Vermont Woods Studios
Vermont Woods Studios (VWS) is a retailer of Vermont-manufactured wood furniture, established in 2005.[1][2] The company markets and sells products online and from a showroom in Vernon, Vermont.[3]
Business
VWS sells furniture from several independent Vermont woodworking businesses, as well as from larger wholesale companies.[4] The company seeks to promote Vermont's custom furniture industry by unifying marketing efforts for its producers.[4] In a 2014 Vermont Life article, Steve Holman, a furniture maker from Dorset, Vermont, noted that Vermont's isolation from large markets represents a major business challenge, and that small producers rarely have time to manage their online presence adequately.[1] The company sells products under two models: it connects custom furniture makers with customers in exchange for a referral fee, and it directly retails furniture from wholesale producers.[5]
The company was established in 2005 by Peggy Farabaugh and her husband Ken, after Farabaugh lost her position at Tulane University in the aftermath of flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina.[6][2] Farabaugh drew up the business plan for a $20,000 grant competition; she did not win, but implemented the plan nonetheless.[7] The company took in approximately $800,000 in sales in 2010,[8] and grew by 35% between 2012 and 2014.[1]
The company's Vernon showroom is located in a circa 1790 farmhouse and former ski lodge, and features artworks from Vermont artists.[1] The building's renovation used primarily local materials, and was financed in part through a $100,000 grant from Vermont's Working Lands Enterprise Fund.[1][3] The showroom features large windows looking out onto a forest, intended to reflect the company's emphasis on using locally sourced wood.[4][3]
Social responsibility
VWS was a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, whose members seek to minimize the environmental impact of their products.[9] In keeping with Farabaugh's advocacy for rainforest conservation, the company's products are made with wood sourced from Vermont or neighboring states rather than internationally.[6]
Farabaugh has helped to plant trees in Central and South America.[10] In 2016, the company partnered with the Mexican nonprofit Forests for Monarchs for an educational tour of New England encouraging residents to plant milkweed to aid in butterfly conservation.[11]
The company's challenge to its employees to purchase only American-made holiday gifts was the subject of a 2011 segment on ABC's "Made in America" program.[12]
Lawsuit
In 2012, Farabaugh inadvertently used a photograph whose copyright she did not own in the course of a business transaction. In what Mitch Stoltz of the Electronic Frontier Foundation called a "bullying tactic", the copyright owner then sued the company for $150,000 in damages. The lawsuit was dropped, and then refiled, in 2014,[13] and settled out of court in July 2015.[14]
References
- ^ a b c d e Anderson, Bill (Autumn 2014). "The Ideal Setting". Vermont Life: 42. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved Jul 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Patel, Nina (March 14, 2013). "Furniture makers show 'made in the USA' pride". USA Today. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
- ^ a b c Faher, Mike (November 8, 2013). "Vernon business creates 'welcome center' in historic home". Brattleboro Reformer. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ a b c Schumake, Matt (Jul 5, 2014). "Mass Appeal for Master Craftsmen: Vermont Woods Studios". Woodworking Network. Retrieved Jul 5, 2016.
- ^ Sampson, William (July 2010). "Innovator: Peggy Farabaugh". FDMC Digital. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ a b Chiaravallo, Anthony (Jun 14, 2013). "Peggy Farabaugh, Founder Vermont Woods Studios". Conscious Connection Magazine. Retrieved Jul 5, 2016.
- ^ Todé, Chantal (Jun 2, 2006). "New Web Site Sees Light Through the Trees". DMN. Retrieved Jul 5, 2016.
- ^ Maltby, Emily (Sep 22, 2010). "Entrepreneurs Mixed on Small-Business Bill". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved Jul 5, 2016.
- ^ Floyd, Harry (May 18, 2015). "10 Best Places To Find Eco-Friendly Furniture When You're Trying To Be Green". Thought Catalog. Retrieved Jul 5, 2016.
- ^ Dunn, Laura (August 6, 2015). "Women in Business Q&A: Peggy Farabaugh, Owner and Operator, Vermont Woods Studios". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ Shaw, Maddi (Jun 24, 2016). "Monarch Butterflies get some local help". Brattleboro Reformer. Retrieved Jul 5, 2016.
- ^ Stilts, Josh (23 November 2011). "The power of consumers". Brattleboro Reformer. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ Audette, Bob (Aug 4, 2014). "Copyright lawsuit against Vermont Woods Studios dropped, refiled". VTDigger. Retrieved Jul 5, 2016.
- ^ Audette, Robert (Sep 18, 2015). "Vermont company settles suit with 'copyright troll'". The Brattleboro Reformer. Retrieved Jul 30, 2017.
- Lerner, Benjamin (Feb 6, 2022). "Natural Beauty", Vermont Magazine. Retrieved March 22, 2022.