Finished corner frames
Finished corner frames by Vermont Furniture Hardwoods. Vermont Furniture Hardwoods— ‘When In Doubt… Buy The Company!’ By Bridget McCrea Chester, VT— Operating from a 30,000-square-foot facility that runs one shift, five days per week, Vermont Furniture Hardwoods, located here, uses roughly 150,000 board feet of Hard Maple in 4/4 through 12/4; 50,000 board feet of Basswood in 4/4; 20,000 board feet of Walnut in 4/4; and about 15,000 board feet of Cherry in 4/4. The company also uses small amounts of Red and White Oak, Poplar, and Hickory. In 1988 David Waldmann was mulling over a major decision and a rare opportunity. As a retail store manager for Vermont Furniture Hardwoods, Waldmann knew that the manufacturer’s parent company had recently been bought out by another firm. Rather than keeping Vermont Furniture Hardwoods open and operating, the new owners planned to shut that division down—but not before offering it to the smaller entity’s existing management team. With no business ownership or entrepreneurial experience, Waldmann took a big step and purchased the company that he was working for. “I basically did it in order to keep my job,” said Waldmann, president and co-owner of the manufacturer. Originally founded as a retail lumber outlet for Vermont Furniture Hardwoods showroom. a custom kiln-drying operation in 1979, the manufacturer’s two divisions (Vermont Hardwoods and The Flooring Mill) produce wide-plank flooring, Hardwood picture frame mouldings, architectural mouldings, and stair treads. When procuring the raw materials needed to make its final products, 14 NOVEMBER 2014 ■ NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE
the company relies predominantly on distribution yards that pack the lumber in 500 to 1,000-board-feet shipments. Waldmann, who runs the 13-employee manufacturing firm with his wife Rebecca, co-owner and vice president, said the company has been through some changes since he took over the reins 25 years ago. “At the time we were selling unfinished picture frame mouldings,” he pointed out. In 1991, Waldmann introduced simple wax finishes for those frames – a move that made their product a viable option for those shops getting away from inhouse finishing, a start of a trend in the picture frame industry for shops to be more of an assembler rather than a manufacturer. In 2004, the company moved into its current facility and joined forces with a firm that was focused on flooring. “We basically supplied the warehouse space for the flooring material,” said Waldmann. “In 2008, we bought that flooring mill and do everything ourselves now.” Acquiring a flooring company in the middle of a major housing market downturn probably wasn’t the best move at the time, Waldmann admitted. “Sales dropped by more than 50 percent during the first six months that we owned it – thanks to the economy,” said Waldmann. Thankfully, both the housing market and the flooring business have since picked up, leaving The Flooring Mill’s sales near early-2008 levels. The new facility also provided space for a new finishing room, allowing Vermont Hardwoods to introduce a new line of stained and lacquered finishes which gave customers the option of “almost a furniture-type finish to the picture frames,” Waldmann said. A member of the Professional Picture Framer’s Association, Owners of Vermont Furniture Hardwoods Rebecca and David Waldmann. the National Wood Flooring Association, and the Vermont Wood Manufacturer’s Association, Vermont Furniture Hardwoods sells its picture frame mouldings to custom frame shops, galleries, and custom frame builders nationwide. The Flooring Mill’s customers include endusers and six local building supply and flooring stores. “We’re primarily in the Northeast with spotty coverage across the rest of the country,” said Waldmann, “plus a few customers in Canada.” As Vermont Furniture Hardwoods continues to emerge from Please turn to page 42 “What we’ve been doing is working out very well for us. We plan to continue down that path and see where it takes us.” —David Waldmann, President/Co-Owner, Vermont Furniture Hardwoods Operating from a 30,000-square-foot facility that runs one shift, five days per week, Vermont Furniture Hardwoods, Chester, VT, uses roughly 150,000 board feet of Hard Maple in 4/4 through 12/4; 50,000 board feet of Basswood in 4/4; 20,000 board feet of Walnut in 4/4; and about 15,000 board feet of Cherry in 4/4. NOVEMBER 2014 ■ NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 15
