Lippert Components has acquired the business assets of Illinois based Freedman Seating Company, manufacturer of transportation seating solutions.
Freedman, which has been family-owned, was founded in 1894, with its seating manufacturing roots dating back to horse drawn carriage days. The company currently supplies seating products to a range of markets including the marine industry .
Following the acquisition, Freedman’s seating operations will continue in Chicago for the foreseeable future.
The acquisition follows on from Lippert’s acquisition of Trans Air earlier in 2025. And is intended to build upon Lippert’s diversification strategy into the transportation vehicle markets.
.Between the two companies, we have almost 200 years combined of family leadership.
Ryan Smith
“We are pleased to welcome the Freedman team to the Lippert family.
“Between the two companies, we have almost 200 years combined of family leadership and there’s not too many organisations that can claim that,” said Ryan Smith, group president of Lippert’s North American OEM operations.
“We’re excited to add Freedman’s seating line to our growing portfolio of bus and transportation vehicle products and with our combined leadership teams we will be able to offer a better-than-ever customer experience to our partners in these industries.”
Craig Freedman, Freedman CEO, added: “We’re excited that we’ve found a future with Lippert. They’ve expressed admiration for what we’ve built and want to help us grow it in ways that honor our mission and values.
“This acquisition gives us the opportunity to build on our legacy, expand our reach, and invest even more in our team.”
