Our Origin
In 1834, Martin H. Birge began to design and manufacture wallcoverings in Buffalo.  This was nine years following the completion of the Erie Canal and two years after the incorporation of the City of Buffalo.  The business he began came to be known as M.H. Birge and Sons.

Buffalo prospered as the new commercial and transportation center of the Midwest, and Birge began making draperies and furniture.  The enterprise continued to grow, as did Buffalo and the Niagara Frontier.

In the 1880’s, Buffalo was emerging as a national leader in commerce and industry.  The second president from Buffalo, Grover Cleveland, took office in 1884, the same year that M.H. Birge and Sons celebrated 50 years in business.

William Howland Prentice became a partner in the business in 1884, at the age of 30.  The Birges and Mr. Prentice led a full-fledged interiors company, designing and producing wallcoverings, draperies, and upholstered furniture for both residences and other firms.  In 1890, the National Wall Paper Co. purchased M.H. Birge & Sons, and Mr. Prentice left the company to start his own firm. The business Mr. Prentice operated became known as the William H. Prentice Co. and was located on Main Street in downtown Buffalo.

In 1907, Mr. Prentice hired Howard T. Hoag and George A. Hoag to work at the company.  Both brothers were previously employed in the furniture department of the William Hengerer Co. store.  In 1917, the business was incorporated under the name of William H. Prentice, Inc.  Mr. Prentice was named President and Howard T. Hoag was named Vice President.

In the 1920’s, Prentice served a wide range of customers from Buffalo to Cleveland to Toronto to New York City.  During this time period, Prentice had over 120 painters on its staff!

At the time of our one hundredth anniversary in the 1930’s, we were providing goods and services over an even broader spectrum.  Our workrooms built, finished and upholstered furniture, restored paintings and made draperies.  The showrooms housed art exhibits, and we provided color renderings of proposed rooms.  Our aim was “...to place all of our facilities at your service at the lowest possible cost consistent with good taste and gratifying results.” 

After living a long and productive life, William H. Prentice passed away in 1935, at the age of 81.  Howard T. Hoag succeeded Mr. Prentice as president in 1936 and served in that position until 1956.  He also served as Chairman of the Board from 1956 until his passing in 1962.

Two of Howard T. Hoag’s sons, Robert F. Hoag and George R. Hoag, worked at Prentice.  Robert began his 50-year career with Prentice in the 1930’s.  From 1956 through the 1960’s, he alternately served as president and vice president of the company.  He retired in 1984, and passed away in 1991.  Robert’s son, Howard T. Hoag II, carries on the Hoag family tradition at Prentice.  Howard currently serves as our vice president of sales. 

In the mid part of the 20th century, other partners in the company included Roy Enerle, John O’Mara, and Peter Backert.  In the 1940’s, the company’s accountant, Sy Gerecke, became a part owner of the company.  His son, Charles L. Gerecke, who began working at Prentice in the 1940’s, became the majority owner of the company in the late 1960’s.  Mr. Gerecke, who alternately served as president and vice president with Robert F. Hoag in the 1950’s and 1960’s, retired in 1980, after a long career with Prentice.

In the 1960’s, sales of residential furniture continued on a downward trend. But, in a fortunate turn of events, Steelcase appointed Prentice as its exclusive distributor of office furniture for Western New York in 1968.

In 1972, Eaton Office Supply Co., Inc. acquired all of the outstanding shares of William H. Prentice, Inc.  David H. Eaton, the president of Eaton Office Supply Co., was also named the president of William H. Prentice, Inc. and continued in that capacity until his retirement in 1980.  His brother, James A. Eaton, was named executive vice president and continued working at both divisions, until his sudden passing in 1987.

Our current president, Albert M. Forster, was named to the office in 1980.  Prior to 1972, he worked as a salesperson for Eaton Office Supply.  When Eaton Office Supply acquired Prentice in 1972, he focused his efforts on selling office furniture for Prentice.  James A. Eaton’s son, James A. Eaton, Jr., began his career at Prentice in 1978 as the controller of the company.  Currently, Jim serves as a vice president, the chief financial officer, and the treasurer.

Our focus has changed over the years from serving the residential community to working exclusively on commercial office interiors.  In the late 1970’s and 1980’s, Prentice experienced a tremendous increase in sales - $600,000 in 1978 to $20,000,000 in 1988.  Sales in the 1990’s and 2000’s have adjusted to reflect weaker economic conditions in the Buffalo area, as well as the closing of some major local companies.  We continue to service many financial, technical, industrial, and professional institutions throughout the Niagara Frontier. 

Since 1922, Prentice has been headquartered at 472 Franklin Street in Buffalo’s historic Allentown district.  The centerpiece of the 16,000 square foot Franklin Street facility is a Civil War era mansion that was completely restored in 1989.  The original building was constructed in the 1860’s by J.C. Bryant and was the childhood home of William H. Prentice’s wife, Winnibel B. Bryant.  Two rear additions were constructed in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s for office and showroom space.  The Bell Bros. Co installed the stained glass windows in the 1920’s.  Hendricks Lumber installed the oak wainscoting in the “English Room” in the late 1930’s.  This facility currently houses our management, sales, design and administrative support functions. 

In 1975, Eaton Office Supply Co., Inc. moved all of its office furniture to a large facility at 777 Young St. in Tonawanda.  This facility currently operates as a division of William H. Prentice, Inc. under the name of Office Furniture Center. With over 23,000 square feet of warehouse and display space, the Office Furniture Center offers a wide choice of steel and wood furniture together with excellent service and installation facilities.  The Office Furniture Center has broadened our horizons with the ability to serve a full range of clientele - small to large - with a wide range of furniture and accessories.

In December 1999, William H. Prentice, Inc. acquired a majority interest in BGI Interiors, Inc.  BGI is a full service design, fabrication and installation firm producing custom millwork, cabinetry and fixtures.

 The fusion of these four companies (Eaton Office Supply, Prentice Office Environments, Office Furniture Center and BGI Interiors) is known as OFFICEWORKS, Western New York’s leading office products/office furniture supplier.