Headquartered in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., Caperton Furnitureworks manufactures personalized, built-by-hand furniture.

Gat Caperton says although imported products continue to have a presence in the furniture market, "more retailers are realizing the cost of what an import program requires," he explains. "They are seeing the real value to a domestically produced product, customization and customer service. Overall, there's actually less pressure from the imports than there was a few years ago."

But, the president and CEO of Caperton Furnitureworks notes even with less import pressure, the retail industry is still difficult. "More retailers are struggling these days," he says. "In the industry, about 6 percent of products get bought online and 6 to 7 percent of the business has gone to catalog retailers. Our traditional retail customers have lost between 10 and 15 percent of the market for doing nothing wrong."

Headquartered in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., Caperton Furnitureworks manufactures personalized, built-by-hand furniture. It has worked primarily with independent retailers, many for several years. "Most of our customers have long-term relationships with us," Caperton says. "We have real partnerships. In the last two years, however, we have grown our business through new channels, working with larger regional and national retailers on a limited scale."

Preserving Tradition
The core of the company, Caperton says, is still based in tradition. Caperton grew up in West Virginia and spent his childhood around trees and mountains. This setting impacted his future business, he says.

In 1996, Caperton purchased a small furniture company called Tom Seely, specializing in antique reproductions. "The Tom Seely line makes up about 75 percent of the Caperton Furnitureworks business," Caperton explains. "It has a 50-year history, which we're really proud of."

Also under the Caperton Furnitureworks umbrella is the Gat Creek line, which launched about six years ago. Caperton says Gat Creek is a more straightforward furniture line, with linear and clean designs. "It's also the fastest-growing line we carry," he adds. Gat Creek pays respect to traditional styles, but isn't traditional furniture. Caperton says the furniture has the quality of antiques, but with clean and uncomplicated lines. It still maintains the warmth of wood, but in a more straightforward design.
The Joe Ruggiero line has a more urban and eclectic feel. It is the newest line, and also a fast-growing collection.

"It's really helped us move into the contract and design market," Caperton explains. "[Designer Joe Ruggiero] has a nice eye for design and a cool, eclectic feel, which has been popular with designers and retailers."

The company continuously develops new products and styles under each brand. Caperton says the company's customization capabilities allow it to continuously design new pieces.

"We are a prolific developer here," he notes. "We have a long docket of pieces we've done on a one-off basis that we've eventually moved into our main product line. We get out, talk to customers and generate a lot of ideas that way."

Each furniture brand is focused on a different target customer; however, all are built in the same plant and to the same standards. Caperton says each piece is built-to-order within 28 days. "All of our pieces can be made from multiple woods and finishes, so we really customize it," he explains. "Every piece is 100 percent domestically built. We have a very lean and solid operation."

Caperton Furnitureworks manufactures its products at a 100,000-square-foot facility in West Virginia. It also contracts with about 30 independent workshops in West Virginia, Ohio and Delaware. "A couple of our workshops are run by Amish folks who don't have phones," Caperton explains. "So, we drive up to them, drop off lumber and orders, and pick up the finished pieces."

The company uses an apprentice system to train its builders. "Before working for us directly, most of our Mennonite and Amish builders work within an existing workshop for six to 12 months," Caperton explains. "They graduate into building some of our simpler pieces first [and then]move up to more difficult pieces as their skills grow. We use a similar system within our West Virginia shop."

To emphasize the handcrafted aspect of the furniture, each piece of furniture is signed and dated by the builder. "We have one person who specializes in one type of furniture; there's no production line," Caperton says. "It's a very personal approach. Each builder has their own card with their picture on it, and they write a note to the customer and thank them for the order."

Although pieces are custom-built, Caperton Furnitureworks carries a week's worth of finished parts and turns its inventory about 10 times a year - "three times faster than the average furniture manufacturer," Caperton says.

The company has grown steadily in the last few years, and earned several awards for its finishing facility. "We've been recognized for the pollution control, emission reduction and other environmentally aware aspects of our manufacturing operations," Caperton explains. "For years, we've been involved in environmentally sound practices, but recently our efforts have become more formal. We take sustainability and conservation seriously.

"All our wood is sustainably harvested," he continues. "We take a very holistic approach to manufacturing. We provide good healthcare and good wages to our people, we use sustainable materials and we strive to minimize our impact on the environment."

Caperton Furnitureworks is a member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, a group of retailers and manufacturers allied to promote environmentally sustainable products and practices.

In the coming years, the company's goal is "to sell more furniture and do it with fewer resources," Caperton says. "We look for ways to grow the company, while reducing our impact on the environment. It's a fundamental goal to produce more, provide more for those who work here and do it in a smart way. That's the core of what we do."  F+I