The Modern Woodsmith
By Aaron Peterson
In July 2006 the Munising-based custom cabinet and door manufacturer, The Modern Woodsmith, opened its new production facility and showroom following nation-wide demand for its high-quality products.
The Modern Woodsmith was started three years ago by Munising natives Tim and Joni Flynn and currently employs three other full-time, year round workers. Along with the expansion, the Flynns also plan to hire at least one more full time employee by year’s end.
The company has seen growth rates of around 50% each year as ads in national publications like Timber Homes Illustrated and Log Homes Illustrated have fueled interest in its full line of custom interior and exterior doors. They’ve also found success partnering with rustic home manufacturers like Hiawatha Log Homes, also located in Munising.
At the Modern Woodsmith, custom is the name of the game. The Flynns mix traditional construction methods like mortise and tenon joinery with the latest in computer generated carvings and designs. Their interior and exterior doors can be made of any wood species available, with many varieties of wood coming from local mills.
“We basically can build anything,” Joni Flynn said. “We automate as much as we can without sacrificing the handcrafted quality that our products are known for.”
Flynn said her customers are well versed in wood, know what
they want, and expect excellence. One customer ordered interior doors for an
entire horse farm in
“Our customers are very meticulous, they know their woods and our product line and have done their homework,” Flynn said. “Many of them are retiring and building their last home. They want everything custom and exactly how they want it.”
Though their doors ship around the country, the Flynn’s custom cabinets are generally sold closer to home, often to the same type of client. Like the doors, the cabinets are completely custom-made and can be done in any species of wood. The same unique carving and detailing is available as on the doors.
The two-part plan of selling cabinetry locally while having a national market for doors is part of a diversification strategy the Flynns knew they’d need when starting the business.
In 2003 the couple, who had been together since high school in Munising, were finally able to return to the region they had always loved after 20 years. They had worked corporate jobs in Detroit and Ohio, and as their children, a boy and twin girls, neared school age they decided it was now or never.
“Everywhere we moved we compared it to back home (Munising), but it just wasn’t the same,” Joni said. “We love the area and all it brings for the kids and us as a family. It feels good to be back.”
However, knowing the fickle economy of the U.P., the Flynns understood they’d have to create their own work if they were to come back. Tim had done cabinetry in college and afterwards as a hobby and his previous career was in production management. Joni’s experience as a systems engineer would help the company automate. The pair shared a love for wood and fine craftsmanship, and The Modern Woodsmith was born.
They built a new home and a 2,400 square foot state-of-the-art production facility on 30 acres just outside Munising. However, as sales increased, they quickly outgrew the facility. In 2006, with funding obtained through the Marquette-based non-profit community development corporation Northern Initiatives, the company relocated to 10 acres on M-28 across from Hiawatha Log Homes, just east of Munising. The old facility will continue to be used and the new 6,300 square foot facility boasts a showroom, new manufacturing facility and better access for the public.
Future plans for the company include an expansion into the home renovation market through increased advertising. In an effort to satisfy all budgets, the new showroom will also offer an economical line of pre-made cabinets for a less expensive alternative to custom-built.
“We’re always looking for new ideas and innovating,” said Joni.
The Modern Woodsmith
can be reached at (906) 387-5577 or on the Internet at
www.themodernwoodsmith.com.
Northern Initiatives
provides loans for U.P. business start-ups and for business expansion projects.
Business development and consulting services are also available. NI’s central
office is located in
Aaron Peterson is a
freelance writer and photographer based in Marquette, MI. For more information
visit him on the web at www.aaronpeterson.net.