As we drove through the Ohio Amish countryside, a fresh coat of snow beneath the van’s wheels, maneuvering past horses and buggies, we finally arrived at our destination.
It’s a several day journey we take at least once every month. Yes, EVERY month – in fact, in February, we made two back-to- back trips!
We pick up custom furniture orders and restock some of our best selling items, but these trips are more than that. We get a chance to talk to our woodworkers. We build relationships with them. We talk about ideas and plans for new products.
For Zach and Jen, two of Rustic Red Door’s employees who traveled with us (on 2 different trips), this was their first glimpse into the all that is involved on a pickup.
The trips are physically exhausting hard work, but they are also interesting and fun. We visited a record number of woodworkers and talked about some new concepts – ceiling beams and floating shelves, just to mention a couple. We think our customers will love them; we certainly do!
A few hand-hewn beam fireplace mantels were picked up on this trip. They’re so unique and will make any home feel more comfortable and warm. Another creative, new product that we picked up was a curly maple cubby coat rack. It is as funky and cool as it sounds!
One of favorite places to visit is our reclaimed furniture woodworker, where we picked up reclaimed barnwood coat racks. We are hoping to add more reclaimed barnwood furniture items in the future.
We also visited a log mill, getting the chance so sneak a few beautiful pics of the snowy logs and also go inside and check out some live edge slabs.
These trips help us brainstorm new ideas. Some are just in the beginning stages and others are concrete – literally! We met with a woodworker who specializes in concrete furniture. You name any concrete project and they can do it. They even supply restaurant chains with cement countertops. Look for Rustic Red Door’s first concrete project with them – end tables that we’ll be picking up during our March trip.
We love traveling to Ohio to bring back your special, one-of- a-kind pieces that make your house a home. In addition to the classics we have offered in the past and will continue to offer, we are so excited to add to our product lines. As we continue to grow, innovate and explore new products, we look forward to taking you on the journey with us.