Small Companies Cashing In On Consumers Desire To Buy American Made Furniture.
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Peggy Farabaugh was inspired to sell American-made furniture seven years ago after reading about animal habitats with her children. In the process, she discovered that the wood used to make most of the furniture sold in the U.S. is harvested from rainforests. A desire to raise awareness about wood sources, sustainability and forest conservation led her to found Vermont Woods Studio, which boasts a selection of furniture handmade in Vermont.”We [in Vermont] have this 250-year-old tradition of furniture made with local wood. I thought this could be a good way to accomplish my environmental goal, as well as helping Vermont furniture makers,” she says. The company sells tables, chairs and beds in solid cherry, walnut, maple and oak and more artistic, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Farabaugh, who promotes the made-in-America products on the company website and in a blog, has sold products across the country. |
This Astrid bedroom collection, with its dramatic legs and defined edges, is made by Copeland Furniture. (Photo: Vermont Woods Studio)
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This dining room set by Ernest Thompson is a good example of the company’s handcrafted workmanship. (Photo: Ernest Thompson Furniture)
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In Jamestown, N.Y., El Greco Woodworking purchases local hardwoods from companies that practice responsible and sustainable forestry. The company makes baby cribs for Land of Nod and modern/contemporary furniture for Room & Board home furnishings. Sales of their American-made baby cribs have grown steadily for the last six years—even during the recession.
El Greco also uses domestic finishes and coatings. “These things we care about—it’s not possible unless we do them here, which is why we ended up being made-in-America in the first place,” explains vice president Alexis Singleton. And in Albuquerque, N.M., Mike and Doreen Godwin own Ernest Thompson Furniture, one of four companies they now own that represent New Mexico’s 400-year history of woodworking. With 24 employees, the company produces cabinets and alder and pine furniture with hand-carved details. The company sells to homeowners and hotels, and the Godwins have noticed that more customers have an interest in made-in-America products. “Even in a recovering economy where price is a factor, people are willing to pay more money for furniture that is made in America,” Mike says. |
Plant manager Arthur Morfin says sales declined when products from China came on the market, but they are now picking back up. Orders from one of the company’s clients, Plow & Hearth, which had declined during the recession, are increasing again. The furniture is pricier than outdoor pieces sold at Lowe’s or Walmart, but “the longevity makes it a good return on investment,” Morfin says.
Annie O’Carroll of Annie O’Carroll Interior Design, Santa Fe, N.M., is working on a remodel with a client who wants to use made-in-America products. She’s sourcing furniture, iron and tin products from local artisans. Many of these artisans are more conscious of pricing and working harder to be competitive in today’s difficult economy.
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