Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Huey.
Hi Alan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My wife Norma and I moved to Wake Forest NC from California in 2018. We relocated here so that we could stay close by our son, daughter-in-law and three grandchildren while they were growing up. Norma was disabled by a severe stroke in 2012 and couldn’t travel by herself any longer, so when the kids moved to Cary NC from California also in 2018 we made the decision to move here also. We have not regretted it for a second. We love the community here, our church, new friends and still being able to have our weekly family dinners.
I had always done woodworking as a hobby, starting when I was a teenager and kept it up as a side hustle throughout my career. My career was in agriculture primarily; including production of fresh organic produce, production processing, food products manufacturing and distribution. I directed operations for several companies including food processing operations, sales and marketing, and commercialization of products. I worked also in innovation and helped one company become an international powerhouse in the food business. Through the ups and downs of my work, I always used woodworking as a way to clear my head, settle the stress, and woodworking even became our sole source of income a couple of times when the career path took its twists and turns.
For the woodworking part, I make small things, mostly items turned on a wood lathe. Instant gratification and items that are beautiful and also utilitarian that people use and need, which makes sales of these items easier. The focus has been on luxury handmade writing pens, Pepper and Salt Mills, cutting boards, chess boards, bowls and small boxes. But I have also made furniture, repaired and refinished furniture, and made many things for our home. I continually expand my offerings and woodworking has become my full time occupation in the last year.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. The challenges in woodworking is that although useful wooden items are always in demand, the tastes for what is “current” and “fashionable” changes. Just like in any other industry, so finding the niche that is attractive to customers at any given time changes. Since I sell my work online, becoming proficient at the technology to make sure my items are found at all is sometimes a challenge. Fortunately, in my career in the the agricultural industries, I directed IT departments, and have a good background in sales and marketing. This has helped me greatly continue to improve my online visibility. Today with all of the developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), there is a whole new area of technology to learn while still being authentic and true to my standards of work.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in Utilitarian Wood Art, but also use other mediums for the items that I make. For instance, handmade wooden writing pen bodies can also be made from acrylic, resins, stone and shell. I utilize all of these mediums to make my luxury pens unique while focusing on extremely high quality components and one-of-a-kind pieces. For other items such as pepper mills, I utilize various wood species that are sometimes more on the exotic side, which creates unique pieces that stand out more that others that make similar items might make. I continue to perfect my craft, and like other areas of my life and career, continuous improvement, high quality, and customer service all drive my business to greater places. Word of mouth can make or break, and I don’t advertise, but my business grows. Though most of my sales are in the US, I have sold and shipped items into 16 countries all through online platforms. I have sold items at local shows from time to time too.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Trends always change, but somehow handmade wooden items continues to be in fashion, just the format might need to change to meet current customer demand. Sustainability will continue to become more front and center. For my production, I only utilize FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) sourced woods, plus, reclaimed wood from Urban downed trees, or storm damaged reclamation. That becomes part of the story behind the products. Plus giving back to the environment in my area of work is important. For each item that I sell, I donate to plant one tree through “One Tree Planted” which is an non-profit organization that assists with reforestation worldwide, however, I focus my “plantings” on the Appalachians because it is near where I live and work. I think as an industry, there will still be continued growth and demand for wood crafted items, because they are ultimately derived from a completely renewable resource.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ashwoodshops.com
- Instagram: @ashwoodshops
- Facebook: @ashwoodshops
- Twitter: @ashwoodshops
- Youtube: @ashwoodshops
