NEW ORLEANS — On April 18, New Orleans-headquartered AOS Interior Environments announced the acquisition of the Louisiana division of Alfred Williams & Company. The deal makes AOS the exclusive MillerKnoll dealer in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
AOS said it now the largest locally owned and operated furnishings, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) contractor in the region. AWC will retain its divisions in Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. Founded nearly 50 years ago, AOS is a provider of manufactured interior construction, contract furniture and storage solutions. It also installs and services its products. It operates a dedicated distribution center and more than 65,000 square feet of warehousing in Jefferson Parish.
The combined companies said they install over $50 million dollars of FF&E in Louisiana annually and employ more than 90 employees across the state. Recent projects include the LCMC Health Headquarters, LWCC Headquarters, Son of a Saint Headquarters, Hancock Whitney Center and the Superdome.
“AOS has been a trusted and reliable partner for organizations — both inside and outside our industry — for over 47 years, and we want to continue to be a source that they can depend on,” said Shelby Russ Jr., AOS president and CEO, in a press release. “As the commercial design industry continues to evolve, it is increasingly important to have truly local execution and support to navigate the increasing complexities of construction schedules. This added scale and bandwidth means that we have more agility and expertise to adapt to our clients’ needs.”
As a MillerKnoll dealer, AOS provides clients access to the iconic Herman Miller and Knoll brands, as well as subsidiaries Hay, Maharam, Muuto and Design Within Reach.
An AOS spokesperson said the acquisition of AWC’s Louisiana division will create “streamlined representation of MillerKnoll in the marketplace and more competitive pricing and leverage with increased scale.” AOS said it plans to retain all AWC Louisiana employees and showrooms in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
R.J. Stelter, vice president of distribution channels and dealer development at MillerKnoll, is a fan of the deal.
“MillerKnoll is thrilled to see two of our outstanding partners in AOS and Alfred Williams Louisiana coming together to build something greater than either could create on their own,” he said. “This combination brings the best of both companies together, providing more talent, expertise and geographic coverage to best serve our clients throughout Louisiana. Congratulations to these amazing partners!”
