At the top of his list is his membership in the Architectural Woodwork Institute. He says he can instill confidence in potential clients because he follows AWI Standards. He also is active in his local chapter and involves his entire workforce.

For example, when the Florida chapter held a business learning seminar in Orlando, Vaida invited attendees to a family-style cookout at his manufacturing facility, and his crew did all the cooking. The event had a beach party theme, with "The History of Surf Boards by Surf-Daddy-O" as the centerpiece. While Vaida attended the seminar and meetings, his employees set up the decorations and cooked a scrumptious meal.

Vaida says he deeply values the family-like relationship he has developed with his small group of eight employees. "At the core of my group are some guys who have been with the company between five and seven years. We are close in age and have similar values," he says.

An award-winning project that showcased JFV's veneer capabilities was the Chapman Root II home in Florida. The home's living room features a ceiling canopy in quartered ash, a fireplace surround in maple burl and handrails with panels that are quartered ash.

Vaida even counts three dogs that "work" at JFV Designs as contributing a valuable element to the close family atmosphere at work, including his English setters, Bean and Zo, and Julie, an Australian shepherd who belongs to the shop's finisher. The dogs have a routine, Vaida says, starting their workday gathered around the front office, where they are given treats. When it is time for lunch, they can be found around the table making friends and looking for handouts. When there is a party, they really know how to work the crowd, Vaida adds.

Meeting a Need for Veneer Work

The team that Vaida has assembled represents the backbone of his 15-year-old company. Vaida says he started JFV Designs because he identified a need in the Orlando market for high-end custom residential and commercial veneer work. So, he set up his company with an in-house veneer department.

His veneer expertise subsequently earned him a prestigious local commission - the Chapman Root II house in Ormand Beach, FL, which provided the opportunity to showcase the company's capabilities. The job features a living room fireplace screen of maple burl and a canopy of quartered ash, plus a kitchen with quartered maple and quartered bird's-eye maple.

Another element in Vaida's formula for success is his marketing insight. He enters his most excellent work in various design competitions and has won several awards for the company. The work on the Chapman Root II house earned a 1997 Honors Award from the American Institute of Architects, as well as two CWB Design Portfolio Awards. It also was featured on the cover of Interior Design.

The owners of this home wanted a room with the feel of an Old-World, English-style pub. JFV Designs used distressed, glazed maple for the wall panels, coffered ceiling and casework.

"After 9/11, the demand for commercial work dropped off for a while and our residential clients sustained us," he says. "It tends to work that way - commercial and residential demands have an ebb and flow, which tend to run in cycles that are counter to each other."

At the commercial end, the standard requests are for custom conference tables, veneered panels, case goods and specialty furniture. The company's high-end veneer capabilities have brought some interesting projects from both market sectors.

For example, JFV Designs has been asked to do the veneer work and interior finish for a private yacht being commissioned at Huckins Boat Co. of Jacksonville, FL. Huckins is one of the oldest continuously family-owned boat builders in America and was responsible for developing the P.T. boat at the beginning of World War II.

Also in the works is a project to do the interior panels for a custom coach manufacturer in the Orlando area. "The designer for the job contacted us because there are weight issues that we could address. We are using honeycomb panels that are super-light," says Vaida.

JFV Designs worked closely with the Altamonte Springs Police Department in the design of this desk for its Emergency Operations Center. While the piece was designed for functionality, it also is beautiful in appearance, featuring a leather edge and trimmed with quilted makore and quartered cherry veneers.

Another client with exacting requirements is Full Sail Academy, which commissioned JFV to do casework for its recording studios. Another stunning project was an entertainment center for an executive in the airline industry; it was designed to look much like the interior of an airplane, with an entertainment piece that resembles an airplane's wing.

"Most of the business comes from members of AWI," Vaida says, hearkening back to the importance of his business relationships. "We also get business from people who have seen our product after it has been installed" - a nice reflection of the company's expertise.