Long overdue for replacement, Tim Haley, son of the original Captain Jack Haley, mentioned it was time for new dining chairs for the restaurant. The ones currently in use for the last 25 years were purchased at a fire sale.
I immediately came up with a concept in keeping with the nautical theme of the restaurant, a design never before done and exclusive to the restaurant.
Now, the problem was finding someone to manufacture 120 chairs that would be produced at a reasonable price.
First try: foreign producers
The only obvious answer was that these would have to be made in China, or Indonesia, the Philippines or India.
I made an appointment with a couple who was producing abroad and discussed the possibilities with them. I was warned about the inconsistency of products coming from China.
The people I contacted told me that the model might be done very well, but that the actual order could be something completely different and after waiting 16 weeks you might end up with a product that was unacceptable, as so many things coming out of China.
I tried another foreign manufacturer, the price was ridiculously high. I tried two or three manufacturers in Mexico. My thought was that I could always meet with them in their factory—Mexico is close—but again the price came back being much too high.
Logic also dictated that even though they quoted eight weeks to produce all 120 chairs, this was never going to happen.
Eight weeks can easily turn into eight months with foreign producers.
On second thought
The thought occurred that maybe, since the economy is in the toilet, cabinetmakers or woodworkers would jump at the chance to produce a nice size order, so I began phoning local cabinetmakers and to my amazement, I did not get a phone call back or they were unable to handle the project. I was told by one that the cost would be around $700 dollars for each one.
Next step was to call the Furniture Manufacturers Guild in North Carolina, long faded from its glory days and well overshadowed by the garbage that was coming out of China. My thought was surely they can put me in touch with a chair manufacturer who can produce nautical chairs at a reasonable cost.
No such luck. That ship had sailed. The two or three fabricators I spoke to told me they were not set up for production.
The idea was dying fast. Would the cheap rattan chairs at Captain Jack’s last another 25-30 years? Was the only solution to buy some mass produced inferior product from a third world country. I was nervous to say the least. How do you control things when they are 10,000 miles away? What of the deposit money? Given a check, they could be gone or out of business and you would never see your merchandise appear.
What happened to us?
What happened to that good old can-do American spirit? We are suffering here. Businesses are closing. People are out of work and can’t find jobs. I want to give it to someone locally. I want to generate some jobs. I want the revenue to stay in the United States. I do not want to speak to Peggy in Sri Lanka when I have a question or a problem with my product. What happened to us?
Why do we accept things from foreign countries that we are much better qualified to produce here?
Why have we become the buyers of inferior foreign goods and accept it? We were the producers, we were the innovators, we manufactured. Why has a industry like furniture that we did so well been taken from us?
I was hitting a brick wall and couldn’t find what I needed. One more try on the Internet.
Yahtzee!
A local manufacturer
A local manufacturer of custom chairs in Los Angeles was able to duplicate my drawing into reality at a price I needed to be at in the time frame I needed to be (eight weeks). Beautiful little shop on Adams and the 405, nothing fancy, but the products were exceptionally well done. Close by, I could keep control. Very fancy high end goods they are used to producing but with the quantity the owner gave me a special price.
I had almost given up and I found it. Exactly what I needed, right here in the United States, right here in my own backyard.
