Page 26 - CMA PROfiles Winter 2018

20
Anniversar 20 YEARS 20 YEARS 20TH ANNIVERSARY THE VERY VERSATILE WOODWORKER
GOING
GOING
th
STRONG
Anniversar
STRONG
Celebrating
Celebrating
1998 2018
1998 2018

The very versatile woodworker

In addition to running his business, Downs writes about running
a business. He began his writing career via The New York Times’
In March, CMA members are set “You’re The Boss” blog, and is the author of Boss Life: Surviving

to gather for our 20th Anniversary My Own Small Business, published in 2015 by Blue Rider Press.
He currently blogs on forbes.com.
Conference in Denver, and we’re
excited that the multi-talented Paul THE VERY PICKY CUSTOMER
When we asked Downs about the writing side of his work, he
Downs will be our keynote speaker. shared one of his favorite posts written for “You’re the Boss.”
To give you a taste of Downs’ perspective on running a small,
In anticipation of his keynote craftsmanship-f0cused business and his talent at extracting les-

appearance, we’re happy to introduce sons (and great discussions) from his experiences on the job, we
him in the pages of the Winter issue. thought we’d share a bit of the story he tells in “The Very Picky
Customer” and the follow-up post.

To set the scene: A woman called Downs’ shop one day with
pointed questions and an air of challenge in her voice. After
While Paul Downs has only one line on his résumé, he has a
wide variety of skills gained in the 30 years he has been running asking to speak to Downs specifically, she told him about her
his business. After getting an engineering degree from the research on the work of one of his competitors, as he recounted
University of Pennsylvania, he began making custom furniture in in his post:
1986 in a small shop in Philadelphia. These days, his Bridgeport, “I went to visit their factory,” she continued, “and I was very
PA-based company, Paul Downs Custom Conference Tables, disappointed with their work. Very, very disappointed. Is
works with clients ranging from individuals and small businesses your work good?”
to Fortune 500 companies, all branches of the military and
foreign governments. Now, that’s kind of a rude question. When you walk into a
restaurant, do you ask the hostess, “Does your food taste
The company specializes in large conference tables and creden-
zas, mostly for commercial clients, but Downs and his staff take good or is it going to make me vomit?”
on a few residential jobs every year, too. What could I possibly say except, “Yes, I believe our work is

“We grew from me and some cheap tools to 19 highly skilled as good as any of my competitors.” Which, as far as I have
craftspeople, an array of the most modern computer-controlled seen, is true. I get out in the world now and then and look at
equipment, and a 33,000-square-foot shop,” Downs writes in a other people’s products. What I see is consonant with my
letter on his website. “But some things never change: the best own experience of running a factory. In the world of custom
furniture is made one piece at a time with skilled hands and love fabrication, people get what they pay for, with the occasion-
of the craft.” al deviation from the norm, for better and for worse.

24 PROFILES WINTER 2018