Children grouped together at a table

About Us

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Two children playing with toys at a desk

Ordering from Whitney Brothers®

When you order from Whitney Brothers®, you're not dealing with a subsidiary of some multi-national conglomerate.  You're doing business with a proud, independent New England company whose award winning products are internationally renowned for innovation, design excellence, quality, safety and value for over 120 years.

Our Experience

Whitney Brothers® was founded in 1904 as a producer of wooden toys in a sawmill powered by the Minnewawa River in Marlborough, NH.  Soon afterward, venerable FAO Schwarz became one of our first commercial retailers. Many years later, our brand correctly spotted the opportunity to invent and pioneer the commercial distribution of wood furniture for Early Learning and Institutional Childcare environments, markets in which we operate to this day. Our products are available through carefully selected educational distributors, dealers and retailers that sell to schools, childcare centers, Head Start facilities, churches, libraries and museums in North America and throughout the world. While much has changed over 120 years of our brand's rich history, our sole focus has endured:  To create products of the highest quality that delight and inspire children to learn.

To learn more about us, check out our company video.

Sustainability Practices

Materials

We select wood suppliers whose responsible forestry management plans (FSC, PEFC) align with our goal to utilize the environment in a sustainable, responsible, low impact manner. This philosophy supports our mission to design and manufacture innovative, safe and durable products for children that we proudly make in America, are GREENGUARD™ Gold Certified for indoor air quality and supported by a Limited Lifetime Warranty.   

Finishes

We apply a non-toxic, non-yellowing, durable ultra violet (UV) finish on our products that does not release harmful solvents into the atmosphere during the curing and drying process, unlike water-based finishes. We apply our UV finish using an automated roll coater process that achieves a remarkable 99.99% transfer efficiency and virtually eliminates any dispersion of UV finish into the atmosphere.

Wood Scrap

Our state of the art CNC automated machinery and optimized manufacturing processes produce maximum yield from wood stock with exceptionally little waste. We collect and donate any wood waste to local organizations that repurpose the material for their own use.

Packaging for Shipment

We use an innovative cardboard box making machine that eliminates cardboard scrap and helps prevent shipping damage to packaged items. Envision a giant origami machine that receives product dimensions via network connection to configure a cardboard shipping box for each product that comes off the production line. This process enables us to produce packaging “on demand” and virtually eliminates cardboard waste.

 Electronic Data vs. Paper

We are a certified lean organization. Our entire factory is connected electronically through an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform that provides 100% visibility and access to the entire manufacturing process – from ‘upfront’ design in CAD; through CNC, finishing and assembly processes; to shipping. Over 90% of our customer communications (orders, freight quotes, invoicing, etc.) are received and transmitted electronically, eliminating the use of paper.  

 California Proposition 65 [Cal Prop 65]

All products manufactured by Whitney Brothers® participate in an ongoing 3rd Party Laboratory Testing Program that tests for compliance to Cal Prop 65. Therefore, none of the products manufactured by Whitney Brothers® are required to include a Cal Prop 65 warning label.

Our Team

We're ready to help you decide which products are best for your specific needs and are dedicated to your complete satisfaction. Contact us at (603) 352-2610 or email.

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