When was your company founded and how?
Originally the company was founded in the 1980s and my parents purchased it in 1994. In college Ryan and I were asked to help in various capacities, and we really enjoyed our time at Wood Designs and fell in love with the people, culture, and industry. In 2021, with each having more than 18 years’ experience in the industry, Ryan and I bought Wood Designs and have continued our long time focus on quality, growth, and culture into the present day.
What makes your firm unique?
Ryan and I firmly believe a mindset of quality over profit is the best strategy to meet the high expectations of our customers. In the end what matters is a company that has a good reputation and the longevity to succeed year after year. The most lucrative path is not always the right path, and we are proud to have built a company that both our customers and employees can count on. Wood Designs uses top quality materials and manufacturing techniques to ensure our furniture will stand the test of time.
What do you like best about the educational products industry?
Being able to provide quality products that are a part of a child’s growth and development is very rewarding and we are thankful to be involved in the educational products industry. As a bonus when our kids were younger, we enjoyed including them in our product photoshoots, you literally see them grow up over the years with the catalogs. It’s bittersweet.
Why do you think people like working at your company?
Wood Designs is nothing without the amazing team of people we have working with us every day and we know it. We are proud to say that our management team has been with the company for an average of 11 years. We are not your typical company to work for and we are proud of that. We have several employee appreciation events throughout the year and lots of other fun surprises we plan. We all are united in our goal to make Wood Designs the best it can be.
What are you most proud of?
Ryan and I are most proud of our company culture, which is to say our people! I love to hear a dealer partner give a compliment regarding our customer service and sales team. I love to see how our team still puts in the extra effort when we receive a special request or urgent need. We firmly believe no other manufacturer will out effort the team at Wood Designs — we have heart.
How has EDmarket help you professionally?
EDmarket is a great networking tool by bringing together manufacturers, distributors, importers, dealers, and customers to one place where we can all learn from each other. When I was starting out in the industry, I found EDmarket (NSSEA then) to be a great way to build relationships with others in the industry. Some of my best memories are from the cruises and other get-togethers that were offered, many of my friendships within the industry are a direct result of those experiences.
How can EDmarket best serve the industry?
EDmarket is a link that keeps us all connected in a time when it is so easy to become more fragmented, distant, and virtual. Creating moments and experiences for our industry is why I am grateful for EDmarket.
What would you like to see EDmarket champion?
I think this industry is going through significant changes right now. Everybody knows that eLearning is growing daily, and no doubt AI tools and technologies will be growing in their impact on our educators and the children they teach. These are revolutionary types of technologies that likely shift the way education is handled and which will of course have an impact on the educational products marketplace. We all need EDmarket staying on the leading edge and providing good educational tools for the membership on this and other trends.
What advice would you give others in our industry?
Work hard, and stay committed. You will do well, this is a wonderful industry