WEST RUTLAND, Vt. - Vermont woodworkers and wood products manufacturers voted in January to change their trade association name to the Vermont Wood Works Council to better represent the interests of Vermont’s diverse woodworking community.
The name change, approved by the membership at the organization’s annual meeting, was the result of many months of work by the board and a marketing committee to develop a name that meets the needs of small, mid-sized and large wood product makers in Vermont.
“We believe Vermont Wood Works Council best reflects our organization’s mission to promote quality, craftsmanship and community within Vermont’s diverse and talented woodworking community,” said Board Chairman Brent Karner. The board contemplated several names and tested some within the industry by asking for feedback from business members in the woodworking community. “This new name better represents all of our member companies, the diversity and quality of the products being made in our state, and the programming our members want.”
The board has spent the past year working on a strategic plan to reinvigorate the trade organization and has created new committees to improve member benefits. At the annual meeting, members heard from the association’s four new committees: Marketing, Networking & Education, Policy, & Membership.
• The policy committee presented the 2017 Annual Report, which highlights the Local Wood, Local Good Summit held in May 2017 with the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) and the Working Land Enterprise Board (WLEB) Forestry Committee as well as participation in a Forest Industry Communications Task Force and a Local Wood, Local Good Action Team with VSJF. The annual report is available for download at www.vermontwood.com.
• The membership committee shared a new dues structure for companies that desire to make quarterly payments over the year. Members that had been members for 10 years and 20 years or more were recognized for their dedication and support. 20 year members include: Bob Gasperetti ~ Furniture Makers, Brown Novelty Co., Inc., C.E. Bradley Laboratories, Inc., Copeland Furniture, Currier Farms Forest Products, Dick Walker Sawmill, Etc., Ghostwriters Communications, Inc., J. K. Adams Company, Inc., Maple Landmark, Inc., Neudorfer, Inc., ShackletonThomas, Smead Woodcraft, VT Agency of Commerce and Community Dev., VT Dept. of Forests, Parks & Recreation, Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC), and Vermont Hardwoods.
• The Networking committee gave a review of 2017’s successful woodworking mixers, which included shop tours, giveaways, tool demos, local food and drink, and networking. The next mixer, one of six planned for 2018, will be at Vermont Hardwoods in Chester on March 23, 2018. Information is available on the website to attend.
The Council announced its annual Woodworking and Friend of Industry awards. Dustin Glasscoe, owner of Vermont Farm Table in Bristol, Vermont, won the 2017 Vermont Woodworker of the Year Award. Dustin, son of Buddy Glasscoe of Timberwolf Designs in North Carolina, was tutored in his dad’s workshop as a young boy. In 2009, he established Vermont Farm Table in Bristol, which has grown rapidly since then. Reclaimed wood, which makes up about 50 percent of the business, earned Glasscoe the Vermont Retail Association’s Greentailer of the Year award in 2013. He doubled his sales in 2017 and is planning to double again in 2018, and is currently hiring. Dustin states, “Our team is incredibly honored and grateful for this recognition. As you can imagine, we admire all VT woodworkers and their passion for the craft. Let’s all keep up the great work!”
Visit www.vermontfarmtable.com to learn more.
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