High Point Frame Maker Responds Quickly with CNC
Cecil-Johnson AXYZ 5010 person.jpg

Photo By Cecil & Johnson Manufacturing

Cecil & Johnson Manufacturing Inc. is on the right route to manufacturing. Founded in 1979 by Richard Cecil and Tommy Johnson, and owned since 1994 by Richard Pokrivka, the High Point, NC-based company makes wood frames for upholstered furniture.

“What sets us apart as a company is that we are very responsive to our customer’s needs. If a client needs short orders on quick turnaround, we can do that. That can mean a customer needs one or two frames on a two-day turnaround, ready to ship. It is the nature of our business,” said Pokrivka. “My customers like it. They get what they want when they need it.”

A stable of 10 CNC routers is part of the game plan and key to the company’s ability to produce a wide range of frame styles quickly. “We bought our first router 20 years ago and have been adding a machine every year to 2-1/2 years since,” said Pokrivka. “Our second router purchase was with AXYZ and every one after that has been with the company, too.

High Point, NC, furniture framemaker Cecil & Johnson Manufacturing has a stable of 10 CNC routers.

“My background included four years in the Air Force and electronics and eight years fixing automotive diagnostic equipment.  It was a no-brainer decision to purchase CNC equipment to get the job done,” added Pokrivka, who said he had not been involved in woodworking prior to buying the company.

Pokrivka said the CNC routers are affordable and user friendly. “I can run three machines, each running different parts instead of one machine running just one part. This way I feel I keep three of my customers happy versus just one of them.”

In addition to the 10 routers, Pokrivka had high praise for a Holzma panel saw, which he called part of the integral process. The facility occupies 22,000 square feet and Cecil & Johnson Manufacturing employs 26 people.

Frame Fabrication

“We work with a variety of hardwoods, including birch and maple, which cut well and produce a precise and exact piece,” Pokrivka said.
Clients are from High Point or other parts of North Carolina. “The work we do is proprietary to my customers. What is done here belongs to the manufacturer. We don’t display what we do.

Cecil & Johnson's wood frames are all CARB compliant.

“We run 3,000 to 5,000 parts for different frames. We might do 5,000 of one, but the orders are in varying amounts, such as 20, 50 or 1000. My customers like that we have the production setup we have. They can get what they want, when they need it,” Pokrivka said.

“Our machines are very dependable pieces of equipment. They also are so user friendly that I can hire new people and teach them how to run the CNC routers in as little as an hour,” he added.

All of the wood frames produced by Cecil & Johnson Manufacturing are CARB compliant. “We believe it is important to be CARB compliant. Even though it is not yet mandated outside of California, we anticipate that is coming,” said Pokrivka.

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About the author
Jo-Ann Kaiser

Jo-Ann Kaiser has been covering the woodworking industry for 31+ years. She is a contributing editor for the Woodworking Network and has been writing the Wood of the Month column since its inception in 1986.