Where Does DI Get Its New Furniture?
You may be surprised to learn that Deseret Industries sells new items in its stores. These items are known as new furniture and sleep products and are made at Deseret Manufacturing—a factory that is part of Deseret Industries and is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like DI stores, Deseret Manufacturing serves as an employment training facility.
Deseret Manufacturing is a job training facility where DI's new furniture and sleep products are manufactured. How does the job training program operate at Deseret Manufacturing?
Just like DI, Deseret Manufacturing is a job training facility designed to prepare associates for future employment opportunities. Operational supervisors help associates:
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Develop important workplace skills and habits.
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Set personal and professional goals.
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Plan for a future career.
Employees at Deseret Manufacturing are assigned to work in the wood department, sleep department, or sign shop based on their interests and the needs of the factory. Specific to the job training program at Deseret Manufacturing, associates:
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Learn skills in product assembly, manufacturing, and warehousing.
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Are encouraged to work toward other qualifications, such as becoming forklift certified or obtaining certifications in Lean Six Sigma.
After leaving the job training program at Deseret Manufacturing, associates have worked in other manufacturing and production positions, as well as jobs in nursing, HVAC repair, commercial truck driving, and more.
What items are made at Deseret Manufacturing?
More than 25 products are made at Deseret Manufacturing, including items from the following categories:
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Four-poster beds
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Bunk beds
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Mattresses & Foundations
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Tables & Chairs
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Dressers & Nightstands
The factory also produces signs, such as those used in church buildings like temples and meetinghouses.
What is it like to work at Deseret Manufacturing?
Deseret Manufacturing is a high-volume furniture and mattress production environment. Associate responsibilities include industrial sewing, woodworking, and operating a forklift. The job also requires working with industrial equipment, such as planers, sanders, CNC machines, quilters, and coilers.
Why was Deseret Manufacturing established?
The origins of Deseret Manufacturing go all the way back to the 1950s when the General Welfare Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ assigned DI to begin manufacturing products. The main purposes of this request were to:
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Provide more employment opportunities.
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Address needs not being met by donations.
Since then, the manufacturing efforts of DI have played an important role in accomplishing its mission.
Timeline
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1954: Deseret Industries acquires a woolen mill.
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1957: The mill begins manufacturing blankets and rugs, and DI begins manufacturing clothing like overalls, jackets, and shirts.
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1978: Deseret Industries Factory is established to expand manufacturing efforts, including mattress covers. The factory adopts the Deseret Manufacturing name soon after.
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1982: Deseret Manufacturing moves from 300 West and South Temple in Salt Lake City to its current location at 1680 South Industrial Road.
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1992: Deseret Manufacturing becomes the sole supplier of interior signs for Latter-day Saint buildings like meetinghouses and temples.
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1993: The factory doubles its space after leasing an additional 60,000 square feet.
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1997: Deseret Manufacturing manufactures and ships more than 110,000 items.
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2013: The number of employees exceeds 130, with more than 100 of these being associates in the job training program.
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2017: Deseret Manufacturing begins serving resettlement agencies (refugees) in the United States.
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2023: Deseret Manufacturing increases to 90 service missionaries during a period of low associate count at the factory.
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