At Vermont Woods Studios, we’re proud to be a part of a long-standing custom of furnishings making in Vermont—one which emphasizes craftsmanship, sustainability, and high quality over mass manufacturing. Earlier than we opened our doorways, firms like Manchester Wooden helped lay the muse for what it means to construct heirloom-quality, American-made furnishings proper right here in New England.
Though Manchester Wooden closed its doorways in 2018, its legacy nonetheless echoes by the work of Vermont artisans and the values we feature ahead at Vermont Woods Studios.
Right here’s a glance again on the rise and fall of considered one of Vermont’s most influential furnishings producers.
Timeline of the Rise & Fall of Manchester Wooden
After 42 years, Manchester Wooden is closing our doorways. Please buy our remaining heirloom high quality furnishings at 30% off whereas provides final at and take house a chunk of historical past. — Manchester Wooden (@manchesterwood) August 2, 2018
The story of Manchester Wooden goes all the best way again to the 1950’s. Its tragic fall lasted virtually 2 many years till the enterprise closed in 2018.
- 1957: After getting back from a a number of yr stint serving in Korea for the US military, Cliff Pierce returns to New York and founds Pierce Industries in Walden, NY. The corporate focuses on manufacturing metallic merchandise.
- 1976: Clifford “Cliff” Pierce units up store in Manchester, Vermont. The corporate begins by making small wooden merchandise like reducing boards, TV tray holders, and finish tables.
- Early 1980’s: Manchester Wooden begins making stable wooden furnishings, notably Adirondack chairs. All through the 1980’s, the corporate’s designs and craftsmanship had been acknowledged by main nationwide retailers. Enterprise picks up rapidly.
- 1986: Seeing the speedy development of Manchester Wooden, Cliff decides to promote Pierce Industries and focus his time on this rising woodworking operation in Vermont.
- Late 1980’s: Supplying furnishings to family names like LL Bean, Crate & Barrel, JC Penney, Sears, Pottery Barn, Macy’s, and extra, Manchester Wooden eyes growth.
- 1990: Manchester Wooden strikes it’s manufacturing from Manchester, Vermont into a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in Granville, New York (about 20 miles down the highway). The corporate is using about 100 individuals.
- 2006: Manchester Wooden makes a play to go direct-to-consumer.
- 2008: Manchester Wooden founder Cliff Pierce passes away on the age of 78.
- 2013: New web site launched. Employment right down to ~55.
- 2018: Manchester Wooden broadcasts on August 2 through social media that they are going to be closing operations. Liquidation sale ensues and the final day of gross sales is September 23, 2018.
The Story of Manchester Wooden
Manchester Wooden was based by Cliff Pierce in 1976. He had moved from New York to Vermont and opened his woodshop whereas concurrently operating his metallic work firm that he began 20 years prior.
The corporate grew rapidly by partnerships with nationwide retailers. Seeking to broaden manufacturing capacities, the enterprise moved into a bigger manufacturing facility in Granville, New York in 1990 (solely about 20 miles from their earlier location in Manchester, Vermont).
They relied closely on the community of outlets that they’d established within the 80’s and 90’s. However by the early 2000’s the US furnishings market was starting to take a success from imported merchandise from abroad.
>When requested concerning the challenges they confronted whereas operating Manchester Wooden, Ed remarked that a rise in international imports had put downward stress on the costs of American made furnishings.
Manchester Wooden was most identified for his or her mission fashion tables, folding desks/tray tables, and out of doors Adirondack furnishings.
To counter, the enterprise made an effort to determine a direct-to-consumer channel in 2006. They ran a showroom in Granville, New York, and tried to promote on-line with an ecommerce web site, however to little avail. Their ecommerce enterprise by no means took off.
Struggling to take care of their partnerships with nationwide retailers as a result of prevalence of imported furnishings, the enterprise was declining. They downsized manufacturing by reducing the work schedule from 5 to three days per week.
Their mixed efforts of downsizing manufacturing and specializing in direct-to-consumer gross sales didn’t pay dividends. The enterprise introduced it was closing through social media on August 2nd, 2018, and bought its final piece of furnishings on September twenty third that very same yr.
The Legacy of Manchester Wooden
Though the enterprise is not operational, Manchester Wooden left its mark on the Vermont furnishings business.
We’ve usually written concerning the plethora of woodworking expertise and lengthy historical past of furnishings craftsmanship right here in Vermont. Manchester Wooden was one of many prime contributors to that legacy of Vermont craftsmanship throughout its time in enterprise.
The craftsmen who had been previously employed at Manchester Wooden have gone on to construct their very own furnishings companies, albeit smaller ones. There are numerous craftsmen within the Manchester space who create one-of-a-kind, customized wooden furnishings. These small companies signify a big chunk of the Vermont financial system, producing income, maintaining the artwork of woodworking alive, and creating jobs for others within the state.
Should you’re trying to buy Manchester Wooden furnishings, eBay, LetGo, and Craigslist are most likely your finest guess.
Should you’re in search of eco-friendly, stable wooden furnishings that’s made within the USA, look no additional. Take a look at our catalog of Vermont made wooden furnishings.
Searching for American-Made Furnishings At this time?
At Vermont Woods Studios, we share Manchester Wooden’s ardour for high quality, sustainability, and Vermont craftsmanship. We provide a variety of eco-friendly stable wooden furnishings, all made within the USA by expert artisans. Should you admire the legacy of Manchester Wooden, you’ll love what our native craftsmen are constructing as we speak.
Discover Our Assortment of Vermont-Made Furnishings
