| Want to make a profit in woodworking? | | | | new manager began to deteriorate. |
| I was working at the post office after I obtained my | | | | We next opened a wholesale business in which we |
| degree. I wanted a career where I would be | | | | were show cased in 9 show rooms across the |
| responsible for making most of my decisions. My dad | | | | country and in some mail order catalogues. Business |
| had built boats, houses and many other large projects | | | | was booming. We ended up renting 2 adjoining suites |
| involving wood. He used his head and his talent to | | | | in a business district close to our home. I worked in one |
| project his ideas into visual objects. Artists and craft | | | | suite with all of my power tools. We also had |
| persons were numerous in my family. My wife was an | | | | accommodating space for shipments of truck loads of |
| artist and a free spirit, willing to take a chance on her | | | | wood and other essential items. The front part of my |
| dreams. | | | | suite was used as a show room to exhibit our |
| My wife spoke and made inquiries to big mail order | | | | products. My wife and about 20 employees worked |
| companies. She finally landed a contract to make the | | | | on the other side in another suite. We outsourced |
| wooden boxes in which the company shipped their | | | | work which we could not handle ourselves. We |
| variety of candy. We had our beginning. From there | | | | produced over 350 items which were show cased in |
| we actually sent our own ideas in wood to the | | | | our catalogues. |
| company which they eventually accepted and put into | | | | My wife and I had small children and obligations other |
| their catalogue. We did a brisk business selling our | | | | than a busy work schedule. We combined the two. I |
| products to this company. I was still at the post office. I | | | | thought that we had reached a good compromise in |
| would work all day at the post office and come home | | | | juggling the two different aspects of our lives. Buying |
| and work until midnight. On the weekends I stayed | | | | school supplies and thousands of board feet of wood |
| busy much of the time. The orders grew until I could no | | | | simultaneously became routine. |
| longer produce the orders by myself. We outsourced | | | | After many years in the wood working business we |
| work in order to produce our product in a timely | | | | moved on to other careers. I, like my father before me, |
| manner. I gained a contract from a local company that | | | | enjoyed being immersed in the different fields of wood |
| had business and were selling products on a national | | | | working. I still enjoy wood working to this day. I have |
| level. These guys were perfectionists and I learned | | | | built furniture for friends and family. Whenever there is |
| quite a bit from them. | | | | a project that needs to be done and no one can find |
| My wife used her artistic talent to incorporate herself | | | | the object of their desire at the right price, I am called |
| into my woodworking. She was as big a part of the | | | | upon to produce the object of their fantasy. I have built |
| company as was I. My wife, being the better business | | | | room additions, free standing structures, kids play |
| person, used her business acumen to get us | | | | houses and forts. I have even had time to work on the |
| contracted as a vendor in one of the showrooms in | | | | object of my obsession. I built a hydroplane boat with |
| the world trade center that was located close to our | | | | racing capabilities which was not exactly the fantasy |
| home. We became part of one of the sellers that had | | | | my wife had always dreamed about. I survived that |
| a permanent location at the center. Our business sky | | | | experience. Today is our joint celebration of our |
| rocketed. They gave us ideas and we came up with | | | | thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. We are looking |
| some of our own. We stayed with this company until | | | | forward to many more happy years experiencing life |
| the owner passed away and our relationship with the | | | | together. |