WAYNESVILLE, N.C. — Reports show the lumber issues we saw earlier this year — shortage of supply, high demand and skyrocketed prices — are starting to taper off a bit for parts of the country.
What You Need To Know
Mike Juett is a co-owner of Winchester Woodworks
Juett has been woodworking for more than three years
Juett was mentored and taught the craft by longtime woodworker Allen Davis
Mike Juett, a woodworker in Waynesville, is happy to see things starting to return to some sort of normalcy for business. He co-owns Winchester Woodworks, a woodworking business specializing in making craft bowls, cutting boards, pens and wine stoppers.
The art of woodworking is a hard-learned craft, but Juett considers it therapy. Though, he never expected to be in this kind of business he started in three years ago. It's interesting how he got here.
Juett and his wife were looking for a log cabin to retire to in North Carolina at the time. He had gotten out of his business in Florida and was ready to take on the next chapter of life. When they found a cabin in Waynesville, they fell in love with, they bought it and the several acres around it. The man they bought the property and land from remained in the area; he had a wood workshop just downhill from Juett's cabin.
"I started coming up to the shop every day and asked him questions about how's this work at the cabin and what have you," Juett said. "So in the process, I saw what he was doing making bowls and all this wood stuff, and I said 'man, this is pretty cool, I like this,' and he asked me if I wanted to learn, I said 'yeah, of course I do.'"
It was Allen Davis who taught him the craft. He eventually even sold Juett the woodshop on one condition.
"Was that he be able, as long as he's physically able, to come up and work at the woodshop." Juett said. "Of course, he has been my mentor, my teacher.”
Now, they're the best of friends. Even their wives are the best of friends. Davis is the original owner of Winchester Woodworks. They went into business together shortly after Juett moved to WNC.
Business is booming for the artisans.
"Lately has been pretty crazy," Juett said. "We have a lot of products at the various guild shops around the state and some out of the state, and right now we don't have any inventory.”
It's good to see after the pandemic really hurt business in different ways even after the shutdown. Supply and demand issues caused some headaches for woodworkers everywhere.
"The availability, the workers that was one of the big issues, the workers not being available to to handle the processing of the wood, of the shipping, all that," Juett said.
They never ran out of wood though because Juett was able to use his own lumber from his property. They also work with saw mills and cabinet makers to get their wood scraps. Juett said now prices are going back down, are more reasonable, and more wood is available.
Each item they make is unique.
"There's no way you could possibly make exactly the same product," Juett said. "It's one of a kind.”
Juett and Davis sell much of their work at guild shops and galleries, but they also have an online website you can find here.