Bob Tewksbury of Southern Oregon Sash and Woodworking has been in the business for 21 years. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven)HOMEGROWN
Business: Southern Oregon Sash & Woodworking
Owner: Bob Tewksbury
Age: 45
Address: 14891 Hoerster Lane, Rogue River
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Employees: one
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one in a weekly series of profiles on locally owned and operated businesses in Southern Oregon.
What do you do and how long have you been doing it?
I make custom wooden windows and doors and have been doing it for 21 years.
How long have you lived in the Rogue Valley?
I've lived in the Rogue Valley for 11 years and moved here from Santa Rosa, Calif.
What inspired you to go into this line of work?
My uncle did woodworking. Even though he was a dentist, he made his own furniture and built his own house. I liked going to his house when I was younger to see what he had done. I thought I wanted to make furniture but ended up serving in a four-year wood window- and door-making apprenticeship.
What decision or action would you change if you could do it again?
I'd do a better job of self-promotion. I relied too much on the phonebook and word of mouth. I should have made my businesses more visible.
What's the toughest business decision you've made?
The biggest hurdle is finding high-quality wood. What is coming out of the lumber yards, even high-end material from Beavertooth Oak, is often no good for me, because I need wood from a bigger-diameter tree. People will resaw wood from old beams from buildings being torn down. I'll put off a particular job if I don't have the materials, rather than just making do. But I almost always find what I need.
Who are your competitors?
None directly, because it's a real niche business. Swift Cabinet & Millwork in Medford also makes windows and doors. Most companies rarely use solid wood. It's usually veneer-covered particle board or scrap pieces of wood jointed together. I also do it the traditional way using joinery and true divided lites. I don't do a grid in a multi-pane window — there is wood dividing each piece of glass, which most of the big boys don't do. They're not going to use walnut, cherry or madrone, they have a couple different wood species and that's it.
How do you define success for your business?
I enjoy meeting people and working with people on their homes. Most people say can you do this, and I say, "Yes, definitely." The word "custom" in our world has gone down a notch or two in the last generation.
What are your goals?
To better reach the people who would be interested in my type of work. It's difficult to measure how much I do. This seems to be the year of a lot of little jobs — four or five jobs a month. Two years ago, one job took an entire year in Ashland, including windows and interior and exterior doors. I did a few small jobs here and there, but with the rest I told them that it would have to wait and most did.
What training or education did you need?
A four-year apprenticeship with Sebastopol Window Co. in Sonoma County. It took in everything from selecting proper wood to milling to all of the finish work. I felt ready to go after that.
What's your advice for budding entrepreneurs?
Figure out your niche or area of expertise and then go after the clients that fit your style.
To suggest an idea for this column, contact reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail business@mailtribune.com
