Yesterday, Lippert Components, Inc., a supplier of engineered components to the recreation and transportation markets, announced it has acquired the business assets of Freedman Seating Company.

For over 130 years, Freedman has provided a variety of seating solutions to the bus, rail, marine, delivery truck, specialty, and commercial vehicle markets. A family-owned company since 1894, Freedman’s seating grew from the horse-drawn carriage days. 

Freedman’s seating operations will continue in Chicago for the foreseeable future, honoring its longstanding ties to the local workforce and community partners.

Lippert is no stranger to the bus and transportation vehicle markets, providing window and glass solutions to these industries for over 12 years. In March, Lippert completed the acquisition of Trans Air. 

The addition of Freedman continues to build upon Lippert’s diversification strategy into the transportation vehicle markets.

Ryan Smith, group president of Lippert’s North American OEM operations said: “We are pleased to welcome the Freedman team to the Lippert family. Between the two companies, we have almost 200 years combined of family leadership, and there’s not too many organizations that can claim that. We’re excited to add Freedman’s seating line to our growing portfolio of bus and transportation vehicle products, and with our combined leadership teams we will be able to offer a better-than-ever customer experience to our partners in these industries.”

Craig Freedman, CEO, commented on his company’s new chapter: “We’re excited that we’ve found a future with Lippert. They’ve expressed admiration for what we’ve built and want to help us grow it in ways that honor our mission and values. This acquisition gives us the opportunity to build on our legacy, expand our reach, and invest even more in our team.”