OFG is taking area furniture builders to the next level

With myriad furniture builders dotting Amish Country, the competition is fierce for sales to wholesalers, but thanks to Ohio Furniture Guild, these companies have bonded together to promote the industry as a whole, even as they compete with one another for sales.

On Sept. 3 members of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce were taken on a journey through the concept behind the Ohio Furniture Guild’s effort to promote all things furniture in Amish Country.

The chamber meeting took place in the conference room at Walnut Creek Cheese, where Kendrick Mullet, director of the Ohio Furniture Guild, and OFG board member Phil Tieszen of Keim gave a presentation explaining OFG’s mission and how the effort of the organization has spurred expansion from Amish Country to include many furniture makers around the state.

In building its brand, OFG has developed the Ohio Hardwood Furniture Market, an annual show at Mt. Hope Auction that showcases loads of new furniture.

Last year’s event saw more than 1,000 wholesale buyers visit the show, which included the showcase house, a display that includes all the furniture and accessories that were voted on by the members as being the year’s top performers.

The home showcases rooms that would make up a complete home, and wholesalers can take a trip through the home, where professionals are there to answer any questions.

“The show is our biggest way of promoting and marketing our members,” Mullet said. “They rent a booth, bring their furniture in and it gets them all in front of these qualified buyers who are buying in huge volume.”

He said the marketing show is vital to the ongoing success of its members.

In addition, the show focuses on blending finely crafted furniture with colors, and with Sherwin Williams as its national sponsor, the show has given furniture companies an ideal opportunity to connect with wholesalers around the nation.

“When I first started, there was like 100 members, and now we are 235, and what’s happening is all of these different businesses have seen what’s happening,” Mullet said. “It used to be just the people who came to the furniture market (were members), but now people see the value in being a member year round and not just as exhibitors.”

One of the unique components of the organization is that while each of its members is competing for sales with its other members, the entirety of the group is focused on working as one to promote their market as a whole.

Tieszen said that is a rare circumstance, but each of the members recognizes the best way to promote their individual business is by creating a fervor over the quality and innovation in the furniture market.

“It’s extremely unique,” Tieszen said. “They do compete (for sales) — even during the show they are competing — but they are recognizing that together they are drawing a bigger group of customers in while making the show better.”

Mullet said others have taken note of this collaborative effort and begun to reach out to the OFG for input.

Recently, the OFG took a big step forward in expanding from the Hardwood Furniture Guild to a name the group felt better defined who and what they wanted to represent.

According to Mullet, the simple reason behind the move was because the members have grown far beyond the sole act of building hardwood.

Where once was a community of builders throughout Amish Country that focused on hardwood, specifically oak, there is now a conglomeration of builders who are showcasing an extensive package of furniture.

Mullet said furniture manufacturers are now wearing all the hats, from designing and building furniture to finishing it, marketing it and providing financing.

The one thing all the members have in common is they rely on OFG to market their company to the nation and beyond, bringing wholesalers from near and far.

“Using Ohio in our name is awesome because it’s much easier marketing,” Mullet said.

The OFG has annual member fees, which help support the organization. The other funding comes in through the annual market in Mt. Hope, where they rent out booths, and the convention center is completely full of furniture builders and associated companies that have ties to the industry.

The supporting members of the guild include companies that recognize their success is tied directly with the success of the area furniture builders. Those companies include manufacturers of parts, equipment, hardware, designers, transportation, sawmills, local lenders, marketing companies and more.

“All of these different companies are impacted by the success of our wood shops and finishers,” Mullet said.

As the furniture market continues to progress and change, the Ohio Furniture Guild continues to play a vital role in helping each member make strides in promoting both their business and the furniture market as a whole.