Much has changed since Justin Robisha opened his own woodworking business more than a decade ago.
Wood You Build It, which began in 2012 as a one-man operation working part-time in his basement workshop, has grown into a full-time business with more than a dozen employees working in a 25,000-square-foot facility. Gardner.
Wood You Build It — now the largest furniture account on Etsy — is based in Char City, Robichaud said, committed to restoring awareness of woodworking in a community once known as the furniture capital of the world. He attributes his company's success to a growing trend among customers looking for high-quality wood products.
"I think people are tired of buying foreign products that come in a box with assembly instructions, and now they're at a point where they're willing to spend a few dollars more, and 'it's something they can do.' "It is passed down from generation to generation," he explained. You know it was built by a skilled craftsman and crafted over centuries.
"Trendsetters or not, we follow the trend and it seems to work," he added.
The company prides itself on customer service and shipping.
Although Wood You Build It specializes in kitchen islands, the company's product gallery also includes box trays, storage benches, pet furniture and benches. All products are custom designed, sanded, painted, packaged and personally delivered by the Wood You Build It staff to almost anywhere in the country.
"It's a feature we don't see today," he said, adding that he compares his business model to that of a dairy farmer decades ago. "The milkman milked the cows, bottled the milk and then delivered it. We basically do the same thing: we don't reinvent the wheel and we don't reinvent anything; Anyway, we're upgrading and getting things back to the way they were.
Upon arrival, the drivers take the product to the customer's home and prepare it, he added.
Wood You Build It made headlines four years ago when Justin and his wife Kate were the first candidates to participate in the Wachusett Business Incubator's Nominated Leadership Program. He said he thanked the World Bank Institute for its efforts to help local carpentry businesses grow.
Read more: Local industry grows in the incubator
"The ability to connect those dots with the city of Gardner and its history in the furniture industry goes hand in hand with (our success)," he said.
Robichaud, 40, who lives in Phillipston, said he was happy to have played a small part in creating sustainable job growth in the community, adding that it has been crowded since "Wood You Make It" has been looking for work. in industry was published . It was written about in The Chronicle a few years ago.
"We get a lot of job inquiries," he said.
The company was also recently featured in a WCVB-TV story, which Robichaud said said several people contacted him about his company's products.
"Demand is growing rapidly," he said, adding that he understands that a kitchen island isn't something people typically browse online and click to buy. "We made some impulse buys, but we know it's a great investment."
Read more: From bar accessories to crib boards, the Templeton couple is making a splash in woodworking.
Many viewers attended and said they were glad someone could bring the production back to the community.
"I've had people born and raised at Gardner — people who aren't customers — take the time to tell me they love what we do," he said. "I'm not the type of person who needs a pat on the back, but when you have one, sometimes it helps make sure your efforts are noticed."
Humble beginnings
Justin said the creation of the company began with a simple conversation between a couple in 2011. Instead of a real garbage can in the kitchen, they used a plastic bag hanging on the door handle. Kate suggested her husband build something to hide the junk in, so Justin, who had very little experience with wood, built a trash can out of old butcher's boxes he found in the attic. A few months later, after hearing an interview with Etsy's CEO who said the site focused on handmade products, Justin decided to take photos of his products and post them online. The boat sold out in two hours, an event Justin said gave him a "moment of clarity".
"I told myself: either I do this or I work from nine to five after the store closes," he explained, adding that he worked as a delivery boy. Driver of the hour "I knew I had a lot to lose if I didn't take this step and I'm happy. There are no limits as long as we keep going."
As for the future, Robichaud says he's looking for ways to expand Wood You Make It's product line beyond kitchen tools.
“I like to think we're one of the leading manufacturers of handcrafted kitchen islands now, but I think we're not necessarily just a kitchen island manufacturer – we have the ability to literally outfit your entire home,” he said.
This article originally appeared in Gardner News: The Gardner Tree You Build. This is the brainchild of Justin Rabisch.
