DBI

Commercial Office Furniture & Interior Designdbiyes.com

DBI is a privately held Mid-Michigan commercial interior design and office furniture dealer serving corporate, education, healthcare, government, and value-conscious customers through workspace design, Haworth furniture distribution, installation services, and a discounted Office Outlet retail sub-brand.

Company typePrivate
Founded1984
HeadquartersLansing, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What DBI does

DBI, also operating as 'DBI Business Interiors' and branded 'DBI - We Do Office,' is a privately held commercial interior design and office furniture dealer founded in 1984 and headquartered in Lansing, Michigan. The company serves Mid-Michigan organizations across corporate, education, healthcare, government/public sector, financial services, and value-conscious segments, offering end-to-end workspace solutions from space planning and interior design through furniture specification, delivery, and installation. DBI operates as a Preferred Haworth Dealer with 30+ years of tenure and has earned Haworth's Best In Class distinction every year since the award's inception in 2012 (14 consecutive years through 2025).

The company generates revenue through multiple streams: one-time sale of office furniture (desks, seating, storage, systems, tables, wellness products) from manufacturer partners led by Haworth plus Humanscale and OFS; professional interior design services delivered by NCIDQ-certified designers using CET and AutoCAD; factory-trained installation, reconfiguration, warehousing, and inventory management; circular/sustainability services (furniture resell, trade-in, donation, recycling, Haworth Take-Back program); and a value-focused DBI Office Outlet sub-brand selling new and gently used furniture at 40-90% off list prices. The product surface spans core furniture, moveable walls, collaborative technology (Bluescape, Workware), windows and flooring, acoustic solutions, and healthcare-specific environments. Distribution combines a direct field sales team with dedicated account managers, a physical showroom at 912 East Michigan Ave, the Office Outlet retail location, an e-commerce storefront at shop.dbiyes.com, and Haworth co-marketing.

Ownership rests with co-owners George Snyder (President & CEO) and Steve Klaver (VP & COO), with the Snyder family represented in finance roles. The company employs 101-250 people organized across sales, design, project coordination, installation/warehouse, IT, and State of Michigan contract administration functions. In April 2024, DI offloaded its office supplies operations to Smart Business Source via partnership, allowing it to concentrate on Workplace Solutions. The company has never raised institutional capital and reports no public revenue figures.

DBI firmographics

Firmographics

Name: DBI
Legal name: DBI
Website: https://dbiyes.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1984
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: DBI is a privately held Mid-Michigan commercial interior design and office furniture dealer serving corporate, education, healthcare, government, and value-conscious customers through workspace design, Haworth furniture distribution, installation services, and a discounted Office Outlet retail sub-brand.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

DBI industry classification

Industry

Product category: Commercial Office Furniture & Interior Design
NAICS: Office Administrative Services (5611)
SIC: Retail-Furniture Stores (5712)
akta.pro primary industry: Managed Workplace Services (DaaS/Workplace-as-a-Service) (BPAEAIAA)

Keywords

Commercial office furniture
Workspace interior design
Office furniture dealer
Ergonomic seating solutions
Furniture installation services

Where DBI is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Lansing
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

DBI business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Office Furniture Sales: DBI generates revenue primarily through the sale of office furniture including desks, seating, storage, systems, tables, and wellness products from manufacturer partners like Haworth, Humanscale, and OFS.
Interior Design Services: Professional design services including space planning, furniture specification, layout design, budgeting, finish selection, programming, 3D modeling, and decorative accessory selection. NCIDQ-certified design professionals provide consultation.
Installation & Reconfiguration Services: Factory-trained installation team provides professional delivery and installation services. Additional services include reconfiguration, warehousing, inventory management, and maintenance/cleaning.
Office Supplies: DBI previously operated an office supplies division which is now powered through strategic partnership with Smart Business Source, allowing DBI to focus on core workplace solutions offerings.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
One time/ perpetual license	Pay-as-you-go	The Office Outlet - Discounted Furniture
Other	Multi-year contract	Main DBI Products - Quote-based Pricing

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

DBI product offering

Product offering

Core offering

DBI is a commercial interior design and office furniture dealer serving Mid-Michigan organizations since 1984. As a Preferred Haworth Dealer for over 30 years, the company sells office furniture (desks, seating, storage, systems, tables), provides professional design and space planning services, and delivers factory-trained installation, reconfiguration, and inventory management. It also operates The Office Outlet, a value-focused retail division offering discounted new and gently used furniture, and offers Circular Services for sustainability.

Product overview

DBI is a commercial office furniture dealer and interior design company offering a comprehensive portfolio of workspace solutions. The core product lineup includes Desks (height-adjustable, executive, private office), Seating (ergonomic task, executive, lounge), Storage (files, cabinets, towers), Systems (panels, benching, private offices), Tables (collaborative, conference, training), and Wellness at Work products (sit-to-stand solutions, active seating). DBI provides workspace environments including Moveable Walls, Accessories, Collaborative Technology (Bluescape, Workware), Windows and Flooring, and Health Environments. The company offers Design Services (space planning, 3D modeling, specification) and Installation & Reconfiguration services. As a sub-brand, the DBI Office Outlet provides discounted new and gently used furniture. DBI also offers Circular Services (sustainability programs) and Inventory Management Services. New product highlights include Haworth Knits, Cabana Lounge, PopUp Tables, GAN Rugs, Forest Seating, BuzziSpace products, and Riverbend Lounge Seating.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Office Desks

Quantifiable outcome

Ergonomic improvements: Height-adjustable desks reduce strain for associates working at sit-to-stand stations
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use DBI

Customer profile

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

DBI technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

DBI partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

Smart Business SourcecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2024Strategic partnership announced April 18, 2024 where Smart Business Source powers DBI's office supplies division. This enables DBI to concentrate resources on Workplace Solutions offerings including office furniture, architectural design, and comprehensive office design services. Smart Business Source is a Michigan-based office product supplier providing diverse office and business supply products.
HaworthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDBI has been a Preferred Haworth Dealer for over 30 years. Haworth is a world-class designer and manufacturer of adaptable workspaces headquartered in Holland, Michigan. DBI is one of only four dealers to have received the Best In Class award every year since its inception. The partnership provides access to Haworth's complete product line including seating, desks, storage, systems, moveable walls, and collaborative technology solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

DBI competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Tangram Interiors: Multi-region office furniture dealer and commercial interior design firm that distributes Haworth, Knoll, and other premium brands while providing space planning, installation, and project management. Highly comparable to DBI in business model, manufacturer relationships, and full-service workplace solutions offering.
Workplace Resource: Michigan-headquartered office furniture dealer and interior design firm serving the Great Lakes region with Haworth and other manufacturer partnerships. Directly comparable to DBI given shared Michigan base, Haworth dealer status, and design-plus-furnishing model.
Interior Systems, Inc. (ISI): Midwest commercial interiors dealer providing office furniture, architectural products, and design services across multiple states. Comparable to DBI as a regional contract furniture dealer with design, installation, and project management capabilities serving corporate and institutional clients.
CORT Business Services: National office and residential furniture rental and transition services provider with corporate furniture, space planning, and installation offerings. Comparable to DBI in serving enterprise workplace needs, though CORT's rental-led model competes for the same hybrid-work redesign budgets.

Broad incumbents

Haworth: Global office furniture manufacturer and DBI's primary supplier for 30+ years. While a critical partner, Haworth also operates direct sales for major accounts and a dealer-referral network that bypasses regional dealers like DBI on national rollouts, making it both an enabler and a structural competitor.
Steelcase: Global office furniture manufacturer with its own dealer network and direct enterprise sales. Competes with DBI indirectly through manufacturer-direct pricing and national dealer programs that can erode regional dealers' share on large or multi-site accounts.
MillerKnoll: Parent of Herman Miller, Knoll, and other premium office furniture brands with a global dealer and direct-sales network. Competes with DBI through national account programs and through the same specification battles in RFPs that determine which manufacturer brand wins each project.
Office Depot: National office supplies and furniture retailer serving SMBs and enterprise procurement. Overlaps with DBI's Office Outlet value segment and competes for small-business office furniture purchases, though it lacks the design and contract-furniture depth DBI offers to enterprises.
National Office Furniture: Kimball International brand offering office seating, desks, and casegoods through a dealer network. Comparable to DBI's product categories and competes for the same specification slots, though as a manufacturer it sits upstream of DBI in the value chain.

Regional players

IKEA for Business: Ikea's small-business and home-office furniture offering targets startups, remote workers, and budget-conscious buyers — directly overlapping with DBI's Office Outlet segment in Lansing and Mid-Michigan. Alternative channel rather than a like-for-like competitor, but addresses the same price-sensitive demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

DBI financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

DBI leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

DBI subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

DBI funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

DBI M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DBI

What does DBI do?

Is DBI a public or private company?

DBI is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was DBI founded?

DBI was founded in 1984. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is DBI based?

DBI is headquartered in Lansing, United States, in the North America region.

How does DBI make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Office Furniture Sales are the primary driver. The others are interior Design Services, installation & Reconfiguration Services and office Supplies.

Who are DBI's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Tangram Interiors, Workplace Resource, Interior Systems, Inc. (ISI) and CORT Business Services. Broad incumbents are Haworth, Steelcase, MillerKnoll, Office Depot and National Office Furniture. IKEA for Business is listed as a regional player.

Does DBI have an API?

No public API is recorded for DBI.

What industry is DBI in?

DBI's product category is Commercial Office Furniture & Interior Design. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAIAA, Managed Workplace Services (DaaS/Workplace-as-a-Service). Its NAICS code is 5611 and its SIC code is 5712.