In this the second of two parts, Will Sampson talks with Leland Thomasset of Taghkanic Woodworking in Pawling, New York, about an exciting new venture using augmented reality technology and distributed manufacturing to sell custom home office furniture delivered in as little as two weeks. In this episode, Leland shares the details of how the Baru furniture venture works. Will shares thoughts on the trend for taking manufacturing out of big factories and handing it over to small shops.
This episode of the Woodworking Network podcast was sponsored by FDMC magazine. FDMC magazine is your vital source of information to improve your woodworking business. Whether it is keeping you apprised of the latest advances in manufacturing, helping you solve your wood technology problems with Gene Wengert, or inspiring you with case histories about successful businesses and best practices, FDMC magazine is there to be the sharpest business tool in your shop. Learn more and subscribe for free at woodworkingnetwork.com/fdmc.
Woodworking Network is a home for professional woodworkers, presenting technology, supplies, education, inspiration, and community, from small business entrepreneurs to corporate managers at large automated plants.
You can find all of our podcasts at WoodworkingNetwork.com/podcasts and in popular podcast channels. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Thanks again to today’s sponsor, FDMC magazine. If you have a comment or topic you’d like us to explore, contact me at will-dot-sampson @ woodworking network dot com. And we would really appreciate it if you fill out the survey at woodworking network.com/podcast-survey. Thanks for listening.
Intro music courtesy of Anthony Monson.
Welcome to the Woodworking Network Podcast where we explore the business of woodworking and what it takes to succeed. I’m Will Sampson.
This episode is sponsored by FDMC magazine, and don’t forget to take our survey at woodworking network.com/podcast-survey.
Today, we’ll be talking some more with Leland Thomasset of Taghkanic Woodworking in Pawling, New York, about his involvement in the innovative nationwide home office furniture startup called Baru. But first, let’s talk about “Decentralizing manufacturing?”
They say that with every crisis comes opportunity, and I know that’s true. I’ve met more than a few entrepreneurs who started businesses when the economy was doing a nosedive. All the naysayers were telling them they were crazy, but they saw chance for success and were willing to risk their sweat and their silver to make it happen.
Now is one of those times. While many small businesses are suffering from the coronavirus crisis and subsequent lockdowns, others are seeing a chance for successful startups. We’ve been talking with Leland Thomasset of Taghkanic Woodworking about his involvement in the startup Baru. The company is going after the home office furniture market. Demand for home office furniture has skyrocketed because so many office workers have been forced to work from home.
Add to that the number of families that have suddenly been faced with school-age children staying home. Whether they are homeschooling, remote learning or doing some hybridized learning program, those students need space to do their lessons. If everybody in one household is juggling for space at the kitchen table, you can guarantee there will be some impetus to set up dedicated desks elsewhere in the house.
But how do we supply that furniture to fill that need? Baru’s answer is distributed manufacturing. It’s not really a new idea in woodworking. Several companies have tried schemes to take manufacturing out of big factories and somehow spread it around to small shops. But now, with the COVID concerns creating remote work and remote learning, more people may consider distributed manufacturing. It has the potential to put profits in the pockets of smaller shops with excess high-tech CNC machining capacity while cutting lead times to customers even with custom options.
There are lots of negatives out there right now with managing the pandemic and an uncertain economy, but seizing this opportunity for a new decentralized manufacturing model could be a long-term benefit for a lot of small shops.
Now let’s continue our talk with someone who is doing exactly that: Leland Thomasset, but before we get to Leland, let’s pause for a word from our sponsor. FDMC magazine is your vital source of information to improve your woodworking business. Whether it is keeping you apprised of the latest advances in manufacturing, helping you solve your wood technology problems with Gene Wengert, or inspiring you with case histories about successful businesses and best practices, FDMC magazine is there to be the sharpest business tool in your shop. Learn more and subscribe for free at woodworkingnetwork.com/fdmc.
Now, let’s get back Leland Thomasset. In addition to running his own shop, Taghkanic Woodworking in Pawling, New York, Leland is the design engineer for Baru, a new startup building home office furniture with a distributed manufacturing model.
[Interview]
That’s it for today. You can find all of our podcasts at WoodworkingNetwork.com/podcasts and in popular podcast channels. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode. Thanks again to today’s sponsor, FDMC magazine. If you have a comment or topic you’d like us to explore, contact me at will-dot-sampson @ woodworking network dot com. And we would really appreciate it if you fill out the survey at woodworking network.com/podcast-survey. Thanks for listening.