USM was founded by Ulrich Schaerer in Munsingen (Switzerland) as a metalworking and locksmith’s business specialising in window frames and ornamental hinges. When in 1961 the third generation of the family took over the management of the company, they decided to modernise and asked the architect Frtiz Haller to design a new factory and head office. Based on a system of steel modules, Haller designed the furniture to match the modularity and versatility of the new buildings: a system that was dubbed USM Haller and was first bought in 1969 by the Rothschild bank in Paris. Today, the USM Haller system is the brand’s chief product and enjoys international renown.