Vermont Woods Studios
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Founded | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters |
Vermont Woods Studios (VWS) is a retailer of Vermont-manufactured wood furniture, established in 2005.[1][2] The company markets and sells products online and from a showroom in Vernon, Vermont.[3]
VWS sells furniture from several independent Vermont woodworking businesses, as well as from larger wholesale companies.[4] The company seeks to promote Vermont's custom furniture industry by unifying marketing efforts for its producers.[4] In a 2014 Vermont Life article, Steve Holman, a furniture maker from Dorset, Vermont, noted that Vermont's isolation from large markets represents a major business challenge, and that small producers rarely have time to manage their online presence adequately.[1] The company sells products under two models: it connects custom furniture makers with customers in exchange for a referral fee, and it directly retails furniture from wholesale producers.[5]
The company was established in 2005 by Peggy Farabaugh and her husband Ken, after Farabaugh lost her position at Tulane University in the aftermath of flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina.[6][2] Farabaugh drew up the business plan for a $20,000 grant competition; she did not win, but implemented the plan nonetheless.[7] The company took in approximately $800,000 in sales in 2010,[8] and grew by 35% between 2012 and 2014.[1]
The company's Vernon showroom is located in a circa 1790 farmhouse and former ski lodge, and features artworks from Vermont artists.[1] The building's renovation used primarily local materials, and was financed in part through a $100,000 grant from Vermont's Working Lands Enterprise Fund.[1][3] The showroom features large windows looking out onto a forest, intended to reflect the company's emphasis on using locally sourced wood.[4][3]
Social responsibility
VWS was a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, whose members seek to minimize the environmental impact of their products.[9] In keeping with Farabaugh's advocacy for rainforest conservation, the company's products are made with wood sourced from Vermont or neighboring states rather than internationally.[6]
Farabaugh has helped to plant trees in Central and South America.[10] In 2016, the company partnered with the Mexican nonprofit Forests for Monarchs for an educational tour of New England encouraging residents to plant milkweed to aid in butterfly conservation.[11]
The company's challenge to its employees to purchase only American-made holiday gifts was the subject of a 2011 segment on ABC's "Made in America" program.[12]