortization
Net patents
Software
Less:  accumulated amortization
Net software
Customer lists and other
Less:  accumulated amortization
Net customer lists and other
Net intangible assets

2014
18,945
18,724
221
93,343
17,711
75,632
125,095
59,743
65,352
141,205

$

$

2013
18,905
18,685
220
52,778
14,380
38,398
110,609
54,592
56,017
94,635

$

$

The Corporation recorded an impairment charge of $6.6 million to adjust the customer list and trade names associated with a small 
office furniture reporting unit to fair market value as discussed above.

Amortization  expense  for  capitalized  software  for  2014,  2013  and  2012,  was  $3.3  million,  $2.9  million  and  $1.9  million, 
respectively.  Amortization expense for all other definite-lived intangibles for 2014, 2013 and 2012, was $7.2 million, $7.4 million 
and $7.0 million, respectively. All amortization expense was recorded in Selling and Administrative Expenses on the Consolidated 
Statements of Income.  Based on the current amount of intangible assets subject to amortization, the estimated amortization expense 
for each of the following five fiscal years is as follows:

(in millions)

Amortization expense

2015

2016

2017

2018

$

10.5

$

14.7

$

14.0

$

13.6

$

2019

13.4

The occurrence of events such as acquisitions, dispositions or impairments in the future may result in changes to amounts.

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The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill since December 29, 2012, are as follows by reporting segment:

(In thousands)

Balance as of December 29, 2012

Goodwill

Accumulated impairment losses

Foreign currency translation adjustment

Balance as of December 28, 2013

Goodwill

Accumulated impairment losses

Goodwill acquired during the year

Impairment losses

Foreign currency translation adjustment

Balance as of January 3, 2015

Goodwill
Accumulated impairment losses

Office
Furniture

Hearth
Products

Total

151,662
(29,359)
122,303
(1,693)

149,969
(29,359)
120,610

—
(22,802)
(256)

166,188
(143)
166,045

—

166,188
(143)
166,045

15,713

—

—

149,713
(52,161)
97,552

$

181,901
(143)
181,758

$

$

317,850
(29,502)
288,348
(1,693)

316,157
(29,502)
286,655

15,713
(22,802)
(256)

331,614
(52,304)
279,310

The goodwill increases relate to acquisitions completed.  See the Business Combinations note.  The decreases in goodwill in the 
office furniture segment in 2014 were due to the impairment charges described above. 

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

(In thousands)

Trade accounts payable
Compensation

Profit sharing and retirement expense
Marketing expenses

Freight
Other accrued expenses

$

$

2014

224,026
46,619

27,956
39,175

15,531
100,447

2013

199,889
40,072

23,686
37,292

15,682
91,178

$

453,754

$

407,799

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Long-Term Debt

(In thousands)

Note payable to bank, revolving credit facility with interest at a
variable rate (2014 - 1.8%)

Senior notes due in 2016 with interest at a fixed rate of 5.54% per
annum.

Other notes and amounts

Total debt

Less:  current portion

Long-term debt

Aggregate maturities of long-term debt are as follows:

2014

$

47,700

$

150,000

91

197,791

55

2013

—

150,000

455

150,455

364

$

197,736

$

150,091

(In thousands)

2015

2016

2017
2018

2019
Thereafter

$

$

55

197,736

—
—

—
—

On September 28, 2011, the Corporation, certain subsidiaries of the Corporation, certain lenders and Wells Fargo Bank, National 
Association, as administrative agent, entered into an Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the "Credit Agreement").  The 
Credit Agreement amended and restated the Corporation's existing revolving credit facility dated June 11, 2010.  

The Corporation increased its borrowing capacity under the Credit Agreement from $150 million to $250 million and has the 
option to increase its borrowing capacity by an additional $100 million. The Corporation also extended the term of the Existing
Facility under the Credit Agreement from June 11, 2014, to the earlier of (i) September 28, 2016 or (ii) the date 90 days prior to 
the maturity date of the Corporation's senior notes (April 6, 2016), subject to certain exceptions.

The Corporation effectively decreased (i) interest payable under the Credit Agreement by reducing the percentage spread applicable
to both alternate base rate and traditional LIBOR revolving loans and (ii) the quarterly commitment fee payable by decreasing the
rate range depending on the Corporation's consolidated leverage ratio.  

Amounts borrowed under the Credit Agreement may be borrowed, repaid and reborrowed from time to time.  The Corporation 
paid  approximately  $1.2  million  of  debt  issuance  costs  that  are  being  amortized  straight-line  over  the  term  of  the  Credit 
Agreement.  As of January 3, 2015, $47.7 million was outstanding under the revolving credit facility, all of which was classified 
as long term as the Corporation does not expect to repay the borrowings within a year.

On April 6, 2006, the Corporation refinanced $150 million of borrowings outstanding under a revolving credit facility with 5.54% 
percent ten-year unsecured Senior Notes due in 2016 issued through the private placement debt market.  Interest payments are 
due semi-annually on April 1 and October 1 of each year and the principal is due in a lump sum in 2016.  

Certain  of  the  above  borrowing  arrangements  include  covenants  which  limit  the  assumption  of  additional  debt  and  lease 
obligations.  The Corporation has been, and currently is, in compliance with the covenants related to these debt agreements.  The 
fair value of the Corporation’s outstanding variable rate long-term debt obligations at year-end 2014 approximates the carrying 
value.  The fair value of the Corporation’s outstanding fixed rate long-term debt obligations is estimated based on discounted cash 
flow method (Level 2) to be $154 million at January 3, 2015, slightly above the carrying value of $150 million.

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Income Taxes
Significant components of the provision for income taxes including those related to noncontrolling interest and discontinued 
operations are as follows:

(In thousands)
Current:
Federal
State
Foreign
Current provision

Deferred:
Federal
State
Foreign
Deferred provision

2014

2013

2012

22,738
4,623
972
28,333

13,692
2,013
(262)
15,443
43,776

$

$

12,077
1,036
2,153
15,266

16,614
2,558
(1,100)
18,072
33,338

$

$

19,132
2,460
1,175
22,767

6,692
603
(784)
6,511
29,278

$

$

The differences between the actual tax expense and tax expense computed at the statutory U.S. Federal tax rate are explained as 
follows:

Federal statutory tax expense

State taxes, net of federal tax effect
Credit for increasing research activities

Deduction related to domestic production activities
Valuation allowance

Goodwill Impairment
Uncertain tax positions

Other – net
Total income tax expense

2014
36,836

4,118
(2,569)
(1,751)
2,474

4,298
1,099
(729)
43,776

$

$

2013
33,957

2,469
(1,338)
(1,396)
—

—
773
(1,127)
33,338

$

$

2012
27,386

2,164
—
(1,192)
—

—
611

309
29,278

$

$

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities 
for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes.

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Significant components of the Corporation’s deferred tax liabilities and assets are as follows:

(In thousands)

Net long-term deferred tax liabilities:

Compensation

Stock-based compensation

Accrued post-retirement benefit obligations

OCI tax effected items

Warranty Accrual

Other – net

Total long-term deferred tax assets

Goodwill

Tax over book depreciation

Total long-term deferred tax liabilities

Valuation allowance

Total net long-term deferred tax liabilities

Net current deferred tax assets:

Allowance for doubtful accounts

Vacation accrual
Inventory differences

Marketing accrual
Warranty accrual

Compensation
Other – net

Total current deferred tax assets
Deferred income

Prepaids
Total current deferred tax liabilities

Valuation allowance

Total net current deferred tax assets

Net deferred tax (liabilities) assets

2014

7,066

9,906

6,341

3,887

3,095

4,198

34,493
(80,366)
(41,770) $
(122,136)
(1,768)
(89,411)

1,240

3,875
5,691

1,454
2,928

9,751
6,576

31,515
(4,836)
(7,724)
(12,560)
(1,645)
17,310
(72,101) $

$

$

2013

5,304

8,911

5,972

1,230

2,723

2,349

26,489
(74,436)
(20,081)
(94,517)
(936)
(68,964)

1,859

3,706
3,695

1,317
2,412

7,821
7,371

28,181
(4,148)
(7,339)
(11,487)
(643)
16,051
(52,913)

At January 3, 2015, the Corporation has approximately $9.7 million of U.S. state tax net operating losses and $2.6 million of 
U.S. state tax credits which expire over the next twenty years.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:

(in thousands)
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning of period
Increases in positions due to purchase accounting
Increases (decreases) in positions taken in a prior period
Decreases in positions taken in a prior period
Increases in positions taken in a current period
Decrease due to settlements
Decrease due to lapse of statute of limitations
Unrecognized tax benefits, end of period

2014
2,809
400
406
(124)
1,422
—
(663)
4,250

$

$

2013
2,927
—
156
(135)
791
—
(930)
2,809

$

$

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The amount of unrecognized tax benefits which would impact the Corporation’s effective tax rate, if recognized, was $4.2 million 
at January 3, 2015, $2.7 million at December 28, 2013 and $2.9 million at December 29, 2012.

The Corporation recognized interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in operating 
expenses consistent with the recognition of these items in prior reporting.  Interest and penalties recognized in the Consolidated 
Statements of Income were immaterial.  The Corporation had recorded a liability for interest and penalties related to unrecognized 
tax benefits of $0.2 million,  $0.2 million and $0.3 million as of January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013, and December 29, 2012, 
respectively.

Tax years 2011 through 2014 remain open for examination by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS").  The Corporation is currently 
under examination in various state jurisdictions, of which years 2009 through 2014 remain open to examination.

As of January 3, 2015, it is reasonably possible the amount of unrecognized tax benefits may increase or decrease within the twelve 
months following the reporting date.  These increases or decreases in the unrecognized tax benefits would be due to new positions 
that may be taken on income tax returns, settlement of tax positions and the closing of statutes of limitation.  It is not expected 
any of the changes will be material individually or in total to the results or financial position of the Corporation.

Deferred income taxes are provided to reflect differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts 
in the financial statements.  The Corporation provides for taxes that may be payable if undistributed earnings of overseas subsidiaries 
were  to  be  remitted  to  the  United  States,  except  for  those  earnings  it  considers  to  be  permanently  reinvested.    There  were 
approximately $31.4 million of accumulated earnings considered permanently reinvested in Canada, China, and Hong Kong as 
of January 3, 2015.  The Corporation believes the U.S tax cost on unremitted foreign earnings would be approximately $9.6 million 
if the amounts were not considered permanently reinvested.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Corporation uses derivative financial instruments to reduce its exposure to adverse fluctuations in diesel fuel.  On the date a 
derivative is entered into, the Corporation designates the derivative as (i) a fair value hedge, (ii) a cash flow hedge, (iii) a hedge 
of  a  net  investment  in  a  foreign  operation,  or  (iv)  a  risk  management  instrument  not  designated  for  hedge  accounting.  The 
Corporation recognizes all derivatives on its Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value.

Diesel Fuel Risk
The Corporation uses independent freight carriers to deliver its products.  These carriers charge the Corporation a basic rate per 
mile that is subject to a mileage surcharge for diesel fuel price increases.  The Corporation entered into variable to fixed rate 
commodity swap agreements beginning in April 2010 with two financial counterparties to manage fluctuations in fuel costs.  The 
Corporation will hedge approximately 50% of its diesel fuel requirements for the next twelve months.  The Corporation uses the 
hedge agreements to mitigate the volatility of diesel fuel prices and related fuel surcharges, and not to speculate on the future price 
of diesel fuel.  The hedge agreements are designed to add stability to the Corporation's costs, enabling the Corporation to make 
pricing decisions and lessen the economic impact of abrupt changes in diesel fuel prices over the term of the contract.  The hedging 
instruments consist of a series of financially settled fixed forward contracts with expiration dates ranging up to twelve months.  The 
contracts have been designated as cash flow hedges of future diesel purchases, and as such, the net amount paid or received upon 
monthly settlements is recorded as an adjustment to freight expense, while the effective change in fair value is recorded as a 
component of accumulated other comprehensive income in the equity section of the Corporation's Consolidated Balance Sheets.

As of January 3, 2015, $0.9 million of deferred net loss, net of tax, included in equity ("Accumulated other comprehensive income 
(loss)" in the Corporation's Consolidated Balance Sheets) related to the diesel hedge agreements, are expected to be reclassified 
to current earnings ("Selling and administrative expense" in the Corporation's Consolidated Statements of Income) over the next 
twelve months.

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The location and fair value of derivative instruments reported in the Corporation's Consolidated Balance Sheets are as follows (in 
thousands):

Diesel fuel swap
Diesel fuel swap

Balance Sheet Location
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Accounts payable and accrued expenses

Asset (Liability) Fair Value

2014

2013

—
(1,374)
(1,374) $

$

176
—
176

The effect of derivative instruments on the Corporation's Consolidated Statements of Income for the year ended January 3, 2015 
was as follows (in thousands):

Before-tax
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
OCI on
Derivative
(Effective
Portion)

Derivatives in Cash
Flow Hedge
Relationship

Diesel fuel swap
Total

(1,728)
(1,728)

$

Locations of Gain
(Loss) Reclassified
from AOCI into
Income (Effective
Portion)

Selling and
administrative expense

Before-Tax
Gain (Loss)
Reclassified
from AOCI
Into Income
(Effective
Portion)

(180)
(180)

$

Locations of Gain
(Loss) Recognized in
Income on Derivative
(Ineffective Portion)

Selling and
administrative expense

Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
Income on
Derivative
(Ineffective
Portion)

$

—
—

The effect of derivative instruments on the Corporation's Consolidated Statements of Income for the year ended December 28, 
2013 was as follows (in thousands):

Before-tax
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
OCI on
Derivative
(Effective
Portion)

Derivatives in Cash
Flow Hedge
Relationship

Diesel fuel swap
Total

$

538
538

Locations of Gain
(Loss) Reclassified
from AOCI into
Income (Effective
Portion)

Selling and
administrative expense

Before-Tax
Gain (Loss)
Reclassified
from AOCI
Into Income
(Effective
Portion)

$

243
243

Locations of Gain
(Loss) Recognized in
Income on Derivative
(Ineffective Portion)

Selling and
administrative expense

Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
Income on
Derivative
(Ineffective
Portion)

$

(2)
(2)

The effect of derivative instruments on the Corporation's Consolidated Statements of Income for the year ended December 29, 
2012 was as follows (in thousands):

Before-tax
Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
OCI on
Derivative
(Effective
Portion)

Derivatives in Cash
Flow Hedge
Relationship

Diesel fuel swap
Total

$

213
213

Locations of Gain
(Loss) Reclassified
from AOCI into
Income (Effective
Portion)

Selling and
administrative expense

Before-Tax
Gain (Loss)
Reclassified
from AOCI
Into Income
(Effective
Portion)

$

243
243

Locations of Gain
(Loss) Recognized in
Income on Derivative
(Ineffective Portion)

Selling and
administrative expense

Gain (Loss)
Recognized in
Income on
Derivative
(Ineffective
Portion)

$

—
—

The Corporation entered into master netting agreements with the two financial counterparties where they entered into
commodity swap agreements that permit the net settlement of amounts owed under their respective derivative contracts. Under
these master netting agreements, net settlement of all outstanding contracts with a counterparty in the case of an event of
default or a termination event is allowed. The amounts under the master netting agreement are immaterial and no further
disclosure is deemed necessary.

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Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments

For recognition purposes, on a recurring basis, the Corporation is required to measure at fair value its marketable securities and 
its investment in target funds.  The marketable securities were comprised of investments in government securities, corporate bonds 
and money market funds.  The target funds are reported as both current and noncurrent assets based on the portion anticipated to 
be used for current operations.  When available, the Corporation uses quoted market prices to determine fair value and classifies 
such measurements within Level 1.  In some cases where market prices are not available, the Corporation makes use of observable 
market based inputs (prices or quotes from published exchanges/indexes) to calculate fair value using the market approach, in 
which case the measurements are classified within Level 2.

Assets measured at fair value for the year ended January 3, 2015 were as follows:

(in thousands)
Government securities

Fair value as of
measurement date
9,835
$

$

Corporate bonds
$
Derivative financial instrument $

2,205
$
(1,374) $

Quoted prices in active 
markets for identical assets
(Level 1)

Significant other 
observable inputs
(Level 2)

Significant 
unobservable inputs
(Level 3)

— $

— $
— $

9,835

$

2,205
$
(1,374) $

—

—
—

Assets measured at fair value for the year ended December 28, 2013 were as follows:

(in thousands)

Government securities
Corporate bonds

$
$

Derivative financial instrument $

Shareholders’ Equity

Common Stock, $1 Par Value

Authorized
Issued and outstanding

Preferred Stock, $1 Par Value

Authorized
Issued and outstanding

Fair value as of
measurement date

Quoted prices in active 
markets for identical assets
(Level 1)

Significant other 
observable inputs
(Level 2)

Significant 
unobservable inputs
(Level 3)

11,254
4,859

176

$
$

$

— $
— $

— $

11,254
4,859

176

$
$

$

—
—

—

2014

2013

200,000,000
44,165,676

200,000,000
44,981,865

2,000,000
—

2,000,000
—

The  Corporation  purchased  1,665,850;  740,000;  and  800,000  shares  of  its  common  stock  during  2014,  2013  and  2012, 
respectively.  The par value method of accounting is used for common stock repurchases.  

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The following table summarizes the components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and the changes in accumulated 
other comprehensive income loss:

Derivative 
Financial
Instruments

Accumulated 
Other
Comprehensive 
Loss

(in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2011

Change during year

Less: Taxes

Balance at December 29, 2012

Other comprehensive income
before reclassifications

Less: Taxes

Amounts reclassified from
accumulated other comprehensive
income, net of tax

Balance at December 28, 2013

Other comprehensive income
before reclassifications
Less: Taxes

Foreign 
Currency
Translation 
Adjustment
$

5,211

Unrealized Gains
 Losses) on 
Marketable 
Securities
$

143

264

—

5,475

(2,562)

—

—

2,913

(690)
—

95

33

205

(191)
(67)

—

81

(67)
(23)

Pension 
Postretirement
Liability
$

(3,583) $
(1,132)
(424)
(4,291)

3,389

1,312

74
(2,140)

(7,280)
(2,657)

(56) $
(30)
(10)
(76)

538

197

(154)
111

(1,728)
(631)

Amounts reclassified from
accumulated other comprehensive
income, net of tax
Balance at January 3, 2015

$

—
2,223

$

—
37

$

—
(6,763) $

114
(872) $

1,715
(803)
(401)
1,313

1,174

1,442

(80)
965

(9,765)
(3,311)

114
(5,375)

The following table details the reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended 
December 28, 2013 and January 3, 2015 (in thousands):

Details about Accumulated Other
Comprehensive Income Components

Affected Line Item in the Statement Where
Net Income is Presented

2014

2013

Pension postretirement liability
  Transition obligation

Derivative financial instruments
  Diesel hedge

Total reclassifications for the period

Selling and administrative expenses

Tax (expense) or benefit
Net of tax

Selling and administrative expenses
Tax (expense) or benefit
Net of tax
Net of tax

$

$

$

$
$

— $

—
— $

(180) $
66
(114) $
(114) $

(117)
43
(74)

243
(89)
154
80

In May 2007, the Corporation registered 300,000 shares of its common stock under its 2007 Equity Plan for Non-Employee 
Directors of HNI Corporation, as amended (the “Director Plan”).  The Director Plan permits the Corporation to issue to its non-
employee  directors  options  to  purchase  shares  of  Corporation  common  stock,  restricted  stock  or  restricted  stock  units  of  the 
Corporation and awards of Corporation common stock.  The Director Plan also permits non-employee directors to elect to receive 
all or a portion of their annual retainers and other compensation in the form of shares of Corporation common stock. During 2014, 
2013, and 2012, 27,272; 26,520; and 42,620 shares, respectively, of Corporation common stock were issued under the Director 
Plan.

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Cash dividends declared and paid per share for each year are:

(In dollars)

Common shares

2014

0.99

2013

0.96

2012

0.95

During  2007,  shareholders  approved  the  2002  Members’  Stock  Purchase  Plan  (the  "Purchase  Plan"),  as  amended  January  1, 
2007.  Under the plan, 800,000 shares of common stock were initially registered for issuance to participating members.  On June 
12, 2009, an additional 1,000,000 shares of common stock were registered for issuance to participating members.  Beginning on 
June 30, 2002, rights to purchase stock are granted on a quarterly basis to all participating members who customarily work 20 
hours or more per week and for five months or more in any calendar year.  The price of the stock purchased under the Purchase 
Plan is 85% of the closing price on the exercise date.  No member may purchase stock under the Purchase Plan in an amount which 
exceeds a maximum fair value of $25,000 in any calendar year.  During 2014, 84,065 shares of common stock were issued under 
the Purchase Plan at an average price of $27.92.  During 2013, 86,291 shares of common stock were issued under the plan at an 
average price of $25.63.  During 2012, 106,592 shares of common stock were issued under the Purchase Plan at an average price 
of $18.86.  An additional 447,142 shares were available for issuance under the Purchase Plan at January 3, 2015.

The Corporation has entered into change in control employment agreements with certain officers.  According to the agreements, 
a change in control occurs when a third person or entity becomes the beneficial owner of 20% or more of the Corporation’s common 
stock, when more than one-third of the Board is composed of persons not recommended by at least three-fourths of the incumbent 
Board, upon certain business combinations involving the Corporation or, upon approval by the Corporation’s shareholders of a 
complete liquidation or dissolution.  Upon a change in control, a key member is deemed to have a two-year employment agreement 
with the Corporation, and all of his or her benefits vest under the Corporation’s compensation plans.  If, at any time within two 
years of the change in control, his or her employment is terminated by the Corporation for any reason other than cause or disability, 
or by the key member for good reason, as such terms are defined in the agreement, then the key member is entitled to receive, 
among other benefits, a severance payment equal to two times (three times for the Corporation’s Chairman, President and CEO) 
annual salary and the average of the prior two years’ bonuses.

Stock-Based Compensation
Under the Corporation’s 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), effective May 8, 2007, as amended, the Corporation 
may award options to purchase shares of the Corporation’s common stock and grant other stock awards to executives, managers 
and key personnel.  Upon shareholder approval of the Plan in May 2007, no future awards were granted under the Corporation’s 
1995 Stock-Based Compensation Plan, but all outstanding awards previously granted under that plan shall remain outstanding in 
accordance with their terms.  As of January 3, 2015, there were approximately 4.0 million shares available for future issuance 
under the Plan.  The Plan is administered by the Human Resources and Compensation Committee of the Board.  Restricted stock 
units awarded under the Plan are expensed ratably over the vesting period of the awards.  Stock options awarded to members under 
the Plan must be at exercise prices equal to or exceeding the fair market value of the Corporation’s common stock on the date of 
grant.  Stock options are generally subject to four-year cliff vesting and must be exercised within 10 years from the date of grant.

As discussed above, the Corporation also has the shareholder approved Purchase Plan.  The price of the stock purchased under 
the Purchase Plan is 85% of the closing price on the applicable purchase date.  During 2014, 84,065 shares of the Corporation’s 
common stock were issued under the Purchase Plan at an average price of $27.92.

The Corporation measures the cost of employee services in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the grant-date 
fair value of the award and recognizes cost over the requisite service period.

Compensation cost charged against operations for the Plan and Purchase Plan described above was $8.6 million, $7.5 million and 
$6.4 million for the years ended January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, respectively.  The total income tax 
benefit recognized in the income statement for share-based compensation arrangements was $3.1 million, $2.6 million and $2.3 
million for the years ended January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, respectively.

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The stock compensation expense for the years ended January 3, 2015, December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2012, was estimated 
on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions by grant year:

Expected term

Expected volatility:

Range used

Weighted-average

Expected dividend yield:

Range used

Weighted-average

Risk-free interest rate:

Range used

Year Ended
Jan, 3, 2015

Year Ended
Dec. 28, 2013

Year Ended
Dec. 29, 2012

5 years

5 years

6 years

42.49%

42.49%

2.76%

2.76%

1.54%

50.39% 48.25%-48.34%

50.39%

48.25%

3.02%

3.02%

2.90%-3.61%

3.60%

0.93%

0.90%-1.17%

Expected volatilities are based on historical volatility as the Corporation does not feel that future volatility over the expected term 
of the options is likely to differ from the past.  The Corporation used a simple-average calculation method based on monthly 
frequency points for the prior seven years.  The Corporation normally uses the current dividend yield as there are no plans to 
substantially increase or decrease its dividends.  The Corporation uses historical exercise experience to determine the expected 
term.  The risk-free interest rate was selected based on yields from U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with a remaining term equal 
to the expected term of the options being valued.

The following table summarizes the changes in outstanding stock options since the beginning of fiscal 2012.

Outstanding at December 31, 2011
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited or Expired
Outstanding at December 29, 2012
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited or Expired
Outstanding at December 28, 2013
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited or Expired
Outstanding at January 3, 2015

Number of
Shares
2,996,751
727,381
(149,000)
(118,618)
3,456,514
611,599
(394,476)
(43,070)
3,630,567
536,275
(542,837)
(288,560)
3,335,445

Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
28.33
25.51
25.80
24.99
27.96
31.79
14.86
35.05
29.94
34.78
28.53
38.55
29.93

$

$

$

$

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A summary of the Corporation’s nonvested shares as of January 3, 2015 and changes during the year are presented below:

Nonvested Shares

Nonvested at December 28, 2013

Granted

Vested

Forfeited

Nonvested at January 3, 2015

Weighted-
Average
Grant-Date
Fair Value

9.40

10.48

7.85

10.22

10.14

Shares

2,515,598

$

536,275
(733,316)
(31,560)
2,286,997

$

At January 3, 2015, there was $5.6 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock option awards, which 
the Corporation expects to recognize over a weighted-average period of 1.0 years.  Information about stock options vested or 
expected to vest and are exercisable at January 3, 2015, is as follows:

Options
Vested or expected to vest
Exercisable

Weighted-
Average
Exercise Price
29.91
$
28.53
$

Number
3,302,275
1,048,448

Weighted-
Average
Remaining Life 
in
Years

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
($000s)

$

6.5
4.0

67,994
23,034

The  weighted-average  grant-date  fair  value  of  options  granted  was  $10.48,  $10.85  and  $8.32,  for  2014,  2013  and  2012, 
respectively.  Other information for the last three years is as follows:

(In thousands)
Total fair value of shares vested

Total intrinsic value of options exercised
Cash received from exercise of stock options

Tax benefit realized from exercise of stock options

Jan. 3, 2015
5,735

Dec. 28, 2013
1,127

$

Dec. 29, 2012
3,005

$

$

8,389
15,489

2,982

6,445
5,862

2,291

388
3,845

138

The Corporation has occasionally issued restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to executives, managers and key personnel.  The RSUs 
vest at the end of three years after the grant date.  No dividends are accrued on the RSUs.  The share-based compensation expense 
associated with the RSUs is based on the quoted market price of HNI Corporation shares on the date of grant less the discounted 
present value of dividends not received on the shares and is amortized using the straight-line method from the grant date through 
the earlier of the vesting date or the estimated retirement eligibility date.

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The following table summarizes the changes in outstanding RSUs since the beginning of fiscal 2012:

Outstanding at December 31, 2011
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Outstanding at December 29, 2012
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Outstanding at December 28, 2013
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Outstanding at January 3, 2015

Number of
Shares

Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value

786,805
10,526
(631,759)
(8,352)
157,220
—
(132,693)
—
24,527
15,500
(14,000)
—
26,027

$

$

$

$

10.61
21.19
7.87
22.02
21.71
—
21.47
—
23.01
32.23
21.47
—
27.76

At January 3, 2015, there was $0.4 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to RSUs which the Corporation expects to 
recognize over a weighted-average period of 1.1 year.  The total value of shares vested in 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $0.3 million, 
$2.8 million and $5.0 million, respectively. 

Retirement Benefits
The Corporation has defined contribution profit-sharing plans covering substantially all employees who are not participants in 
certain defined benefit plans.  The Corporation’s annual contribution to the defined contribution plans is based on employee eligible 
earnings and results of operations and amounted to $26.8 million, $23.3 million, and $20.8 million, in 2014, 2013, and 2012, 
respectively.  A portion of the annual contribution is in the form of common stock of the Corporation.  The amount of the stock 
contribution was $6.4 million, $6.1 million, and $5.4 million in 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.

The Corporation sponsors a defined benefit plan which covers a limited number of former salaried and hourly members.  The 
Corporation’s funding policy is generally to contribute annually the minimum actuarially computed amount.  Net pension costs 
relating to these plans were $167,000, $185,000 and $281,000, in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  The actuarial present value 
of obligations, less related plan assets at fair value, is not significant.

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Postretirement Health Care
Guidance on employers’ accounting for other postretirement plans requires recognition of the overfunded or underfunded status 
on the balance sheet.  Under this guidance, gains and losses, prior services costs and credits and any remaining transition amounts 
under previous guidance not yet recognized through net periodic benefit cost are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive 
income (loss), net of tax effects, until they are amortized as a component of net periodic benefit cost.  Also, the measurement date 
– the date at which the benefit obligation and plan assets are measured – is required to be the Corporation’s fiscal year-end.

(In thousands)
Change in benefit obligation

2014

2013

Benefit obligation at beginning of year

$

16,448

$

504

735
(1,280)
5,565

21,972

$

— $
—

1,280
—
(1,280)

— $
(21,972) $

18,547

525

668
(1,263)
(2,029)
16,448

—
—

1,263
—
(1,263)
—
(16,448)

1,004

20,968

$

$

924

15,524

4,665

$

—
—

4,665

$

(900) $
5,565
—
—
—
4,665

$

(900)
—
—
(900)

1,246
(2,029)
—
(117)
—
(900)

Service cost

Interest cost

Benefits paid

Actuarial (gain)/loss

Benefit obligation at end of year

Change in plan assets

Fair value at beginning of year
Actual return on assets

Employer contribution
Transferred out

Benefits paid
Fair value at end of year

Funded Status of Plan
Amounts recognized in the Statement of Financial Position consist
of:

Current liabilities

Noncurrent liabilities

Amounts recognized in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
(before tax) consist of:

Actuarial (gain)/loss

Transition (asset)/obligation
Prior service cost

Change in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (before
tax):

Amount disclosed at beginning of year
Actuarial (gain)/loss
Amortization of actuarial gain or loss
Amortization of transition amount
Amortization of prior service cost
Amount disclosed at end of year

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

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Estimated Future Benefit Payments (In thousands)

Fiscal 2015
Fiscal 2016
Fiscal 2017
Fiscal 2018
Fiscal 2019
Fiscal 2020 – 2024

1,004
1,003
1,016
1,024
1,058
6,267

Expected Contributions During Fiscal 2015

Total

$

1,004

The discount rates at fiscal year-end 2014, 2013 and 2012, were 3.8%, 4.6% and 3.7%, respectively.  The Corporation's payment 
for  these  benefits  has  reached  the  maximum  amounts  per  the  plan;  therefore,  healthcare  trend  rates  have  no  impact  on  the 
Corporation’s cost.  There were no funds designated as plan assets.

Components of Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (in thousands)
Service cost
Interest cost
Amortization of net (gain)/loss
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost/(income)

2015
803
816
237
1,856

$

$

A discount rate of 3.8% was used to determine net periodic benefit cost for 2015.  The discount rate is set at the measurement date 
to reflect the yield of a portfolio of high quality, fixed income debt instruments.  There are no plan assets invested.

Leases
The Corporation leases certain warehouse and plant facilities and equipment.  Commitments for minimum rentals under non-
cancelable leases at the end of 2014 are as follows:

 (In thousands)
2015

2016
2017

2018
2019
Thereafter
Total minimum lease payments
Less:  amount representing interest
Present value of net minimum lease payments, including current maturities of $105

Operating
Leases
28,811

23,855
12,768

9,038
6,175
11,045
91,692

$

$

Capitalized
Leases
108

—
—

—
—
—
108
3
105

$

$

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Property, plant and equipment at year-end include the following amounts for capitalized leases:

(In thousands)

Office equipment

Less:  allowances for depreciation

2014

570

460

110

$

$

2013

570

346

224

$

$

Rent expense for the years 2014, 2013 and 2012, amounted to approximately $48.0 million, $41.5 million and $37.6 million, 
respectively.  There was no contingent rent expense under either capitalized and operating leases (generally based on mileage of 
transportation equipment) for the years 2014, 2013, and 2012.

Guarantees, Commitments and Contingencies
The Corporation utilizes letters of credit in the amount of $11 million to back certain financing instruments, insurance policies 
and payment obligations.  The letters of credit reflect fair value as a condition of their underlying purpose and are subject to fees 
competitively determined.

The Corporation is involved in various kinds of disputes and legal proceedings that have arisen in the course of its business, 
including pending litigation, environmental remediation, taxes and other claims.  It is the Corporation’s opinion, after consultation 
with legal counsel, that additional liabilities, if any, resulting from these matters are not expected to have a material adverse effect 
on the Corporation’s quarterly or annual operating results and cash flows when resolved in a future period.

Reportable Segment Information
Management views the Corporation as being in two reportable segments based on industries:  office furniture and hearth products, 
with the former being the principal segment.  The aggregated office furniture segment manufactures and markets a broad line of 
metal and wood commercial and home office furniture which includes storage products, desks, credenzas, chairs, tables, bookcases, 
freestanding office partitions and panel systems and other related products.  The hearth products segment manufactures and markets 
a broad line of gas, electric, wood and biomass burning fireplaces, inserts, stoves, facings and accessories, principally for the 
home.

For purposes of segment reporting, intercompany sales transfers between segments are not material, and operating profit is income 
before income taxes exclusive of certain unallocated corporate expenses.  These unallocated corporate expenses include the net 
costs of the Corporation’s corporate operations, interest income and interest expense.  Management views interest income and 
expense as corporate financing costs and not as a reportable segment cost.  In addition, management applies an effective income 
tax  rate  to  its  consolidated  income  before  income  taxes  so  income  taxes  are  not  reported  or  viewed  internally  on  a  segment 
basis.  Identifiable assets by segment are those assets applicable to the respective industry segments.  Corporate assets consist 
principally of cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, long-term investments and corporate office real estate and related 
equipment.

No geographic information for revenues from external customers or for long-lived assets is disclosed since the Corporation’s 
primary market and capital investments are concentrated in the United States.

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Reportable segment data reconciled to the consolidated financial statements for the years ended 2014, 2013, and 2012, is as follows 
for continuing operations:

(In thousands)

Net sales:

Office furniture

Hearth products

Operating profit:
Office furniture (a)
Hearth products

Total operating profit

Unallocated corporate expenses

Income (loss) before income taxes

Depreciation and amortization expense:

Office furniture

Hearth products

General corporate

Capital expenditures (including capitalized software):
Office furniture

Hearth products
General corporate

Identifiable assets:

Office furniture
Hearth products

General corporate

2014

2013

2012

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,739,049

483,646

2,222,695

87,053

77,066

164,119
(59,188)
104,931

45,891

5,415

5,416
56,722

62,696

6,342
43,675

112,713

724,293
341,315

173,726
1,239,334

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,685,205

374,759

2,059,964

97,339

46,662

144,001
(47,294)
96,707

36,992

5,288

4,341
46,621

51,954

4,220
22,721

78,895

722,697
255,978

156,030
1,134,705

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

1,687,302

316,701

2,004,003

91,849

26,477

118,326
(40,722)
77,604

34,491

5,958

2,911
43,360

36,080

2,008
22,182

60,270

700,665
254,835

121,566
1,077,066

(a)  Included in operating profit for the office furniture segment are pretax charges of $33.0 million, $0.3 million and $1.9 

million, for closing of facilities and impairment charges in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

The Corporation's net sales by product category were as follows for the years ended 2014, 2013 and 2012:

(in thousands)
Systems and storage
Seating
Other
Hearth products

2014
1,156,170
498,389
84,490
483,646
2,222,695

2013
1,132,885
469,220
83,100
374,759
2,059,964

2012
1,126,272
452,923
108,107
316,701
2,004,003

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Summary of Quarterly Results of Operations (Unaudited)
The following table presents certain unaudited quarterly financial information for each of the past 8 quarters.  In the opinion of 
the Corporation’s management, this information has been prepared on the same basis as the consolidated financial statements 
appearing elsewhere in this report and includes all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) necessary to state 
fairly the financial results set forth herein.  Results of operations for any previous quarter are not necessarily indicative of 
results for any future period.

Year-End 2014: (In thousands, except per share 
data)

First
Quarter

Second
Quarter

Third
Quarter

Fourth
Quarter

$

452,201

$

509,143

$

614,690

$

Net sales

Cost of products sold

Gross profit

Selling and administrative expenses

(Gain) on sale of assets

Restructuring related charges (income)

Operating income (loss)

Interest income (expense) – net

Income (loss) before income taxes
Income taxes

Net income (loss)
Less: net income attributable to the
noncontrolling interest
Net income (loss) attributable to HNI Corporation $

Net income (loss) attributable to HNI Corporation
per common share – basic

Weighted-average common shares outstanding –
basic

Net income (loss) attributable to HNI Corporation
per common share – diluted

Weighted-average common shares outstanding –
diluted

As a Percentage of Net Sales

Net sales

Gross profit
Selling and administrative expenses

(Gain) on sale of assets
Restructuring related charges
Operating income (loss)
Income taxes
Net income (loss) attributable to HNI Corporation

297,029

155,172

145,210
(8,400)
(28)
18,390
(2,132)

16,258
5,242

11,016

328,010

181,133

155,288
(1,346)
10,282

16,909
(2,041)

14,868
5,203

9,665

394,758

219,932

166,216

—

987

52,729
(1,861)

50,868
17,372

33,496

(80)
11,096

$

(40)
9,705

$

(92)
33,588

$

0.25

0.22

0.75

646,661

418,698

227,963

182,341
(977)
21,778

24,821
(1,884)

22,937
15,959

6,978

(104)
7,082

0.16

45,039

45,020

44,690

44,324

0.24

0.21

0.74

0.16

45,838

45,868

45,611

45,202

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

34.3
32.1
(1.9)
—
4.1
1.2
2.5

35.6
30.5
(0.3)
2.0
3.3
1.0
1.9

35.8
27.0

—
0.2
8.6
2.8
5.5

35.3
28.2
(0.2)
3.4
3.8
2.5
1.1

-69-

 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

Year-End 2013:
(In thousands, except per share data)

First
Quarter

Second
Quarter

Third
Quarter

Fourth
Quarter

$

442,297

$

510,698

$

565,706

$

Net sales

Cost of products sold

Gross profit

Selling and administrative expenses

(Gain) on sale of assets

Restructuring related charges

Operating income (loss)

Interest income (expense) – net

Income (loss) before income taxes

Income taxes

Net income (loss)

Less: net income attributable to the
noncontrolling interest
Net income (loss) attributable to HNI Corporation $
Net income (loss) per common share – basic

Weighted-average common shares outstanding –
basic

Net income (loss) per common share – diluted

Weighted-average common shares outstanding –
diluted

As a Percentage of Net Sales

Net sales

Gross profit

Selling and administrative expenses
(Gain) on sale of assets

Restructuring related charges
Operating income (loss)

Income taxes
Net income (loss) attributable to HNI Corporation

294,515

147,782

144,556

—

156

3,070
(2,516)

554
(625)
1,179

(229)
1,408
0.03

45,155

0.03

45,720

$

336,040

174,658

152,078

2,460
(35)
20,155
(2,567)

17,588

6,189

11,399

(22)
11,421
0.25

45,413

0.25

46,110

$

365,835

199,871

154,641

—

115

45,115
(2,668)

42,447

14,398

28,049

(45)
28,094
0.62

45,318

0.61

46,090

$

541,263

348,282

192,981

155,237

—

97

37,647
(1,529)

36,118

13,376

22,742

(18)
22,760
0.50

45,117

0.50

45,964

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

33.4

32.7
—

—
0.7
(0.1)
0.3

34.2

29.8
0.5

—
3.9

1.2
2.2

35.3

27.3
—

—
8.0

2.5
5.0

35.7

28.7
—

—
7.0

2.5
4.2

-70-

 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

INVESTOR INFORMATION

Common Stock Market Prices and Dividends (Unaudited)

Quarterly 2014 – 2012 

2014 by
Quarter
1st
2nd
3rd
4th

Total Dividends Paid

2013 by
Quarter
1st
2nd
3rd
4th

Total Dividends Paid

2012 by
Quarter
1st
2nd
3rd
4th

Total Dividends Paid

$

$

$

High

Low

Dividends
per Share

39.42

$

39.29

40.43

52.90

High

Low

35.74

$

38.53

40.73

40.10

High

Low

32.01

$

27.95

32.02

30.24

31.00

31.61

34.62

34.75

28.28

31.45

32.38

32.83

24.97

21.57

25.39

25.08

Dividends
per Share

Dividends
per Share

Common Stock Market Price and Price/Earnings Ratio (Unaudited)

Fiscal Years 2014 – 2010 

$

 Year
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
Five-Year Average

Market Price

High
52.90 $
40.73
32.02
36.48
35.29

Low
31.00 $
28.28
21.57
15.78
22.80

Diluted
Earnings
per
Share

1.35
1.39
1.07
1.01
0.59

Price/Earnings Ratio

High
39
29
30
36
60
39

0.24

0.25

0.25

0.25

0.99

0.24

0.24

0.24

0.24
0.96

0.23

0.24

0.24

0.24
0.95

Low
23
20
20
16
39
24

-71-

 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

SCHEDULE II – VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

HNI CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

January 3, 2015 

COL. A

COL. B

COL. C

COL. D

COL. E

ADDITIONS
(1) CHARGED
TO COSTS
AND
EXPENSES

(2) CHARGED
TO OTHER
ACCOUNTS
(DESCRIBE)

BALANCE AT
BEGINNING
OF PERIOD

DEDUCTIONS
(DESCRIBE)

BALANCE AT
END OF
PERIOD

$

$

$

$

$

$

6,208

1,579

5,151

1,580

4,838

1,616

$

$

$

$

$

$

343

2,474

2,590

—

870

—

— $

1,455 (A) $

— $

640 (A) $

— $

1,533 (A) $

—

1 (A) $

— $

557 (A) $

—

36 (A)

5,096

3,413

6,208

1,579

5,151

1,580

DESCRIPTION

(In thousands)

Year ended January 3, 2015:

Allowance for doubtful
accounts
Valuation allowance for
deferred tax asset

Year ended December 28, 2013:
Allowance for doubtful
accounts
Valuation allowance for
deferred tax asset
Year ended December 29, 2012:

Allowance for doubtful
accounts

Valuation allowance for
deferred tax asset

Note A:  Represents amounts written off, net of recoveries and other adjustments.

-72-

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
Table of Contents

ITEM 15(c) - INDEX OF EXHIBITS

Exhibit Number

Description of Document

(3.1)

(3.2)

(10.1)

(10.2)

(10.3)

(10.4)

(10.5)

(10.6)

(10.7)

(10.8)

(10.09)

(10.10)

(10.11)

(10.12)

(10.13)

(10.14)

(10.15)

(10.16)

Articles of Incorporation of HNI Corporation, as amended, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the 
Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 2010

Amended and restated By-laws of HNI Corporation, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant's 
Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 8, 2014

HNI Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan, as amended and restated, incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed May 9, 2013*

2007 Equity Plan for Non-Employee Directors of HNI Corporation, as amended and restated, incorporated 
by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 
2010*

Form of HNI Corporation Change In Control Employment Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 16, 2006*

HNI Corporation Supplemental Income Plan (f/k/a HNI Corporation ERISA Supplemental Retirement Plan), 
as amended and restated, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 
8-K filed February 22, 2010*

Form of HNI Corporation Amended and Restated Indemnity Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed November 14, 2007*

Form  of  2007  Equity  Plan  For  Non-Employee  Directors  of  HNI  Corporation  Participation  Agreement, 
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.26 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 
January 2, 2010*
Form  of  HNI  Corporation  2007  Stock-Based  Compensation  Plan  Stock  Option  Award  Agreement, 
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter 
ended July 4, 2009*

Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, including all schedules and exhibits, dated as of September 28, 
2011, by and among HNI Corporation, as Borrower, certain domestic subsidiaries of HNI Corporation, as 
Guarantors,  certain  lenders  party  thereto  and Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National Association,  as Administrative 
Agent, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed October 
3, 2011
HNI  Corporation  Long-Term  Performance  Plan,  as  amended  and  restated,  incorporated  by  reference  to 
Appendix C to the Registrant's Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A dated March 26, 2010, for the Registrant's 
Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 11, 2010*

HNI Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated, incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 10.12 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 2010*

Note Purchase Agreement dated as of April 6, 2006, by and among HNI Corporation and the Purchasers 
named therein, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed 
April 10, 2006

HNI Corporation Directors Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended and restated, incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit 10.15 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 2010*

HNI Corporation Annual Incentive Plan (f/k/a HNI Corporation Executive Bonus Plan), as amended and 
restated, incorporated by reference to Appendix B to the Registrant's Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A dated 
March 26, 2010, for the Registrant's Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 11, 2010*

Form of HNI Corporation Amendment No. 1 to Change in Control Employment Agreement incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed August 10, 2007*

Form of HNI Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement, 
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter 
ended April 4, 2009 (for restricted stock unit awards granted in 2009)*

HNI Corporation Stock-Based Compensation Plan, as amended, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to 
the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006*

-73-

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

Exhibit Number

Description of Document

(10.17)

(10.18)

(10.19)  

(10.20)  

(10.21)  

(21)  

(23)  
(31.1)  
(31.2)  
(32.1)

101

Form  of  Exercise  of  Stock  Option  granted  under  the  HNI  Corporation  Stock-Based  Compensation  Plan, 
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter 
ended September 27, 2008*

Form of HNI Corporation Stock-Based Compensation Plan Stock Option Award Agreement, incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 99D to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 22, 2005*

Form of HNI Corporation 2007 Stock-Based Compensation Plan Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement, 
incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter 
ended April 3, 2010 (for restricted stock unit awards granted in 2010)*
Form of HNI Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Deferral Election Agreement, incorporated 
by reference to Exhibit 10.25 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 
2010*

Form of HNI Corporation Directors Deferred Compensation Plan Deferral Election Agreement, incorporated 
by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 
2010*
Subsidiaries of the Registrant+
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm+
Certification of CEO pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002+
Certification of CFO pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002+

Certification of CEO and CFO Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of 
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002+
The  following  materials  from  HNI  Corporation's Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  for  the  fiscal  year  ended 
January 3, 2015 formatted in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) and furnished electronically 
herewith:  (i)  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets;  (ii)  Consolidated  Statements  of  Comprehensive  Income;  (iii) 
Consolidated Statements of Equity; (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows; and (v) Notes to Consolidated 
Financial Statements

* 
+ 

Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
Filed herewith.

-74-

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Performance Graph 

Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Return 

HNI Corporation

S&P500

OFIG*

$250

$225

$200

$175

$150

$125

$100

$75

$50

$25

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Annual Report

HNI Corporation
S&P500
OFIG*

2009

$100
$100
$100

2010

$117
$115
$154

2011

$101
$117
$118

2012

$117
$134
$162

2013

$163
$180
$222

2014

$214
$205
$231

*The  Office  Furniture  Industry  Group  (OFIG)  is  a  composite  peer  index  constructed  by  the  Corporation  weighted  by  market 
capitalization and comprised of the following companies: Herman Miller, Inc., Kimball International, Inc., Knoll, Inc. and Steelcase 
Inc.  It is weighted at the beginning of each year according to the market capitalization of its constituents on the last trading day of the 
Corporation's prior fiscal year. 

Total returns for HNI Corporation, S&P 500 and OFIG are depicted at the end of Corporation's fiscal years.  The total return assumes 
$100 invested in each of the Corporation's common stock, the S&P 500 and OFIG stocks at the end of the Corporation's 2009 fiscal 
year, plus further reinvestment of dividends on the date of dividend payment.  S&P 500 returns assume S&P 500 dividends are paid 
and reinvested on the last trading day of each of the Corporation's fiscal quarters. 

The comparative performance of the  Corporation's common stock against the indexes as depicted in this graph is dependent on the 
price of  stock  at  a  particular  measurement  point  in  time.    Since  individual  stocks  are  more  volatile  than  broader  stock  indexes,  the 
perceived comparative performance of the Corporation's common stock may vary based on the strength or weakness of the stock price 
at the new measurement point used in each future performance graph.  For this reason, the Corporation does not believe this graph 
should be considered as the sole indicator of the Corporation's performance. 

-7

5- 

 
 
 
 
 
                    
 
 
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Stan A. Askren
Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer,
HNI Corporation

Cheryl A. Francis
Co-Chairman,
Corporate Leadership 
Center

Larry B. Porcellato**
Former Chief Executive 
Officer,
The Homax Group, Inc.

Mary H. Bell**
Vice President,
Building Construction
Products Division,
Caterpillar Inc.

James R. Jenkins
Retired Senior Vice 
President and  
General Counsel,
Deere & Company

Miguel M. Calado
Vice President, 
Corporate
Development,
Hovione SA

Dennis J. Martin**
President and
Chief Executive Officer,
Federal Signal 
Corporation

*Lead Director
**Committee Chairperson

Abbie J. Smith*
Chaired Professor,
University of Chicago
Booth School of 
Business

Brian E. Stern
Director,  
Starboard Capital
Partners, LLC  
and Former Senior  
Vice President,  
Xerox Corporation

HNI CORPORATION OFFICERS

COMPANIES

Human Resources 
and Compensation
Dennis J. Martin
Miguel M. Calado
Ronald V. Waters, III

Public Policy and 
Corporate Governance
Larry B. Porcellato
James R. Jenkins
Abbie J. Smith

Ronald V. Waters, III
Independent Business
Consultant,
Former Director,
President and
Chief Executive Officer,
LoJack Corporation

COMMITTEES  
OF THE BOARD

Audit
Mary H. Bell
Cheryl A. Francis
Brian E. Stern

Stan A. Askren
Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer

Richard K. Johnson
Vice President and Chief 
Information Officer

Todd C. Birlingmair
Treasurer

Steven M. Bradford
Vice President, General
Counsel and Secretary

Cooper V. Evans
Vice President,
Internal Audit

Tamara S. Feldman
Vice President,
Financial Reporting

Matthew D. McGough
Vice President,
Corporate Finance

Donna D. Meade
Vice President,
Member Relations

Kurt A. Tjaden
Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer

Vincent P. Berger
President,
Hearth & Home 
Technologies

Redus W. Brooks
President,
Maxon 

Peter C. M. Chu
President,
Lamex

Bradley D. Determan
Executive Vice President,
HNI Corporation;
President,
Hearth & Home 
Technologies Group

Jerald K. Dittmer
Executive Vice President,
HNI Corporation;
President,
The HON Company

Richard P. Fox
Vice President and 
General Manager, HBF

Sudhir Mambully
Managing Director,
BP Ergo

Mona K. Hoffman
President,
Paoli 

Eric F. Jackson
President,
Artcobell

Ricardo Leon
President,
Vermont Castings Group

Jeffrey D. Lorenger
Executive Vice President,
HNI Corporation;
President,
HNI Contract Furniture 
Group

Donald T. Mead
Executive Vice President,
HNI Corporation;
President,
Gunlocke

Marco V. Molinari
Executive Vice President,
HNI Corporation;
President,  
HNI International

Mark R. Roumfort
President,
Allsteel

INVESTOR INFORMATION

Fiscal 2015 Quarter-End Dates
1st Quarter:   April 4
2nd Quarter:  July 4
3rd Quarter:  October 3
4th Quarter:   January 2, 2016

Annual Meeting
The Corporation’s annual  
shareholders’ meeting will be  
held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 
May 5, 2015, at the Allsteel 
Corporate Head quarters, 2210 
Second Avenue, Muscatine, Iowa.

Form 10-K Report
Financial information can be 
accessed on the Corporation’s 
website at www.hnicorp.com.

Corporate Headquarters and 
Investor Relations
HNI Corporation
408 East Second Street
Muscatine, IA 52761-0071
Telephone: 563.272.7400
Investor Relations Email:  
investorrelations@hnicorp.com

Transfer Agent
Shareholders may report a change 
of address or make inquiries by 
writing or calling:

Wells Fargo Shareowner Services
1110 Centre Point Curve, Suite 101
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
Telephone: 800.468.9716
www.shareowneronline.com

Independent Registered Public 
Accounting Firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
One North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606

KPMG LLP
Suite 5500
200 East Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601 
Beginning 2015

Common Stock
HNI Corporation common stock 
trades on the New York Stock 
Exchange (NYSE) under the 
 symbol: HNI.

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HNI Corporation

2014 ANNUAL REPORT