BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Gat Creek furniture has finished a major expansion that took two and a half years to complete, and expanded its West Virginia facility by 40 percent.

Gat Creek is a solid wood, American-made furniture factory that makes products in a range of contemporary and traditional styles. The company, which is an FDMC 300 listed company, ranking #211, offers 240 designs that are made-to-order in four wood species, sixty-four finishes, and several hardware options. Each piece is personally signed and dated by the builder. The Company is a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and holds Silver Exemplary status.

The company, and its founder and CEO, Gat Caperton, have believed in the concept of "USA-made" -- essentially an American Renaissance -- from day one. “When I bought the company 30 years ago and determined to build 100% in America, folks in the industry looked at me as though I was crazy,” Caperton said. “Today, people have rediscovered an appreciation for American manufacturing and what makes us different and better.”

The main difference is accountability, according to Caperton. “When you live and work in the same place you are accountable for what you do. You are responsible for doing what’s right for the environment, what’s right for the consumer, and what’s right for employees because we look them in the eye every day. Someone across the world isn’t accountable for any of that.”

That deeply held belief fueled the multi-year project and included a hefty investment in technology. The technology, Caperton explained, takes on repetitive, mindless work and will help the factory double capacity while freeing up Gat Creek’s builders to focus on what matters — the art and beauty of their products.

For everyone in the Gat Creek family, the effects of the expansion may feel like a renaissance. “Customers, dealers, and designers will see more choices and even faster delivery, employees have a clean, safe modern place to work and the region will benefit from the growth,” Caperton
said. “It takes a lot of capital to build furniture in America, but we can be competitive thanks to the technology. Maybe it’s impossible to get back to where this industry once was, but it sure feels nice that the pendulum is swinging back.”