Woodcraft retail stores trace their history to the late 1920's, to a small one-room shop in Boston's North End, where a small store began providing area cabinetmakers with the kinds of essential tools they could not find elsewhere. Woodcraft stores have continued to supply the specialized tools needed by professional woodworkers and skilled craftsmen and hobbyists. Woodcraft’s comprehensive retail selection of woodworking tools and equipment is now one of the nation's largest and most versatile. Woodcraft is not just committed to quality woodworking tools and supplies, but we are firmly committed to the education of woodworkers, equipping them to achieve the best results possible. Woodcraft teaches over 13,000 classes a year to a little over 50,000 students.
Woodcraft customers appreciate the value of purchasing quality woodworking
products. As a Woodcraft Franchisee, you will join with our existing
stores, Internet, and catalog for tremendous buying power. Woodcraft
Supply acts as your warehouse, importer, supplier and distribution center,
allowing you to concentrate on your store. You will also be a direct
distributor of the major tool manufacturers like Delta, Porter-Cable,
DeWalt, Jet, Powermatic, Fein, Festool, Steel City, Rikon and many more.
Woodcraft Supply, LLC is also the exclusive United States distributor
of Pfeil® SwissMade® carving
tools, arguably the finest quality tools in the world. In addition, you
will sell premium proprietary products such as tools, finishes, and other
supplies under the WoodRiver and Pinnacle labels. In fact, our product
development managers are constantly looking for new items either to introduce,
or
to have manufactured for Woodcraft.
In 1928, George Eaton and Richard Merrill opened a
one-room shop in Boston, Massachusetts. They began their business life by selling
new and rebuilt industrial woodworking
machinery to professional cabinet makers and schools. Woodcraft's business remained
primarily in the second-hand woodworking equipment field for many years, through
the 30's and 40's. By the 50's Woodcraft was a dealer of Boice Crane Bench Machines,
and also took on the Rockwell Delta product line. Woodcraft's first hand tool
catalog and first retailer of the Marples hand tool line was a result of a meeting
with Wm. Marples & Son. In the 50's, Woodcraft founder George Eaton, launched
a limited mail order business offering tools made by Wm. Marples & Son, plus
a few from German manufacturers.
In 1962, Woodcraft was sold to Roger Wells.
In 1968, Woodcraft Supply moved to Woburn, Massachusetts, where the catalog business
was first operated out of a back room, until continued growth quickly forced
Woodcraft to build a full warehouse/office facility.
In 1972, Sam Ross founded
SBR, Inc. of Parkersburg, West Virginia and in 1987, SBR, Inc. bought Woodcraft.
Sam Ross is an avid woodworker who had been a customer of Woodcraft. He made
an offer to Roger Wells
which was accepted. Woodcraft's driving philosophy changed with the expansion
created using SBR experience in retail store operations. In 1988, Woodcraft began
opening new stores and the next year its warehouse merchandise
distribution and customer service operations relocated to Parkersburg,
West Virginia.
In 1991, Woodcraft offered its first credit card and in 1992, all offices were
moved to Parkersburg.
In 1993, Woodcraft fulfilled its quest for same-day shipping
and two-day delivery
to customers and bought the Mason & Sullivan clock catalog brand and inventory.
That same year, Woodcraft also bought 10 stores from Shopsmith, while adding
another two stores. In 1996, www.woodcraft.com was established and Woodcraft
became one of the first woodworking
companies to operate on the Internet.
In 1998, Woodcraft's 1st franchise store
opened. During the late 1990's, Woodcraft added eighteen franchised and three
corporate stores, which caused an increase in warehouse space to almost two acres.
When the franchise operation began, Woodcraft also bought The Woodworkers Club.
In 2000, the Hawaii store opened and Woodcraft moved its administrative
offices to its present location. By the end of 2001, there were 55 Woodcraft
stores and three Woodworkers Clubs across the U.S.
In 2006, Woodcraft's parent
company, SBR, Inc. merged with Fortune Brands, but Woodcraft remained under the
ownership of Sam Ross. Woodcraft changed its name from Woodcraft Supply Corp.
and Woodcraft Franchise Corporation to Woodcraft Supply, LLC and Woodcraft Franchise,
LLC respectively. Currently there are over 80 stores nationwide operating in
36 states including Hawaii; three stores remain corporately owned. Woodcraft
continues to supply a wide array of tools and supplies to woodworkers in 117
countries through retail outlets, by catalog and woodcraft.com. |