Page 34 - CMA PROfiles Winter 2018
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THE FALL "ROAD SHOW"
THE FALL
Road Show
A TASTE OF LONG ISLAND AND THE BIG APPLE
Our two-day regional event in New York October 5-6 was
The CMA has been hosting packed with great site tours and networking opportunities.
regional events since 1998 We began Day 1 with a stop at Premium Woodworking.
as a means of connecting Premium is a small operation with three to four employees
similar-sized shops around (based on the season and workloads); it does commercial work
North America to share but is considering expanding into residential work. We toured
its new building, bought a year ago, and enjoyed hearing the
best practices and business story of owner Neil Persaud.
acumen. Although they A native of Guyana, Persaud originally studied mechanical
are dubbed “regional," engineering in school and then went to work for Lear. He hated
these events typically draw it, so he went back to school for another degree so he could
attendees from across the change gears and get into woodworking. Persaud worked
in another woodworking shop as a project manager before
country as well as Canada. starting his own business; he told us that he’s very happy with
his decision and loves coming in every day because it doesn’t
This fall, events brought feel like work.
CMA members to both New We also visited Roberts Plywood, a family business with an
York and Pennsylvania. amazing inventory of exotic hardwoods. Owner Norm Roberts
told us “this business is about relationships,” and we couldn’t
agree more.
32 PROFILES WINTER 2018
