Bob and Cathy Hutson - Owners
You could say Bob Hutson works well with wood – and not just the kind you buy at the lumber store.
Hutson, who co-owns Windbreak Farm Wood Works in Fullarton, Ontario with his wife, Cathy, specializes in crafting heirloom-quality cabinetry, furnishings and kitchen accessories – the latter of which are as likely to be made from timber found on a forest floor as in the isles of your local Home Hardware.
“It you can imagine it, we can build it,” says Hutson, whose project portfolio includes such items as a solid Walnut display case, a cedar chest, and a gun cabinet. Those items are over and above the company staples; hand-crafted doors and window frames and more recently, bread boards fashioned from a combination of shop cut-offs, deadwood and reclaimed barn beams.
“Being environmentally conscious about the wood we’re using is a big thing for us,” Hutson continues, “and Some of the most beautiful boards come from that wood.”
Although clearly a passion for Hutson, woodworking is also a business; the former school teacher turned cabinet maker says he and his wife considered several models post-retirement and settled on woodworking as “the most viable option in front of us.
“We each had an idea about where the business would head,” Hutson explains. “Ultimately we decided to focus on woodworking. It was difficult, but we haven’t looked back.”
It was a decision that wasn’t taken lightly. The Hutsons quickly realized that Bob’s skill in the shop would need sales and marketing support to make Windbreak Farm a success – and Cathy stepped up to fill the void, starting with courses offered through the Stratford Perth Centre for Business.
“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about them,” she says of the team that works out of the Centre’s Albert St. offices. “I started with a small business course and have since taken two more.”
Cathy’s crash course in small business management proved to be all that Windbreak Farm needed to make a go of things; with Bob in the shop and Cathy in the office, the company has grown from start-up to going concern in just six short years.
“I just finished taking the centre’s social media course,” says Cathy, adding she hopes to give Windbreak Farms a home on the internet later this year and is even considering an eBay presence and a Facebook page for the company.
“The best part about all the free help we’re getting is that it’s good help. And who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that?”
To learn more about Windbreak Farm Wood Works, contact Bob or Cathy at (519) 229-6482. Perth Community Futures Development Corporation and the Stratford Perth Centre for Business are dedicated to helping local businesses succeed; call them toll free at 1-877-595-7570 to find out how they can help you.