You know your lumber costs to the penny. Your machine time. Your finishing costs. But what does it cost to process an order from phone call to cut list? Most door shops have no idea.

Rerouted through Buffalo. Snow delays. Two-hour detour before setting up at WMS Toronto. Plans change.

A customer calls at 4:47 PM on a Friday. They need pricing for 200 shaker doors in three different sizes, two wood species, and would like to know exactly when they can expect delivery. Oh, and can you send them tracking information?

One of the most automated cabinet facilities in Northern America just opened, and as the best woodworking businesses do, it started in a garage. Shaun Fickes created Greyloch in 1991 as a passion project. Today, Shaun, his wife Dianne, and their four children have opened a 97,000 sq ft. shop. With a longtime dream realized and nothing but growth on the horizon, Greyloch has kept sight of their humble beginnings. They are managing to keep family and community at the center of all they do.

Today's job market has nearly every employer stumped. What more can I offer to attract quality employees? And how do I better retain the employees I have? Salaries and benefits are more competitive than ever, but it just doesn't seem to be enough. Why is that? A new generation controls the majority in the workplace and they are placing value in different areas than the generations before.

Have a product line and stick with it. You can't be everything to everybody. Specialize and dominate that area of the market rather than spreading yourself too thin. Have a product with a system that is predictable, reliable, and accurate.

Business is good in the woodworking industry. Maybe even “too good” for those feeling the pressures of keeping up with demand, in a very challenging time for supply chains. Door sales are through the roof? Great! If only they weren’t ordering so much white oak. (Did your rep just call and say it's going up, again?) How are you going to keep taking on jobs when MDF is nowhere to be found? We’re all in this together: thankful for the work, yet struggling to keep up. In that context, It can be tempting to turn on autopilot and stop innovating.