The Price for Solid Wood Furniture
Luke Eriksen here, I’m a grandson of Manchester Wood’s founder Cliff Pierce, and the 3rd 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.
Mike, an employee since nearly day one 36 years ago, sanding a piece for finishing.
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.
Luke and his dad, Manchester Wood’s President, Ed Eriksen.
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
