Custom woodworkers are envisioned as relatively small companies that m
anufacture a vast array of wood products to individual or other compan
y specifications. Only recently have suppliers singled out this market
segment. This paper reports on 168 custom woodworkers who responded t
o a survey designed to characterize these companies by number of emplo
yees, geographic location, products manufactured, space requirements,
wage rates and benefits provided, distribution channels, business and
production costs, and educational interests. Interestingly, 20 percent
of the respondents were sole proprietorships and another 54 percent h
ad only 1 through 10 employees. These companies were concentrated in s
tates with high populations. Cabinets were the most common product man
ufactured. Other products included millwork, furniture, and many other
items. Small companies had much larger space requirements per employe
e than larger ones. Average hourly wage rates for 1992 were $6.08 for
unskilled labor, $8.37 for semi-skilled, and $12.15 for skilled crafts
men. Benefits were comparable to those provided by other types of smal
l businesses. Products were sold mostly to homeowners, commercial inst
itutions, builders, dealers, and other wood manufacturing companies. S
maller companies tended to sell more to homeowners while larger compan
ies sold more to builders, dealers, and other wood manufacturers. Larg
e differences existed in the dollar value of any particular company's
raw materials, goods in process, finished goods, and value of tools. S
everal companies reported leasing equipment. Well over one-half of the
companies reported attending at least one educational program during
the year. The largest percentage of respondents indicated that they wo
uld like more educational opportunities on how to promote, market, and
sell more products.