Organic Food & American Furniture Manufacturing

At Manchester Wood we stand behind 3 Principles – Value, Honesty, and Community – and today we celebrate those three core ingredients in our family-operated business by announcing a partnership with another like-minded family-run business in quality and value, the Kilpatrick Family Farm.

Although we are an American furniture manufacturer by trade, this partnership is outside the activities taking place inside the mill, and instead applies to 10 of the surrounding 23-acres we inhabit, here, in the Adirondack foothills of upstate New York. We have plenty of land, most of which in the past has been rented out to farmers for corn. But we’ve decided this year to instead have the local organic Kilpatrick Family Farm transform it into organic soil. They will work the fields to grow and raise all sorts of organic produce on our behalf. As a furniture manufacturer and soon-to-be organic food provider for our employees, we more deeply align with our eco-friendly, eco-conscious solid wood furniture efforts; which hold a valued direction in how we manufacture our furniture made in the USA.

To learn more about the Kilpatrick Family Farm, CSA Farming (like this), as well as all the other benefits of organic farming and its process visit their site: kilpatrickfamilyfarm.com

The Pride of Made in the USA Furniture

‘USA Made’ furniture is Manchester Wood furniture; and as American furniture manufacturers we recognize the importance of things made in America – here – at home. It provides a level of rootedness in tradition and stability, remembering who we are and what we can do as a people with our own hands. It’s not a flag-toting nationalist perspective, a “rah-rah” thing…it’s about not losing sight of each other. Not forgetting the craftsmanship and resources so bountifully available to us through products made in America.

Instead of deals and steals, chopped down prices outsourced to sweat-shops to make due for America’s overzealous consumption hunger, we stand in a new America and say “we want quality, affordability, and a sense of where things we support come from.” This revolution in thought touches on all aspects of our lives, and even with those who supposedly run it in Washington. By touching on tradition, by remembering each other, we reconnect with the pride of who we are – as people of earth and as family of America. In this family, as both a country, and as this business, Manchester Wood now being a 3^rd generation family-run business (excluding our woodworking history outside Manchester Wood since 1891) we take pride in what we make. We produce solid wood furniture, American made furniture in fact, as our brand claims. And we wish for nothing more.

May the desire of quality ‘Made in USA’ furniture run forever more; and if you’re contemplating the extra few dollars it may take, or where it’ll fit in your home – we promise it will, because this type of quality solid wood furniture is made from your home. Born, raised, and produced in America; from a tree seed to a TV Tray Table; Desk, or Adirondack folding chair. It’s all here for you. Keep it Made in America today.

The Resurgence of American Manufacturing

From the mills of colonial New England, to the steel plants of the Midwest, manufacturing has long been a key component of the American economy. Unfortunately, the general trend since the middle of the twentieth century has been downward. After taking a particularly stiff drubbing during the so-called Great Recession, American manufacturing has finally started to show signs of improvement over the past couple of years.

What’s remarkable about Manchester Wood is that we started making solid wooden furniture during the mid 70’s, just as American manufacturing was entering its long slide and jobs were starting to be shipped to places like Mexico or Taiwan and later China. Despite the general trend of outsourcing, we remained committed to American made furniture.

One recent encouraging sign for the U.S. economy is a growing for enthusiasm American made products. A recent study indicated that more than of 80% of Americans are willing to spend additional money on an American product instead of paying less for a comparable foreign product. This is great news for us: instead of cheap, foreign, particle board coffee tables, solid wood American furniture is coming back into vogue. Furthermore, as people start to tire of their foreign-made furniture deteriorating and breaking due to poor workmanship or materials, they are realizing the sense in spending a bit more money on durable, quality furniture made in the U.S.A.

If you are interested in U.S.A. made furniture, check out our solid wood TV stands. These stands are designed to enhance your home entertainment setup while still preserving the traditional charm of solid wood furniture.

Not only is our furniture 100% made in the U.S.A., it is also green. All of our lumber comes from certified sustainable North American forests, so you can be sure that you are supporting the American economy without jeopardizing the environment.

 

High Point Market & It’s Sneak Peek at 2014 Trends

As a business solely dedicated to American furniture manufacturing from the Adirondack foothills in which we mill and craft our solid wood furniture – as well as the place we call our home, the High Point Furniture Market this spring showed tremendous growth potential for Made in USA furniture, and the housing and furniture market at large. It appears the rebound of the economy is in full swing with housing sales continuously rising since the last market in fall of last year. With new homes comes new furniture, with new jobs comes new inspiration, and at High Point this year we learned a few things. We found our shaker furniture style is desirable across the many, many cultures that are represented at High Point. There is a connectedness, like-mindedness in honesty, and a quality of high craftsmanship that is found in Manchester Wood furniture; and how great it was to be acknowledged by so many who stopped and visited our booth.

We’re famous for our Adirondack folding chairs, but we received most acclaim this market for our solid cherry furniture; namely the cherry coffee tables and cherry end tables with a natural beauty, a timelessness that only solid cherry provides.

The most important thing that was made clear to us this market was that USA made furniture is competitive again, not only for its quality, but also for the socioeconomic changes that are coming to be in China. They too as a nation are requesting a life of higher quality, with a better pay, and rightfully so. We never took advantage of the downtrodden social crisis in China and other foreign lands where manufacturing could be done pennies on a dollar compared to working in the US. We stayed as the Market Press reported in their article of us while at High Point, “a family business since day one…staying with the made in USA tradition.” The options of course of outsourcing were tempting due to the profit margins, but we knew we’d lose our integrity of producing quality furniture with ethical standard. So we stuck it out, continued to design and grow in ways we knew to survive. This market proved the surviving days for American furniture manufacturers are ending with more and more business returning to the U.S. We’re the strongest we’ve been in years and we’ll continue to develop new furniture and collections constantly for your enjoyment as well as continuing to provide pieces that have proven themselves as requested by you, our loyal customers.

For your interest in upcoming trends, as well as for ours as we’ll be watching closely and taking into strong consideration all that is happening in the market. We will be designing fresh new looks for your enjoyment for the rest of 2013, 2014 and beyond. High Point Market partnered with WGSN-HomeBuildLife to bring top trends for 2014. The trends were broken down into three categories – Neo-Geo, Next Nature, and N.D.A. as described below. Perhaps it’ll help you in designing your new home, your dream home, or reinventing the space you’re presently living in! All in all, expect great things to come from Manchester Wood, your American made furniture supplier these coming seasons, and the quality living product we provide.

Neo-Geo
The layering of geological formations is key in textiles and surface materials. Mineral and stone patterns dominate and a crafted minimalism help people enjoy real-time versus virtual-time.
Next Nature
Boundaries between humanity, technology, and design are redrawn as we find architecture winding through the forest and furniture growing like plants.
N.D.A
“New Digital Aesthetics” (NDA) – Designers are creating a new “rendered reality,” with real objects that look as if they belong in a virtual world. Infinite pixelization, a fading of edges, and designs that seem to go on infinitely are key.

Manchester Wood has designed and produced quality, affordable, eco-friendly solid wood American made furniture in the Green Mountains of Vermont and Adirondack foothills of New York for over 35 years.

The Advantages of American Made Furniture

When we started our company in 1976, American manufacturing was still on top. Then a little something called globalization happened. Companies began to realize that it was cheaper to make things in other countries with cheap labor and lower quality standards and then ship these inferior products back into the country where they could charge higher prices thanks to America’s strong economy. Throughout all this, we remained patient because we knew that we offered a superior product. As America turned its attention towards foreign, inexpensive furniture, we continued to make solid wood tables and chairs that met the highest standards of craftsmanship.

Slowly, as our landfills started to overflow with cheap and broken products made out of particleboard and plastic, America would start to change its habits. Over the past decade or so, there has been a real shift towards buying American again and our patience is being rewarded. Unlike all the new companies that are cropping up to take advantage of the renaissance of American manufacturing, we have almost four decades of heritage behind our USA-made furniture.

There are many advantages to buying our American made furniture. The first, and most obvious, advantage is the superior workmanship and materials that are used to make our products. A related advantage is our willingness to stand behind our products with our 100% quality guarantee.

Another important consideration is our appreciation for the rich heritage of furniture that is made in the USA. For example, our Shaker and Mission collections are both modeled on historically popular styles of design in this country. Another good example is our Adirondack Chair, which we see as the classic piece of upstate NY wood furniture.

Another advantage to buying our furniture is our level of environmental awareness. All of our furniture is made out of North American hardwood from certified sustainable forests across the Northeast. Also, since our furniture doesn’t have to be shipped internationally, less energy is wasted on transport.

Remember to buy American, and we hope you consider Manchester Wood for your next furniture purchase.

 

Valentine’s Day Customer Love with Manchester Wood!

Whether it’s a solid wood table in the form of a folding tray table or shaker desk; or the many other items of solid wood furniture made in the USA by Manchester Wood, we are committed to you – the customer – loving our product for its endless uses, unique designs, and quality handcrafted construction that sets us apart from other leading American furniture manufacturers. We take pride in our work, and the results are showing!

At Manchester Wood we offer each month a free monthly giveaway typically by raffle, and occasionally by offering gifts to every customer that month. For this month’s giveaway we’re raffling a Contemporary Round End Table, a $219.95 value absolutely free to the winner drawn randomly at the end of the month! Admittance to the drawing is by either emailing service@manchesterwood.com, writing on our wall on Facebook, or mentioning us on Twitter @manchesterwood with how you plan on spreading love this February.

We’ve enjoyed all your plans of spreading love so far, and we know this day (Valentine’s Day) is the day most celebrating that expression; so we’ve decided to celebrate it ourselves by sharing some love notes we’ve received in feedback from you – the customer – the last couple weeks on your orders!

Thanks for all the love, and keep it spreading!

Manchester Wood: American Made Furniture

 

 

I found Manchester Wood because I was looking for a stepping stool.  And I feel like I found an American gem.   The stool is simply beautiful. Quality craftsmanship. Functional. Just the right height and weight.  And beautifully designed and crafted.  Who would have ever thought that a stepping stool could be an object of beauty?  Clearly, Manchester Wood really is about delivering quality, well designed, American-made, all-wood furniture.  It has won my future business!

-Roberta

Thanks so much for your timely attention to our broken T.V. stand piece.  All is well with the set and I will definitely recommend Manchester Wood to friends and family.

-Linda

I thought you’d like to know that the cart just arrived and that I’m delighted with it.  It is sturdy and well made and is going to be very useful.  Thank you too for the speedy delivery. 

-Barbara

Wow, that was quick.  I’ll probably buy it just for the service!

-James

Manchester Wood’s New Year Cutting Board Giveaway!

As we begin 2013, we at Manchester Wood would like to offer this month’s giveaway not as a raffle for a lucky winner but to everyone who orders during this month of January!

Order from ManchesterWood.com from Jan. 1st-31st and enter FREE in the coupon code box at checkout to receive a limited edition cutting board branded with our logo (see photo) free with every web purchase.

Our intentions are set for the New Year! Stay tuned for a new website, beautiful new products and collections, as well as our first mail-order catalog made available soon!

Manchester Wood moves into our 37th year of business, 122nd in a long-lasting family lineage of American woodworking.

To shop our made in USA furniture, click here.

Happy New Year!

Manchester Wood: American Made Furniture

We Celebrate You!

Manchester Wood’s #GiftGiving2012 In Review

Last night was our annual holiday dinner at The Barn Restaurant & Tavern in Pawlet, Vermont. We thank you for making #GiftGiving2012 such a successful campaign. As we bustle around to fill these orders for you, all we can do is simply say THANK YOU for another great year of business.

We marvel at the feedback we’ve received, the joys of holiday memories you’ve shared with us in this month’s giveaway, and the amount of orders coming in for our quality-handcrafted furniture made in the USA. We planned on continuing to promote our products this week, but the truth is, we’re oversold this season! Any orders coming in today and the rest of the holidays will be received after the New Year.

Manchester Wood, with a family lineage of woodworking that dates back to 1891 couldn’t be more excited for our plans for 2013, and we can’t wait to fill you in on all of those details, so please stay tuned.

May you and yours be touched by the blessings of this season; and if an American made furniture piece from Manchester Wood is under your Christmas tree this holiday, we give our deepest gratitude of thanksgiving to you. Let the gifts continue to be given!

God bless,

Manchester Wood: American Made Furniture

Perfect Gift for the Holidays: $64 Handcrafted Items

Manchester Wood’s #GiftGiving2012 Collection Spotlight

Earlier this year Manchester Wood started a specialty collection entitled $64 Gifts for U.S. Jobs featuring some of our American made furniture at a flat rate of $64 dollars with FREE SHIPPING. It was added on to bring a deeper awareness of quality furniture made in the USA at a reasonable price. Why $64? We chose this amount based on a study conducted by ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, which found that if each person in the country spent $64 dollars on American made items it would create 200,000 new American jobs. In light of this study, Manchester Wood offered this collection of affordable hardwood furniture at just $64.  Since our creation, Manchester Wood has understood the value of quality American craftsmanship and believes in the American worker who produces products made in the USA that last longer and perform better.

 

It’s a perfect collection to shop for gifts this holiday season! And for your item to arrive on time for Christmas please place all of your orders by Friday December 14^th.

Support Made in USA Furniture, the American Worker, and give your loved ones a quality gift that will last a lifetime! And it’s only $64!

To view our $64 Gifts for U.S. Jobs collection, click here.

To view our entire catalog of American made furniture, visit ManchesterWood.com.

“American Made” and “Solid Wood”: What Do They Mean?

When describing our furniture, there are two terms that we are particularly fond of: “American Made” and “Solid Wood”. These phrases don’t just sound good; they actually have specific definitions that we adhere to rigorously when making our furniture. What does it really mean to produce solid wood furniture that is made in the USA?

Because of the enduring stellar reputation surrounding American craftsmanship, the phrases “American Made” and “Made in the USA” have come to symbolize that a product exhibits quality workmanship and materials. Unfortunately, some disingenuous businesses try to mislead their customers about the origins of their products. Accordingly, the Federal Trade Commission issues guidelines as to which products can be called American Made and which cannot. If a company flaunts these rules, the FTC has the authority to prosecute. Consumers should be careful to differentiate between the labels “Made in the USA” and “Assembled in the USA”, which is a lesser distinction that means that the components of the product in question are from foreign countries and they were merely put together in this one.

When we say our furniture is solid wood, we mean that it is made out of plain lumber, not plywood or particle board. These types of processed building materials are known as engineered wood. Solid wood is the much more durable of the two, to say nothing of its aesthetic superiority. These advantages make solid wood the clear choice for quality furniture.

Although it may be cheaper to produce furniture overseas using engineered wood, we know that no such product can hope to compete with our American made solid wood furniture. We endeavor to make the best product possible, and this means using the best materials and the best workers we can find, both of which are right here in America, as our satisfied customers can attest to. We hope everyone will continue to buy American, thereby supporting our domestic economy and American manufacturing.