Herman Miller has reported that its net sales in the second quarter were $445.6 million; an increase of 8.1% from the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

Net sales for the office furniture manufacturer were up 4.7% sequentially, after adjusting for the extra week of operations included in the first quarter of this fiscal year. However, new orders of $440.0 million in the second quarter were 4.7% lower on a year-over-year basis.
 

Brian Walker, Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Our results this quarter cap a solid first half of fiscal 2012. Our employee-owners continued to execute well, which enabled us to expand margins and earnings. In addition, we made progress on initiatives aimed at strengthening our brand and growing our business. All of this builds confidence in our long-term growth prospects.

“Reduced order momentum this past quarter reflected pockets of weakness in some customer sectors driven by a reduction in large order volume compared to last year. At the same time, we remain optimistic that some of today's economic headwinds are transient and opportunities for growth remain both here and abroad."