SOUTH AMANA, IA - For Krauss Furniture, it's a truly Black Friday. After 52 years of building fine furniture in the Amana Colonies, the owners of nationally known furniture firm have decided to permanently close the doors on its manufacturing operation and retail store. Wears Auctioneering has been selected to offer the entire contents of the remaining equipment and hardwood lumber inventory.
In February of 2008, Krauss Furniture originally closed, but still accepted custom orders. The permanent closure was attributed to economic hardship, lack of tourism in the Amana Colonies area, and rising costs. Founded in 1956, at it's high point Krauss Furniture employed 20 and did more than $1 million in business.
Chris Myers, son-in-law of owner Virginia Hoppe, who had worked in all aspects of Krauss Furniture for the last 25 years, now builds furniture independently in his own 1,500-square-foot shop with wife, Ginger, who assists in the hand finishing.
Hoppe maintains ledgers at home to index all Krauss Furniture built in the past 52 years, (over 70,000 pieces). Work was mainly in walnut, cherry and red oak, with wood hand selected and pieces built with mortise and tenon construction, sometimes, double tenon in the construction of each piece.
On sale Friday Nov. 26 are all fine woodworking tools hand power tools and furniture making equipment; a Delta 12" disc and 6x 48 belt single phase 220v sander. On Saturday, Nov. 27 thousands of board feet of 4/4 to 16/4 hardwood
walnut, cherry, oak lumber are being sold, plus thousands of wood components (turnings, chair rungs, chair legs, backs and thousands of furniture patterns. On the final say of the sale, Nov. 28, store inventory, hardware and wood pulls, hinges, and original Krauss Furniture blueprints will be sold.
The store is closed but the Craftsman, Chris Myers, is still creating the fine handcrafted furniture he has always made.
Read more wood manufacturing industry news>>
In February of 2008, Krauss Furniture originally closed, but still accepted custom orders. The permanent closure was attributed to economic hardship, lack of tourism in the Amana Colonies area, and rising costs. Founded in 1956, at it's high point Krauss Furniture employed 20 and did more than $1 million in business.
Chris Myers, son-in-law of owner Virginia Hoppe, who had worked in all aspects of Krauss Furniture for the last 25 years, now builds furniture independently in his own 1,500-square-foot shop with wife, Ginger, who assists in the hand finishing.
Hoppe maintains ledgers at home to index all Krauss Furniture built in the past 52 years, (over 70,000 pieces). Work was mainly in walnut, cherry and red oak, with wood hand selected and pieces built with mortise and tenon construction, sometimes, double tenon in the construction of each piece.
On sale Friday Nov. 26 are all fine woodworking tools hand power tools and furniture making equipment; a Delta 12" disc and 6x 48 belt single phase 220v sander. On Saturday, Nov. 27 thousands of board feet of 4/4 to 16/4 hardwood
walnut, cherry, oak lumber are being sold, plus thousands of wood components (turnings, chair rungs, chair legs, backs and thousands of furniture patterns. On the final say of the sale, Nov. 28, store inventory, hardware and wood pulls, hinges, and original Krauss Furniture blueprints will be sold.
The store is closed but the Craftsman, Chris Myers, is still creating the fine handcrafted furniture he has always made.
Read more wood manufacturing industry news>>
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