The Ypsilanti Reed Furniture Co. originated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The company moved to Ionia, Michigan in 1903, making specialty reed furniture in the state's factory building at the Michigan Reformatory using the prison labor pool. In 1911 the company started operations at its first outside plant in downtown Ionia with 150 men as an experiment to determine whether the plant could attract enough labor. The company had been told that Ionia could not support such a company due to lack of labor. The experiment proved successful and the company opened another plant in 1913, the largest in Ionia. Shortly afterward, fire destroyed the Reformatory factory. The company prospered and soon had branch factories in Portland, Saranac, Lyons and Lowell, together employing 2,000 workers in Ionia County and building 1500 pieces per day.

The company enjoyed its most profitable years after World War I when it installed a specially designed machine to cut and trim reed and cane and began supplying other companies as well as making furniture. In addition, the company added upholstered lines and controlled the manufacturing license on a special spring construction for furniture. Its furniture was sold throughout the U. S. and in several South American countries. However, the company suffered during the Depression -- it sold the Lowell and Portland plants and abandoned the Saranac and Lyons plants.

As a result of World War II the company changed its product line to bus seats, automobile/truck bodies and canvas goods, discontinuing furniture production in 1948. In 1953 the name changed to Ionia Manufacturing Co. and much later to Diversitech.