Jeffrey Lorenger on workforce development
From Iowa Biz Cast with Jeff Lorenger, HNI Corporation - 03.19.25 · · Iowa Business Council
“We have a strong internship program hiring roughly 100 interns every summer, mostly based in Iowa. We also have apprenticeships, project-based learning, and externships for teachers to connect with the community and cultivate our future workforce.”
On , Jeffrey Lorenger, Chairman of the Board, President & Chief Executive Officer at HNI CORP, spoke about workforce development during Iowa Biz Cast with Jeff Lorenger, HNI Corporation - 03.19.25 on Iowa Business Council.
About Jeffrey Lorenger
In a March 2025 appearance on the Iowa Biz Cast, Jeffrey Lorenger discussed HNI Corporation's business strategy and culture. He stated that the company prioritizes profit sharing for employees over dividends to shareholders, a practice he said has been in place since the company's early days. Lorenger described HNI's manufacturing as "made to order," requiring flexibility due to highly specified fabrics and finishes. He noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when office market demand declined, the company focused on improving its operations, and he said the market has since begun to recover as people return to offices. Lorenger also expressed a bullish long-term outlook on housing, citing stabilizing mortgage rates and increasing family formation. Lorenger emphasized the company's culture of "rapid continuous improvements," which he described as a team-based approach to problem-solving. He discussed HNI's workforce development efforts, including an internship program that hires roughly 100 interns each summer, as well as apprenticeships and externships. On artificial intelligence, Lorenger said the company's philosophy is one of experimentation and that AI is not a substitute for human creativity and critical thinking. He highlighted the importance of private-public partnerships and community support, noting that HNI contributes millions to local organizations and provides volunteer time off to employees. Lorenger advised leaders to "stay calm" and focus on what they can control, describing chaos as "the new normal" in business.