Maine Furniture

Mission Furniture

2010-10-19T06:12:00.001-07:00

My first teachings in woodworking were in Shaker furniture, but a close second was Mission furniture. The darkened aged white oak with it's rays, or flecks, always seems perfect for the simple design features characteristic of Arts and Crafts furniture. Combined with exposed, detailed joinery, and leather, in any shade, the Mission Style has always drawn me in. I want to build it, and I want to own it. Matthew Moser taught me how to really build furniture, and he said one time; "Take your time on this joint because it will be seen every day by a lot of people, and there's something about a well-made joint that just lets me know all's right in the world". Whenever I see a wedged, chamfered, through-tenon in a piece of Mission furniture, I think of Matt's quote.
While the number of furniture makers exclusively building Mission style furniture is pretty low, ,the style, like Shaker furniture, is in nearly every furniture maker's history. Many Maine furniture makers, in true Arts and Crafts fashion, utilize basic characteristics of Mission design in their contemporary furniture works.
McIntosh and Tuttle Cabinetmakers have a beautiful line of Mission-based furniture. "Inspired, hand-crafted furniture combining the traditional beauty of fine, handwoven baskets and the contemporary sleekness of metallic accents, the Intervale Collection is a fresh interpretation of old and new. Each unique piece in the collection is a delicious blending of warm, rich cherry with cool, crisp aluminum. Graceful and rugged all at once, this custom collection will be treasured for generations to come".
Kevin Rodel is another contemporary furniture maker who draws from the Arts and Crafts movement. "I strongly encourage new design work that draws inspiration from the roots of the original International Arts & Crafts movement but, at the same time, is contemporary and meaningful to our present life styles and environment".
Tom Higbee, of Blue Spruce Joinery, and John Wagner Custom Furniture are two more talented woodworkers whose works fall into this category. For the most part, these Mission style furniture makers operate out of their small one-man shops in their respective Maine towns, using materials purchased locally, contributing to their local economies.
Nearly every Maine town has at least one woodworker who is active in their community, whether it's sitting at the counter eating an early breakfast at the diner talking town politics, or sponsoring a little league team, or helping to raise money for a school or charity. These men and women furniture makers all over our state are successful at what they do because they care about the quality of their work, and their reputation as woodworkers, and as members of their communities.
Maine Furniture's mission is to show people that there is so much more behind every piece of furniture made in Maine than mere lumber and nails. Everyone has their own story and influences, yet they all share in a lifelong commitment to living an honest existence exhibited in their family and community lives, and in their dedication to exceptional quality in their work and work ethics. Small Town Maine lends itself to these people who produce some of the best furniture in the world. With an industry dominated by cheap imports on the fast track to our landfills, we strongly believe that buying quality furniture is great for your bank account in the long run, and great for our local and national economies, and great for our environment. And above all ... it just looks good.

Contemporary Furniture Maker David Margonelli

2010-08-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

DAVID MARGONELLI IS ONE OF MAINE'S PREMIER MASTER FURNITURE MAKERS. HE HAS BEEN BUILDING MUSEUM QUALITY PIECES FOR NEARLY FORTY YEARS. HIS FLEXURE LINE OF FURNITURE FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE, YET EXHIBITS QUALITIES, SUCH AS SIMPLE, CLEAN LINES, AND FUNCTIONALITY, FOUND IN SHAKER FURNITURE. THE IDEA FOR HIS FLEXURE LINE WAS BORN OUT OF HIS CLIENTS' NEEDS FOR VERSATILITY IN SMALLER SPACES. ALL OF DAVID'S PIECES ARE HANDMADE, AND ARE OF THE FINEST QUALITY AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET.

FOR INSTANCE, DAVID DESIGNED A CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE ROUND TABLE, WHICH EASILY SEPARATES INTO TWO DEMILUNE TABLES, WHICH WHEN COMBINED WITH HIS CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE SQUARE TABLE, FORMS HIS CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE LARGE DINING TABLE. SO BY PURCHASING ONE LARGE TABLE, YOU ARE REALLY BUYING FOUR TABLES.

FLEXURE, BY DEFINITION, IS A CURVE, TURN, OR A BEND, AND FLEXURE FURNITURE, WITH ITS CURVES, OFFERS MULTIPLE SPACE-SAVING APPLICATIONS. DAVID’S CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE WARDROBE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS AN “S” CURVE FRONT WHICH GIVES YOU MORE ROOM WHERE NEEDED IN THE CONVEX, FOR HANGERS, AND A NECESSARY SMALLER SIDE, IN THE CONCAVE, FOR DRAWERS. THE “S” CURVE FOOTPRINT IS GRACEFULLY SMALLER WHERE IT SITS, BLENDING INTO THE ROOM, AS OPPOSED TO THE TRADITIONAL BULKY, ELEPHANT-IN-THE-ROOM, BOX-STYLE WARDROBE. OTHER CHESTS IN MARGONELLI’S FLEXURE LINE USE CONCAVE AND CONVEX CURVED SIDES WHICH “NEST” TOGETHER TO SEEM AS ONE LARGE CHEST, OR STAND BEAUTIFULLY ALONE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE ROOM.

AS FLEXURE APPLIES TO REPOSE, OR SEATING, IT UTILIZES SMALLER FOOTPRINTS, AND CONTINUES TO EXHIBIT STRENGTHS IN VERSATILITY. HIS CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE SOFA CAN COMFORTABLY ACCOMMODATE A PERSON WHO IS OVER SIX FEET TALL, AS WELL AS SOMEONE WHO IS FIVE FEET TALL. ITS CURVES MATCH ITS ACCOMPANYING PIECES, WHICH BLEND TOGETHER IN AN INVITING, COMFORTABLE, SMALLER FOOTPRINT.

MARGONELLI’S CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE COCKTAIL TABLE FITS EITHER A GLASS TOP, OR AN UPHOLSTERED TOP. FOUR SMALL COCKTAIL TABLES CAN BE LOCKED TOGETHER TO FORM ONE LARGE SQUARE TABLE, OR ARRANGED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS TO PROVIDE EXTRA SEATING WITH A PLACE TO SET A DRINK. (SEE VIDEO)

DAVID MARGONELLI IS A MASTER, WORLD-CLASS WOODWORKER AND ARTIST. HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES, AND IT SHOWS WITH EVERY SINGLE HAND-CUT DOVETAIL, HANDMADE DRAWER PULL, AND IN EACH DESIGN BORN OUT OF HIS CLIENTS' NEEDS. HIS SHOP IS NOT A PRODUCTION FACILTY. DAVID, AND THE TWO TALENTED CRAFTSMEN WHO WORK WITH HIM, MAKE EACH PIECE TO ORDER, ENSURING METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL. FROM THE CAREFUL, DISCERNING SELECTION OF THE WOOD, TO THE FINAL COAT OF HIS TRADEMARK OIL/VARNISH MIX, EVERY PIECE THAT ENTERS HIS SHOWROOM IS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY. HIS CUSTOMERS WILL TELL YOU THEY ARE NOT BUYING FURNITURE ... THEY ARE PURCHASING ART.

Contemporary Furniture video presented by Maine Furniture: David Margone...

2010-07-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the David Margonelli video with music by Steve Jones ...

Shaker Furniture

2010-06-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

I spent about a month filming Maine furniture maker, David Margonelli, making two beautiful tiger maple chests with concave and convex curves. They are part of his Flexure line of furniture which incorporates curved pieces that nest together perfectly to appear as one larger piece, or stand on their own as his and hers, and provide different functions, such as coffee table sections that accept a glass top, or an upholstered top. I think it is inevitable that when two furniture makers spend some time together that the conversation will turn to Shaker Furniture, and that is exactly what happened with us. David said something very interesting which I believe holds true for the vast majority of furniture makers: "Shaker was my inspiration and my teacher". The only adornments in Shaker furniture are form and the wood, and Shaker methods of construction stand the test of time. Mortise and tenon and dovetail joints constitute the makeup of most all Shaker furniture, and are an absolute must for any furniture maker to master. Shaker was indeed my teacher too, and I can see the Shaker in David Margonelli's furniture: shape and the grain of the wood. And as the Shakers would hang their chairs on the wall while they swept the floor, David has provided similar function is his pieces.
I believe Shaker furniture can be an inspiration and teacher to people who don't have their own wood shop, especially to those who are looking to buy their first pieces. The simplicity of the design (form) makes it perfect for nearly any space. The grain and/or figure in the wood makes each piece it's own, with it's own unique presence. Its durability will surprise you. You can take comfort in knowing you will not have to buy the same piece again. If you can't cannot afford an entire dining room set, start with a table that can be accompanied by a wide variety of chairs and benches. Build your collection one piece at a time, because it is an investment. It is actually less expensive than buying cheap imported pieces every time you move. I believe that once people realize all the great things Shaker furniture has to offer that they will inevitably seek out other styles of furniture, such as Mission Furniture, Colonial Furniture, and Contemporary Furniture, which all share in form and the natural wood grains. Every local furniture maker can build Shaker. Some stay with it because it is their passion, and others, like David Margonelli, incorporate Shaker into their own designs.
I invite you to view two profiles at www.MaineFurniture.org: Chris Becksvoort (Shaker) and David Margonelli (Contemporary). They are masters at their craft, and if you look closely, you will see their similarities, even though their work is very different. Follow the links to their websites, and read what they have to say, and please keep visiting the site because we are adding woodworkers every week. Thank you!

Recent

2010-05-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have written about what I've been up to. Maine Furniture has certainly come a long way in the last several months, and overall, in the last 7 months, we have made remarkable progress.
Internet Marketing is all about quality links, and quality content, which are measured by a website's page rank (PR). Maine Furniture has a PR of 4 now. We are showing up consistently in the top three positions on Google, Yahoo, and Bing, for the search term "Maine Furniture", for which there are 30,000 searches per month.
The highest quality links are those websites ending with .gov, and we have nearly 20 of those links. I want to thank the cities and towns here in Maine who have chosen to add a link to us on their website. I have designed a new marketing strategy, called Community Based Marketing (CBM) which involves municipalities listing their local businesses and statewide non-profit organizations supporting them. Ie. Maine Furniture/woodworkers, Maine Lobster Commission/ Lobstermen, Maine Restaurant Association. etc ...
The non-profit organizations are in a position to receive many .gov links which will enable them to rise in the search engine result pages (SERPS) therefore generating more exposure to the businesses listed with them. It is my contention that if every town in Maine did this, Maine business will be be towards the top of their respective searches. My goal is to be on the 1st page for the search word "Furniture", for which there are 100 million searches/month. People all over the world, looking for furniture, would see Maine and our woodworkers. This is absolutely attainable.
North Yarmouth is the 1st town in Maine to switch to a .gov and list their local businesses. There are about ten towns listing local businesses, but do not have the .gov. It's still a great start.
The linking campaign is proving successful, and the content aspect of Maine Furniture is growing every day too. I have added 30 of some of the best woodworkers in the state. We are also redesigning our website, to make the navigation a little more clear, and to give it a fresh look. I have also been filming David Margonelli in his shop, making two chests out of curly maple. Please keep checking in for the video of this extraordinary artist, who has been in the trade for nearly 40 years. Beautiful work.

Well, that's it for now ... I will keep up to date with our progress.

Best,

Mark

WINSLOW: Area cabinet makers carve out niche business

2009-11-27T07:55:00.000-08:00

WINSLOW: Area cabinet makers carve out niche business

MaineBusiness.com | MEFurniture says, "www.MaineFurniture.org"

2009-11-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

MaineBusiness.com | MEFurniture says, "www.MaineFurniture.org"

Made in Maine and More?

2009-10-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

The store used to be called Made in Maine. Now they added More. I like visiting their store in Augusta, Maine, primarily to go T-shirt hunting in the bins of test shirts Liberty Graphics sells at lower than usual prices. (They are great shirts!) I went in last week to do just that when I noticed an entire line of Mission style furniture in the middle of the store, which, from a traditional furniture maker's point of view, looked pretty cheap. It looked rickety ... like you would have to screw it together yourself ... and it is made in Pennsylvania. That was when I looked around the store and noticed the More.
The decision to add out of state furniture makers, and More, to Made in Maine, I am sure had nothing to do with a shortage of furniture makers here in Maine. I can only guess what reasons were used at that boardroom meeting, so I will.

"We can't find anyone in Maine who can produce furniture cheap enough for us to make a profit"

"Look at IKEA and their price points and their annual sales"

"We want to remain US made, so let's find someone who can meet our requirements"

So instead of going through the process of looking at www.MaineMade.com and scrolling down through the 140 Hand Crafted Furniture Makers to see who they could promote, they chose the road to Pennsylvania.

My company is listed there. Cork Cove Furniture. I had cost, wholesale and retail prices for my hand made furniture. I was begging for sales ... any sales ... in 2008. I was cutting deals with customers just to keep the bills paid, and I couldn't even manage that.

Could it be that there just isn't a place where everyone knows they can go for anything Maine Furniture related? Did those board members try to find us local cabinetmakers, and could not?

Did they feel they had to make this decision because they needed to compete with the companies dominating the search results?

This is why www.MaineFurniture.org was created. We will brand Maine Furniture worldwide as has been done with Maine Lobster and Maine Blueberries.

When Maine DECD Commissioner Richardson announced that he will work with our organization and pursue a Maine SEO Council to help market Maine's Woodworking Industry, he placed in our hands the sword to slay the dragon. SEE VIDEO HERE

The multi-national, multi-million dollar companies at the top of internet search results will have to give way to Maine, our woodworking friends and family members, and our drive to support our communities.

Maine Furniture Makers produce world class products, and it is my personal goal to make sure everyone knows.

It is my goal to convince Made in Maine to take down that More.

Woodworking in Maine and SEO

2009-10-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

Internet search engines are the new Yellow Pages, and now woodworkers here in Maine have a leg up on the move up in search result pages. I started the non-profit, www.MaineFurniture.org, because woodworkers in Maine have not received equal treatment in the way the state government promotes all its other industries.

www.MaineFurniture.org is a place where Maine woodworkers will be promoted for FREE. I have the contacts, the tools, and the know-how to get the word out that Maine woodworkers produce some of the best products in the world.

Using the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) from www.HiddenEquity.com, in six weeks, on October 24, www.MaineFurniture.org reached number FIVE for the search term "Maine Furniture". There are 33,000 searches each month for this term on Google.

What really helped, in addition to having the properly programmed website and SEO plan, was the link we received from the Maine DECD. Government links carry weight with search engines so it is only natural that the government help it’s local businesses with a targeted Search Engine Optimization program.

In an exclusive interview with the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, John Richardson announced to me, and the world, that he will provide state government links to woodworkers here in Maine to help them promote themselves online. He is most likely the first government official in the United States to make such an announcement.

www.MaineFurniture.org will be working closely with the Maine DECD to help woodworkers across this state get the attention they deserve. Richardson announced he will add a "Furniture" category on their sites and begin branding Maine Furniture as has been done with Maine Lobster and Maine Blueberries.

I have worked really hard at trying to get the State of Maine to recognize the importance of helping its small business owners, in particular, its woodworkers, in achieving a presence in search results. Having the State of Maine step in and provide links, and educate small woodworking business owners about the value of SEO is crucial to our economy. A State of Maine linking campaign, hands down, is the biggest bang for a very small taxpayer buck. Local Maine furniture makers will now be able to compete with huge corporations which spend millions and make billions via dominating search results. "Maine Furniture", with www.MaineFurniture.org, can now stand branded next to the "Maine Lobster" and "Maine Blueberry".

I cannot thank Commissioner John Richardson enough for his forward thinking and his personal drive to promote Maine's woodworking industry which is so vital to our economy.

Please follow the link here to the video of Commissioner Richardson's exclusive interview with me, on behalf of www.MaineFurniture.org.

Maine Furniture Makers Web Development

2009-10-21T05:24:00.001-07:00

Maine's woodworking community is a part of our everyday lives, whether we are in the trade, or not. We all know someone who is a woodworker, or know someone who is close to one. Local carpenters, furniture makers, cabinetmakers, restorers, and contractors, all keep our lumber stores, gas stations, grocery stores, coffee shops, and restaurants busy every day.

Google's ranking system gives huge credibility in its results to COMMUNITY driven content. The companies at the top are the ones with the cash, but we, as a collective of smaller communities, can beat them, and Nathan McKelvey, my brother, and founder of www.HiddenEquity.com, has not only figured out how, but has proven it can be done.

www.MaineFurniture.org is so much more than just another website trying to promote an industry or trade. We are far from just another attempt at a local directory. www.MaineFurniture.org is the registered name of our non profit company. Our goal is to provide a place where any woodworker can get a VERY affordable website, and develop and maintain a presence in online search results. www.MaineFurniture.org and Hidden Equity will work with woodworkers featured on our site to make sure they have a website, and at the very least, they will still be able to have videos of themselves talking about their woodworking history, and of them working in their shop, as well as a bio with photos. This is at NO COST whatsoever. Please just talk to us.

My brother, Nate, has spent his career developing the software which drives Hidden Equity. Before the fire at my shop which claimed everything, I was doing the best work of my life. A songwriter's style evolves with time. As we age, we see things more clearly, and we weed out what isn't important, and focus on what is important. I know Nate's history and where he has always come from, and that it is just from a place of simplicity. Why can't we all just get along? Why can't some people, no matter how hard they try, or how good they are, make ends meet? Why do we struggle with status quo? It would be so much easier if ....

... say, perhaps, that there was a way for small business owners to show up in Google search results. Why should the huge corporate conglomerates be the only ones to be on Page One of Google? They spend MILLIONS of dollars every year to make sure they are there. What about us?

Where is the woodworkers commission, like the Maine Lobster Council? Or the same for our blueberry producers, or lodging industry, or potato farmers? Who is out there determining quality and setting standards, and educating the consumers on behalf of the woodworkers? Who cares? We are all just out there trying to make ends meet, occasionally complaining about big box store products with which we can't compete. www.MaineFurniture.org and Hidden Equity, however, have proven that a couple guys, operating on day to day personal financial budgets, can indeed compete online with multi-million dollar companies.

I just ran www.MaineFurniture.org through a reputable online site evaluator, and it received a grade of 87%. My site, designed by Nate, has been active for seven weeks. The key words we wanted to target were "Maine Furniture", for which there are 33,000 searches per month. Last night I showed up at number six on Google. Amazing. And the there are still details that the evaluation didn't pick up because we had just made some adjustments that take a little time.

One Maine woodworker I read about recently pretty much laid it all out when he said he has put as much time into his online marketing as he has spent actually working on jobs, if not more. www.MaineFurniture.org, and Hidden Equity have done the research and nailed down the formula so you can focus the majority of your energy on your craft. We will give you the tools and show you how to promote yourself, as we promote you and your peers simultaneously. It works.

www.MaineFurniture.org is here to promote the exceptional quality wood products made here in Maine, research and record Maine's woodworking history, and reinvest into our communities. There are proven models of wood shops in high schools that make money, and have job placements after graduation. We will set up scholarships for our students to further their woodworking education at the internationally-known schools this state has to offer. We will host events where local artisans can showcase their works. We have a studio where you can consign your works for far less than the going rates, where ALL proceeds are used to promote Maine woodworkers.

We are not just another online directory, and I want you to know this.

Thank you!

Mark

Insurance Software: Integrating Online and Offline Marketing

2009-10-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

Insurance Software: Integrating Online and Offline Marketing

Un-Mixing Maine's Woodworking Messages

2009-09-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

While the economy has undeniably hurt many small woodworking shops here in Maine, and the overall Maine woodworking industry as whole, there are still many who are just as busy as they have ever been. The Maine Wood Products Association's "Splinters" article posted in February, 2009, titled "Mixed Messages", addresses this. "During the recent MWPA Annual Meeting in Farmington, the new “roll call” session brought out a lot of good information about the condition of our industry. Unfortunately, the news was “all over the map”, from dire to encouraging to downright busy."

The "dire", I believe, is just the tip of that iceberg. It has been seven months since that article was posted. The economy has been in a steady drop, and prices for everything from groceries to insurance have kept rising. Adjustable Rate Mortgage percentages have risen, and the the banks have tightened restrictions for new loans. There has been migration out of the state for for higher wages. President Obama in his address to Congress stated that insurance premiums have risen 3X faster than wages. At least 30% of a small woodshop owner's budget goes to insurance costs. Then they are hit with the IRS' self-employment tax each year too. Maine is one of the highest taxed states in the country. School enrollments have been falling in this state for years resulting in cuts in industrial arts classes. With the job market so tight, wages are down. I can't imagine being in a paid apprenticeship position for $8.00/hr. I would be willing to bet the number of apprentice woodworkers has decreased substantially over the last fifteen years.

I learned woodworking in my high school. After college I went to work for a house builder and worked in the wood shop building windows, doors, and stair parts, and I made $8.00/hr. I was single, and my rent was cheap with roomates. I apprenticed for a furniture maker for several years after at $10 - 20.00/hr. He had learned his skills from his father. This was my experience, and I haven't been aware of any similar experiences in recent years. That's not to say they are not out there, but I really believe the times are different now. The house builder I worked for employed fifty carpenters, and supplied them all with health insurance, including dental. How many furniture/woodworking/homebuilding companies are out there today that employ those numbers? Moosehead Furniture has about 20 employees (from my understanding), and they are all in danger of losing their jobs. I have heard of other companies in the Millinocket area that are close to closing too. I received a phone call from an insurance agent who told me he knows his friend, a cabinetmaker in the Portland area, who currently has no liability insurance.

I think most everyone here in Maine knows someone who knows a woodworker. I think 100 years ago most people just knew a woodworker. I think today we are heading towards a 3rd degree of separation. Try asking around.

I think we, as a community, need to support those who are doing well in these troubled times, as well as those who are not doing well. I think we will all benefit by getting the word out nationally, that the quality of maine craftsmanship is world-class. The bottom line is money. We need to prove to consumers that the furniture made here in Maine is an investment, and is generational. We need to educate consumers about what constitutes good vs. bad furniture. We need to let people know that buying local is in itself "green". I think we should see more free venues for promotion for local woodworkers, such as town-sponsored events where other artisans can take place too. I think it is important to document as much of this state's woodworking history as possible, because I just don't see it out there. There are so many talented people in this industry who go unnoticed. They have to pay to be documented in ads in magazines, or pay to get listed on directories. They have to hope someone other than their clients (the media) will notice their talents and do a story on them. Has FOX news ever done a story on a local woodworker? Our media covers the tragedies in our lives way more than it ever champions the average person, skilled in their trade, and active in their community.

Mixed Messages is right. With all the social media available today, I believe it IS possible to un-mix the messages. By spending our money wisely and locally, and using our FaceBook, Twitter, and MySpace avenues, we can extend the "word-of-mouth" far beyond what it has traditionally been capable of. Free promotion, with very little effort.

Support Maine's Woodworking Community; It Only Takes 10 Minutes

2009-09-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

I think it is so unfortunate that the media wasn't alerted to the fact that there was a small, one-man shop operating out of the Gardiner Mill. I would like to thank the Kennebec Journal, and the Hallowell Record for printing the story of my loss. To me, and all the other small shops dotting the Maine map, it's another example of our industry gone unnoticed. This economy is crushing small cabinet shops all over the state. I have received calls and emails from cabinetmakers, and people who know cabinetmakers, all saying the same thing: It is extremely hard to make ends meet these days, and it's not getting any better.

People are looking to save money by purchasing "big box" kitchen cabinets and furniture. What is happening is that the local woodworkers cannot compete with the huge companies using sub-par materials, and out-sourcing their production to other countries. When one cabinet shop closes, it absolutely has a ripple effect in the community. Hardware and lumber stores lose the business. The coffee shops, the grocery stores, the gas stations, the paint stores. All at the "expense" of cheap furniture that starts deteriorating at the first hint of moisture, and more often than not, contains harmful gasses that release when wet.

The Story is about a suffering, if not dying, industry here in Maine. Woodworkers are an overlooked asset to our economy and community. The fire at my shop and the media's omission of Cork Cove Furniture's presence there is a small example of the fact that so many shops are just one disaster away from closing. That disaster could be a lost bid, or a bid too low taken, a finger cut off, a day or week down-time during a critical phase of a project, or even a customer refusing or unable to pay a bill. It's that close for us. Buy locally. Save and spend wisely on things that last. It matters, believe me.

Here are some links to the editors of the papers who ran the story. Please contact them and let them know about a woodworker you know who may be in danger of losing their livelihood. President Obama referred to higher health care costs for the self-employed, but insurance costs across the board for a self-employed cabinetmaker account for 30% (minimum) of their operating costs. I will address this in my next posting. I welcome any and all comments! Thank you.

Kennebec Journal: http://centralmaine.mainetoday.com/readerservices/lettertotheeditor.html

Bangor Daily News; http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/118788.html

MaineToday.com: http://updates.mainetoday.com/updates/update-fire-strikes-defunct-gardiner-mill

WLBZ2 Bangor: http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=108886&catid=3

Twitter: http://tweetmeme.com/story/166321603/two-arrests-in-gardiner-mill-fire-maine-news-updates

Boston.com: http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/articles/2009/09/02/fire_sweeps_through_abandoned_mill_in_maine/

WCSH Channel 6 Portland: http://www.wcsh6.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=108733&catid=2

Please take 10 minutes to follow these links to add a comment about a woodworker you know who is hurting in these difficult times. Maine's woodworking community has been such an understated valuable resource to our way of life, and it is deteriorating before our eyes. By supporting your local cabinet shops, you are supporting "green" practices, as well as your local community.

Thank you!

www.MaineFurniture.com

2009-09-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

The only asset the fire left me was my domain www.MaineFurniture.com. I had years of work invested in Cork Cove Furniture, and as the economy went from bad to worse, so went the custom woodworking industry here in Maine.

Maintaining a steady work flow became increasingly more difficult and time-consuming. Bidding became so competitive people were dropping their prices as much as 30 -40 % just to make sure they got the work. I was the number two bid, out of three, on a job where the client took the lowest bid, far below mine. I recall wondering how the winning bidder could possibly make more than three dollars an hour on that job. Something had to give. Quality? Operating costs? Safety? This situation hurts everybody.

Maine's woodworking image on the national scale is top-notch. Heavy influence from the Shaker work ethic, and joinery techniques is apparent in Maine craftsmanship.

The woodworking industry here in Maine is so ingrained in all of our lives, that it's easy to overlook the real difficult problems it is facing. It goes unnoticed to the point that no one knew, or even bothered to look, that there was a business in the mill fire that lost everything.

Three days after the fire, after reading every news report about it, every single article referred to the mill as abandoned. I Googled the address, 483 Water St., Gardiner, ME, and Cork Cove Cabinetmakers appeared three times on the first page. Not one reporter, from the ten or so articles I read, had any idea who occupied the building.

I feel terrible enough, and embarrassed that I did not have insurance, but I hope that by bringing attention to the fact that there was in fact a business, mine, that operated out of that "abandoned" mill. Perhaps that by calling attention to this, someone will see the value in coming forward with information about the person, or people, involved in setting the fires.

In the meantime, I will continue to be thankful that no one was hurt in the fire, and no one was hurt battling the fire. The fire took everything except my domain name, www.MaineFurniture.com. Now, I want to take this opportunity to explore and document Maine's rich woodworking history. I want Maine Furniture to be a place where people can learn about woodworking, and furniture, and history, and share their stories, and associations, and interact with others whose passions lay in this industry and state.

So many small shops go unnoticed. High schools have cut their woodworking classes. The economy has forced sacrifices in quality and safety. Cheaper, low quality furniture is too readily available, and does not last.

Instead of buying a cheap dining room table and chairs, have a local person make a table for you. Buy the chairs when you can afford them next. The money saved long-term is remarkable. Buy local, buy "green". By supporting your local cabinetmaker, you are dealing with someone who wants your business, and cares enough to stand by their work. You won't need your receipt, and you won't get put on hold. If somthing ever goes wrong with their work, they will be there to fix it because it is their name, and their reputation, locally, that matters to them. You matter to them, and what an incredible beginning to a business relationship that has so much potential for growth.

I believe in this premise, because I have experienced it. It is my goal to promote the independent woodworkers in Maine, as well as their personal woodworking histories.

Please follow me on Twitter, and please leave comments. I want to hear about pieces of furniture that are important to you. I want to record as many different methods of joinery as possible. I want people to know the differences in finishes used in furniture making throughout the ages. If it involves woodworking and/or woodworkers, on any and all levels, let's talk about it!

Thank you all who have been supporting me through this economy, and now the aftermath of the fire. I am truly thankful.

Mark McKelvey