JASPER, IN — Kimball Hospitality announces the company has entered into a strategic manufacturing partnership with Linwood Furniture, LLC, of North Carolina, to produce North American made Kimball Hospitality casegoods. The new business relationship provides for exclusive manufacturing of hospitality product by Linwood, for Kimball only. This partnership is a natural extension of Kimball's global supply chain capability and a great addition of North American produced product.

Kimball Hospitality, a brand unit of Kimball International, Inc. (NASDAQ: KBALB), is a global contract manufacturer that specializes in proprietary and custom designed furnishings for the hotel, casino, and resort industries. Linwood Furniture is a leading domestic OEM producer of private label, high quality wood furniture. This strategic business arrangement allows for total collaboration with Linwood, who will sub-contract manufacture Kimball Hospitality furniture.

Stan Sapp, President of Kimball Hospitality, Vice President Kimball International, announced the new partnership and stated: "We believe our customers will be very eager to take advantage of the additional domestic manufacturing capacity this new partnership brings to our global portfolio. This relationship when combined with our nearby Martinsville, Virginia upholstery operation provides a particularly attractive solution to customers with properties in the Eastern US."

Mike Mebane, CEO of Linwood Furniture, noted, "This is a major milestone in our quest to partner with the top hospitality company in the industry. To become a supply partner with Kimball recognizes our reputation and our ability to provide the highest quality products able to bear the Kimball name."

Bob Bomholt, Vice President and General Manager of Kimball Hospitality, explained: "This partnership brings us a very competitive offering in terms of North American made Kimball product and complements our Indiana, Virginia and Asian supply chain capability."

Chad Wilkey, Director U.S. Operations of Kimball Hospitality, stated, "We have already begun integrating our processes, systems and people to ensure the combination of Kimball with Linwood's manufacturing to provide our customers with the distinctive furniture solutions that Kimball is known for in the marketplace."

Kimball's reputation for quality and outstanding service is well known among designers, procurement companies and owner/developers of hotel properties worldwide. Linwood Furniture has long been known for their unique ability to produce quality furniture with world class finish. This partnership will bring the power of Kimball's unique legacy and heritage in providing hotel furniture with Linwood's long standing reputation of fine furniture craftsmanship.

Kimball Hospitality strategically focuses on providing products via three market sectors: custom, program and catalog. Recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Kimball Hospitality has furnished hundreds of thousands of guest rooms and suites across the globe.

Source: Kimball International