The AUS Way is more than just furniture.
Smarter Furnishings. Built with Value from the Inside Out.
“Crafting well-built, durable furniture is like finding good people,” AUS founder John Tipton explained three decades ago. “What matters most is what is on the inside.” It’s the old-school foundation on which he built a higher education furniture business that continues to thrive in the competitive collegiate market under the leadership of the Tipton family.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good (Luke 6:45). John was committed to building his family business with faith-based, rock-solid principles for generations to stand on. AUS’ service area stretches across this nation and now into Canada. We are privileged to serve institutions ranging from the University of Chicago, to the University of California-Davis to Purdue University, to Auburn University.
"Collectively, they are the most reliable, professional, ethical, helpful and responsive company
with which I have ever worked. Ever." Mark Booker, UAB, Client for 28 years
Smarter Furnishings. Built with A Legacy in Mind.
To our founder, the heart of the people he worked with was as pivotal as the heart of the superior mortise and tenon joinery in the case goods he produced. In both cases, it meant quality, dependability, and longevity. Housing directors become repeat clients once they walk through a project with AUS. Our extensive standard line features five contemporary upholstery collections and four distinctive groupings for case goods and bedding. Our case goods are engineered to last 25 years, well beyond the industry standard of five to seven years. We guarantee it.
John Tipton built his furniture business on three principles for performance: the materials you use, how you join them and how you protect them.
- Solid wood construction.
- Metal bases fully welded; constructed with 16 gauge steel. No assembly required.
- Case goods and headboard with mortise and tenon joinery so the joint becomes stronger than the wood itself.
- Hardwood plywood drawer box constructed with English dovetail joinery.
- Hardened steel drawer glide rated for 100lb.
- Medium density fiberboard, a structurally engineered furniture board, far superior to particle board to withstand wear and tear.
Smarter Furnishings. Built with the Look You Want.
Interior designers, project managers and design/build teams love the ease of collaborating with our teams to customize furnishings to their customers’ exact specifications. For either renovation or new construction, we have perfected the process that defines parameters, establishes and hits production benchmarks, and meets even the most challenging installation deadlines for student move-in.
Your AUS Team will:
- Develop product samples, mock-ups and demos for your inspection.
- Share best practice advice specific to your student housing requirements.
- Partner with your project team to predict, navigate, and resolve issues.
- Ship and install nationally. No assembly required.
"AUS has the ability and willingness to create custom furniture product styles and custom sizes and fabricate what the designer wants for a project. They work with our designers and create drawings of a new product design - and then have a mock-up built in their factory to see how a new prototype product works and looks." Jane Brakefield, Director, Capstone Interiors
Smarter Furnishings. Built to Attract and Retain.
It costs 3 to 5 times more to attract a new student than to retain an enrolled student. The high rate of attrition costs colleges and universities billions* in unrealized tuition, fees, and alumni contributions. The complexity of projects, technology, student expectations, shifting demographics, and evolving market and cultural factors lead to higher costs and pressures to respond. We help meet recruiting and retention challenges.
We create smarter live-learn design environments that enhance student perception of their institution and enrich their collegiate residential experience. Our senior leadership team maintains intimate involvement in the day-to-day business – not just the sales, but project estimating, ordering, scheduling, production, shipping logistics, installation and follow-up … toward one goal … our clients’ complete satisfaction.
Smarter Furnishings from the inside out. It’s at the very heart of what we do.
*$16.5 billion. EducationalPolicy.org