Page 4 - CMA PROfiles Winter 2021

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Changing gears

Along with a new year, we’re kicking off a new theme: looking Our approach to technology also changed over time. I began
at “The Evolution of Business.” This is a concept that surely Dark Horse without much high-tech equipment. It would
resonates with any of us who have been at this for awhile. have been foolish to get into tremendous debt before I knew
Many small businesses are launched each year, and many don’t whether this new venture was going to stick. Even if I found out
make it. The ability to evolve is definitely one of the big factors in I was good at it, there was always the chance that I’d decide
whether you succeed or fail. You’ve got to be willing and able to owning a business wasn’t the right fit for me. We were about
recognize and acknowledge when things get off track or you’re eight years in before I decided it was time to make some big
tech investments.
stuck in a rut. Then you have to be willing to change gears.
First, we bought an edgebander in 2015. We were seeing an
In the CMA, we help each other by sharing our experiences, so increasing demand for high-gloss cabinetry, and to create
here’s a little background about how my business, Dark Horse these cabinets, you have to have Zero-Edge capability.
Woodworks, has evolved over the years.
The edgebander also enabled us to provide high quality
Dark Horse itself was the result of my professional life edgebanding services to other shops.
evolving. For 25 years, I worked day jobs in the technology In 2017, we bought a CNC, which is probably the most
and construction management industries; woodworking was game-changing piece of equipment for a cabinet shop. Before
something I did on the side. When I faced the fact that I enjoyed the machine even arrived, we’d already been using the CNC
my sideline a lot more than my full-time work, I worked up the software — a decision influenced by my interest in technology
nerve to go into business on my own. and my determination that this pricey piece of equipment would
Dark Horse Woodworks opened in 2007, and for the first not sit around idle while we figured it out.
few years, I was winging it, learning on the job. My previous The important thing about our evolution to becoming a more
professional experience was helpful, of course, but nothing can tech-driven shop is that we waited until we were ready — we
really prepare you for running your own show. were established and had a reliable stream of business, so these
Here are a few of the turning points in my business evolution: investments felt a lot less risky.
Our specialty — modern cabinetry — evolved as a result of In 2012, I found out about the Cabinet Makers Association, and
several unexpected twists and turns. When I started out, I wasn’t my decision to join was absolutely a turning point in Dark Horse
picky about the style of the jobs that came my way; I was happy Woodworks’ growth. I’ve written plenty about what we’ve
to have work, and early on that mostly involved traditional-style gotten out of our CMA involvement in this space, so I won’t go
cabinetry. Then my nephew came to me with a modern project into a lot of detail. However, I believe that an important part of
for his house in Dallas, TX. While I had never created modern evolving as a business is recognizing that you don’t have all the
cabinetry, I took it on and later posted photos on our website. answers and that you can learn from others.
Randomly, a retired Atlanta-area cabinetmaker I knew sent a Our Featured Shop profiles always offer up great stories about
friend to me. That client hired us, and the architect on the job the unique ways in which great shops have developed, and
happened to be one of the more talented modern architects we hope you’ll get even more valuable ideas from the 2021
in the city. The response to our work then led to more modern “Evolution of Business” series, which kicks off on page 20.
projects; now that’s all we do, and I love it. I think the takeaway
here is to be open-minded; you never know when circumstances
will push you in the right direction. Chris Dehmer

2 PROFILES WINTER 2021