The Price for Solid Wood Furniture

Luke Eriksen here, I’m a grandson of Manchester Wood’s founder Cliff Pierce, and the 3^rd generation at work at the mill. I had a moment I wanted to share with you… I was taking photos this morning for an instruction manual on a new solid wood bookshelf. It’s a very basic piece of furniture. It has a bottom shelf, a top shelf, and a middle adjustable shelf. We had just pitched it to a strong wholesale client of ours and they felt it was out of their price range. And I got thinking… here is a basic, simple, beautiful piece of handcrafted wood furniture, and I know we’re not asking too much for it – we’re really just covering our bases in expense here – but the question swirled “why can’t it be cheaper?” Then I quickly realized, yet again, ‘it’s solid wood!’ I often forget the quality of solid wood furniture when discussing Manchester Wood’s furniture.

We only use the highest quality resources here from the highest quality timber companies providing you (and us) the best wood to produce the solid furniture that I know my kids and grandkids will see at antique shops for years to come. That’s just the price we pay for making quality. That’s just the kind of ‘Made in USA’ item you receive when you buy from Manchester Wood. It has become increasingly hard to sell the larger items to wholesalers because of the competition, but we shouldn’t be silenced, and we won’t be. There is no question our furniture – for its quality – is affordably priced above and beyond competitors. However, for the most part we make simple American shaker style furniture that might sell quicker if it was cheap not affordable. But that’s not our business, that’s not our model, or the message of our leader who built this company we rest our hat on today. Manchester Wood is a family-run business that operates as families do, not as a corporation. We operate using 3 Principles – and you’re going to hear them a lot from us – Value, Honesty, and Community.

Our value is the dedication to solid wood when most competitors have moved to cheaper resources like plastics and lower grade wood (like particle board). We’ve remained American hardwood; that’s the kind-of solid wood that makes a grown man able to stand on a Manchester Wood TV tray table without anything happening. Try that at a box store emphasizing foreign quantity over American quality.

Our honesty speaks for itself. Including this blog and all the others we’ve ever written. From our mailers, product copy, site copy, instruction manuals, it’s all there. When you buy from us you’re buying ‘Made in USA’ furniture; you’re buying a piece of home, and that’s beyond the stamp. 

The community aspect is with this being a family business, not a corporation, and how it’s run like a family. It has ups and downs, twists and turns, emotions of all kinds. It’s life; and we strive to develop a loving, open environment for our employees and partners in making timeless solid wood furniture. Aside from our regular celebratory events at the mill we have a lot of other exciting news developing in the community we’d like to share with you, and that’ll come in due time as plans unfold.

So there it is, just my thoughts for today. To me, regardless of opinions, this is the price for buying solid wood furniture made in the USA from our family-run mill and retailer, Manchester Wood.

Much Gratitude,

Luke Eriksen

Manchester Wood: American Made Furniture

“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.

Memorial Day 15% Off Campaign Desk Celebration

In celebration of Memorial Day and to remember and honor all those who have served America in uniform, Manchester Wood is offering a special deal on our prized historical reproduction piece, the Campaign Desk.

From May 21^st to June 1^st the price of this solid wood desk will be reduced by 15%.  The Campaign Desk is a solid wood furniture piece that is conveniently designed.  Based on a traveling desk from the Revolutionary era of the early Americas, the likes of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other forefathers of the United States penned on desks very similar to our Campaign Desk as wrote letters of love, war, and budding ideas of independence. The Campaign Desk was also used many times on the battlefield for officers to map their plans or write their orders during the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

What better way to cherish and memorialize our past than with this timeless piece of furniture; an heirloom item sure to bring a discussion wherever it finds its place in your home.

To receive this discount on a very unique and memorable item, type “celebration” in the coupon code box at checkout.

This solid hardwood desk is American made, handcrafted, and built to last generations.

 Manchester Wood designs and produces quality, affordable, eco-friendly solid wood American furniture in the Green Mountains of Vermont and Adirondack foothills of New York.

 

Are We ‘Made in America’ Dreaming? News-filled Monday ‘Made in US’

This Monday in news brought much awareness to the “Made in USA” product beginning with an article in the morning from MarketWatch explaining the findings that consumers will pay more for American made goods, and CNET reporting that Samsung could “beat Apple with Made in the USA,” and at night, still on Monday, USA Today spotlights a $25 million dollar makeover project in Minneapolis for the Hyatt Regency Hotel, which will “revamp with an interesting ‘Made in America’ theme.”

Is this a [American] dream? All on a quiet, sleepy March Monday, a tidal wave on conscious consumer updates and budding socially aware businesses like Samsung and Hyatt have designers like Michael Suomi saying, “We had a specific goal of bringing as much of the manufacturing and sourcing back to America to promote job growth, increase speed to market and celebrate American craft” (USA Today). Is this real? Are the “big guys” starting to take another look at malpractices overseas with instead supporting and promoting local businesses with strict moral and lawful codes? That’s not to mention the reward in the feeling of buying something organically handmade from your local area; a point Suomi seems to make with USA Today, “We designed Hyatt Regency Minneapolis as a modern homage to the local heritage, culture and economic history of Minnesota, as well as the proud history of American manufacturing.” The bathrooms they report will be redone with “granite that is quarried locally and purchased from Cold Spring Granite, a 113-year old Minnesota company” (USA Today).

The locally mined granite from an historic 113-year old company reminded me of Manchester Wood’s Slate Top furniture, which is produced in historic collaboration with our family’s wood crafting history of 121 years with a slate top surface mined from local quarries in our area on the Vermont-New York border that began right along the same centennial mark.

The media, big business, and economists, are starting to take a bigger look at the hidden gem back home. ‘Made in America’ is far beyond patriotism; it carries the same benefits of buying local organic foods from the farmer’s market. We give thanks for this un-hatching of a bigger and brighter day in consumerism.

Manchester Wood designs and produces quality, affordable, eco-friendly solid wood American made furniture in the Green Mountains of Vermont and Adirondack foothills of New York.

 

References

De Lollis, Barbara (2012, March 12). Makeover Monday: Minneapolis hotel’s ‘Made in America’ redo. USA Today. Retrieved from http://usat.ly/yXQgf7

Matyszczyk, Chris (2012, March 11). Could Samsung beat Apple with ‘Made in the USA’?. CNET. Retrieved from http://cnet.co/yzauKW

PR Newswire (2012, March 12). Consumers Will Pay More For a ‘Made in the USA’ Label. MarketWatch. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/xKlEcE

Heat of Summer: Finding Shade with our Equinox Rocker

As the summer heats up, finding a break from the sun and relaxing in the shade becomes a desired activity as a time to rest the body and bask in the beauty of such a day. Our Equinox Rocker has become a staple for outdoor patios and screened-in porches for your relaxed time in the shade at your home, beach or lake house.

Much like our Adirondack Chair, the Equinox Rocker, as well as our Equinox Chair and Benches are apart of our prized Outdoor Collection. Built with the same solid wood and American made quality with heirloom longevity that we pride ourselves on (read our press release on ‘American Jobs and Illegal Timber Importation…’ at bottom of post), this is a product like the rest at Manchester Wood with a value far past the purchase price.

A colorful array of finishes are provided as well for any décor choices you prefer with Navy Blue, Pure White, Lemon Yellow, Forest Green, Firehouse Red, Sky Blue, and Green Apple.

Currently, not all finishes are shown on our Equinox Rocker page, but can be viewed on our Adirondack Chair here. Our Lemon Yellow rocker can be seen pictured in this article as well.

When planning your furniture for that shaded, serene view, we hope you consider our Equinox Rocker to pass the time with a quality and country class that your future grandkids will hold dear.

Enjoy a rocking sway of relaxation with us this summer season.

To view our Equinox Rocker, click here.

To view our Adirondack Side Table (also pictured in photos in this article), click here.

Also, read more about American Jobs and Illegal Timber Importation in our press section by clicking here.

A Commitment to Sustainability and Social Awareness

If you really take a solid look at our existence over the last decade, and our quantum leaps as a society over the last few years on social change and environmental issues, it’s easy to see that serious change is upon us.

December 21^st 2012 is a phenomenon that comprises a range of eschatological beliefs that a cataclysmic or transformative event will occur on that date. The supposed “end” of the Mayan calendar, which was set over 5,000 years ago presents, for some, a pending doom to the world, as we know it. Although, a New Age interpretation of this date marks the start of a time in which Earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation.

Have we not become a more eco-friendly and spirit minded society? It’s easy to see the later situation holding a strong case.

We still have some way to go though in this New Age thought, but the numbers are growing, and once serious issues are now serious cases for a future much different then our recent past. When it comes to sustainability and environmentally conscious efforts in manufacturing furniture, we feel we’re on the front line.

Manchester Wood is committed, whether through our products, our voice, or through our writing, to continue on the pledge of a more free, successful society, in which all can be blessed with the life they deserve. Through a healthy environment and a social freedom that continues to rapidly evolve.

Good food, good products, and a healthy spirit seem to be the beginning formulas of a new commerce era in America. We hope you join us.

To read more about our commitment to producing Environmentally Sustainable Furniture, click here.

For more information on Clear Brook Farm, click here.

Graduation Season: Perfect Furniture Gifts for Young Professional

As Graduation season winds down, Manchester Wood reviews a few select items for young professionals making the stride from school to the workplace, building a home and an environment for their future.

Our Portable Folding Work Desk is an immediate choice item for the new graduate looking for that small piece with a work mobility that fits the 21^st century life style. An updated TV Tray Table with a more modern use. It’s light with a very large table surface for a quick, immediate, sprawled workspace.

From dorm life to adulthood, finding that entertainment center for the young adult can be a pricy and taunting task. Manchester Wood covers several TV/Media Stands that have a longevity and class that’ll give a young professional a focused and intelligent purchase in both quality and character. The Hanover Media & Gaming Stand is our immediate choice when gifting the youth moving through a transition with their entertainment pieces. With its concealed look, it’s easy to hide away those gaming consoles and other, sometimes youthful items to a particular guest. The look and feel spells modern functionality with a traditional design making it easy to fit in any home design or setting.

Along the lines of storage with our entertainment consoles comes our Jelly Cabinet. It’s the perfect addition to a kitchen or area where storage space is needed. A smaller item too, which makes it great for a new home or apartment space. With it’s door hinged on the left and ample shelving there is room for canned goods or other products that need a place. When closet or pantry space is sparse, this item is a smart choice.

Start off the next generation’s adulthood with a gift that will last a lifetime, with a product and brand that’s socially conscious background supports the American economy and American Made furniture.