Chris Dehmer re-elected president of Cabinet Makers Association Board

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Chris Dehmer (right) with fellow CMA members at the national conference in March

The Cabinet Makers Association’s Board of Directors has voted to give Dark Horse Woodworks’ Chris Dehmer a second term as president of the board. The CMA is the industry group for professional cabinet makers and woodworkers in the United States and Canada.

Before becoming president last July, Chris previously served as an at-large board member for two years and as vice-president for one year. 

He will serve with vice-president Ken Kumph of Premier Builders (Georgetown, MA), treasurer James Fox of Fox Woodworking (Phoenixville, PA) and secretary Gregory Paolini of Gregory Paolini Designs (Canton, NC). The Members‐at‐Large are Monika Soos of Sofo Kitchens (Maple Ridge, BC), Brian Clancy of Clancy Woodworking (Sherman, CT), and Matt Wehner of Cabinet Concepts by Design (Springfield, MO).

“It’s an honor to be trusted with another term as president,” Chris says. “We’re in the middle of an unprecedented situation for our country and our industry, and I know the Board is committed to working with Executive Director Amanda Conger to do whatever we can to support our members with ideas and resources, not to mention moral support and encouragement.” 

With industry meetings cancelled for the near future, he says it’s going to be important to make the most of the CMA’s forums and other ways to communicate at a distance. 

“Industry and CMA events offer such great opportunities to network and get to know other members, and I know I’m going to miss that. Nothing beats face-to-face time, but I hope we can come up with new ways to offer that kind of personal connection while meetings aren’t possible.”

A raucous meeting of the minds (no Zoom squares in sight)

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Long ago, in a world that now seems very far away, I got on a plane and flew to Chicago to meet up with my fellow Cabinet Makers Association members for our second national conference.

“2020 Vision” was held in early March at the Q Center, a former college campus outside Chicago that has been transformed into a conference center.

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The board kicked off day 1 of the conference.

My fellow board members and I arrived in time to lend a hand to the one person who made the conference possible: Our executive director Amanda Conger created this complicated event almost singlehandedly (which involves a crazy amount of work, of course). We were glad to be able to help welcome and register CMA members as they rolled in from across the country and visit with them at the opening reception.

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Helping out with registration and welcome duties was the best kind of “work” – it was great to talk with CMA members and start catching up with board members (James Fox, on the left) and ex-Presidents (Joe Knobbe, second from left).

The speaker lineup over the next two days was impressive and diverse, and like many of the other attendees I talked to, I came away with a lot of food for thought about how to improve the way I run Dark Horse Woodworks.

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Inova CEO Bucey (center) inspired everyone with his opening keynote.  

But I have to admit that no matter how exciting the speakers are, my favorite part of any CMA event is the chance to spend time with the close friends I’ve made and meet new people. So for me, our time registering new arrivals, hauling boxes, chatting at breakfast and lunch, riding the bus to the shop tours and mingling at our cocktail reception and dinner were the highlights.

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A lot of us have small shops, and we can go through our workdays only interacting with a few people (or none at all, depending on the day). It’s so great to get these opportunities to spend time with kindred spirits in the industry a few times a year, and I’m really glad that our 2020 Vision gathering squeaked through before the country began shutting down to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

Other events, such as the International Woodworking Fair in August, have already been canceled; it’s a pretty big challenge to bring in thousands of people from across the world to a huge venue and feel good about keeping everyone safe and healthy. 

It’s disappointing to miss a chance to gather again, but in the meantime, I’m keeping up with Amanda, the other board members and other CMA friends in all of the ways we’re used to connecting between events – Zoom meetings, “Hey, how do I fix [XYZ problem]?” texts and phone calls, and posts on the CMA forums. 

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Post-conference gathering with friends at the Q Center

The great thing about a strong community is that it hangs together even when times get tough, and time and distance stretch on. In a year that has brought quite a few challenges, I’m grateful to be part of such a supportive “village.”

~ Chris Dehmer

 

 

Chris Dehmer speaking at major industry show in Las Vegas

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Dark Horse Woodworks owner Chris Dehmer was scheduled to speak at two sessions during this week’s AWFS (Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers) show in Las Vegas.

IMG_4107On Wednesday, July 17, Chris participated in a panel discussion titled “Taking the Leap to a Bigger Machine: What You Need to Know Before You Invest.” Chris and

 

fellow CMA member Matt Wehner joined CMA Executive Director Amanda Conger to tell their stories of taking leaps of faith and investing in machines ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.

Chris and Matt talked with Amanda about “what they’ve learned, what they wish they had known, and what they’d do differently if they had to do it again,” as the AWFS preview described it. “This session will cover it all – selection, negotiation, financing, moving, set-up, processes, compressed air, power, dust collection, tooling, the learning curve and all of the surprises that come with integrating a big machine into your shop.”

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Today, Friday, July 19, Chris and fellow CMA member and former president Matt Krig will talk with Amanda Conger about “Boundary-Pushing with Your Nested-Based Router” – sharing tips for getting more out of your CNC router. 

Chris and Matt will share “how they are using their machines, ways to simplify routine processes, and tactics to make additional revenue … how to push your machine to be more effective, and ultimately more profitable.”

Being able to share Dark Horse Woodworks’ experience with others in the indu

 

stry is one of the great things that has come out of our involvement in the CMA. AWFS will be the first major industry event since Chris was elected president of the CMA Board of Directors.

Here’s the full run-down of CMA activities at this year’s AWFS – if you’re thinking about joining the CMA, this will give you a taste of the organization’s contributions to major industry events and thought leadership. (It could be you participating in a panel and sharing your experience at a national or international show one day!)

A year of milestones and opportunities

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Before the first month of 2019 is gone, I wanted to post a quick thank-you to everyone who helped make 2018 a great year for Dark Horse and for me. 

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We continued to stay busy creating a variety of cabinetry for modern renovations and new builds. We’re fortunate to have so many talented builders and design firms in the Atlanta area, and I’m grateful that we get to collaborate on so many innovative projects.

At home, the full kitchen reno my wife and I launched in 2017 was finally wrapped up (we just had a few minor things to check off the list). We love the new kitchen, but it was not a walk in the park to get there. I shared a couple of blog posts about what it’s like to renovate your own kitchen when you do this kind of work for a living, and I’ll be sharing the final installment and full “reveal” (to use some TV renovation show lingo) soon. Meanwhile, here’s Part 1 and Part 2 of the story.

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In the throes of our kitchen reno

Continuing a great relationship

My involvement with the Cabinet Makers Association continued in 2018 and brought more great opportunities:

  • I had several opportunities to share my experience and work on my public speaking skills, thanks to being invited to participate in panel discussions and presentations at the CMA’s 20th Anniversary conference in Denver in March and at the International Woodworkers Fair (IWF) in Atlanta last summer.
  • Dark Horse was one of three stops on CMA’s Atlanta shop tours ahead of IWF. After being on the visitor side of some great CMA shop tours, it was an honor to welcome 50 fellow members from all over the country to our place and get their feedback. Hopefully, some of our visitors took away some ideas that might be helpful in their shops, too. We also threw a surprise barbecue at the end of the day that was a lot of fun.

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    CMA Shop Tour Day at Dark Horse

  • I enjoyed being on the judging end of the CMA Wood Diamond Awards for the first time; it’s always inspiring to see the quality craftsmanship and beauty of the work produced by CMA member shops in the United States and Canada. (You can take a look at the winners on the CMA Wood Diamond Awards page.)

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    A screenshot showing some of the 2018 Wood Diamond Award winners on the CMA site

  • I was elected vice president after serving as a board member for several years, and I’m looking forward to collaborating more with my friends and fellow CMA leaders this year.

Wrapping up and looking ahead

As I closed out the year, I checked a really unpleasant item off of my big-picture “to do” list: having much-needed knee-replacement surgery in early December.

Recovery hasn’t been fast and seamless, but the business has been able to continue chugging along. I’m grateful to my team, and as I wrote about on the blog earlier, I was also grateful when a CMA friend offered to get on a plane, fly across the country and come run things at the shop for a few days, post-surgery. That’s friendship! (I didn’t end up taking him up on the offer, but it meant a lot to know I have that kind of back-up through my CMA friendships.) 

On a more festive note, my wife and I hosted the annual Dark Horse holiday party at our house, a tradition that was even more fun with our kitchen complete at last. For years, we had used the holiday party as both a scheduling nudge and an excuse when we talked about scheduling our reno project, and it was nice to have the few lingering to-do items in the new kitchen checked off before the party. (I’m including a few pre-party photos below; I’ll save the new kitchen photos for our final reno post.)

Finally, Dark Horse marked our 11th year in business on December 28: Here’s hoping 2019 continues to bring us many great opportunities, both in our work for clients and in our connections to others in the cabinetry/woodworking community.

Thanks for your ongoing support!

Chris Dehmer

Giving thanks

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Orange Leaves Illustration Thanksgiving CardIn December, I’m going forward with long overdue knee replacement surgery.

No one looks forward to surgery, recovery and physical therapy, but when you run a small business like Dark Horse, it’s especially challenging to figure out how to keep things on track when you’re out of commission, even for a short time.

It’s not like owning a store, where you already have people in place who are trained as managers and well-versed in running things –– not to mention the fact that you’re selling things that have already been made. 

When the stress is worse than the surgery … 

I have great people on the Dark Horse team, but unless you’ve run a manufacturing business and shop, it’s hard to step in and take charge of everything. In baseball, if your manager had to leave the game, you wouldn’t plug in the pitcher, shortstop, etc. to take over; they know their expertise, but without a manager’s big-picture view and experience, it would be pretty hard for them to run the game.

We have projects to keep on track, and on top of that, I found out that the installation date for one project had to be delayed, a pretty big deal when you’ve been trying to plan your absence right down to the last detail.   

All that is to say: I’ve been stressed about this surgery.

… until a guardian angel shows up.

A couple of weeks ago, I confided in a friend I’ve gotten to know through my involvement with the Cabinet Makers Association, aka the CMA, over the past few years. He has many more years of experience in the industry, and I often call on him for advice or ideas on challenges I might have on a project. 

I told him I was really concerned about how things were going to hang together while I was out, especially the first few weeks – and especially with the installation schedule change. 

After offering up other suggestions to help ease my mind, he said, “If it comes down to it, Atlanta is a short flight, and I’ll come down and oversee things while you’re out.”

I was stunned – and sure I must have misunderstood.

But when I said as much, he said he meant it.

You know, I don’t often admit to it when something strikes an emotional nerve, but my friend’s offer bowled me over. I’m sure there was a long silence on my end of the line before I could get my wits about me and thank him.

Gifts of all kinds

There are many different kinds of gifts and there are many kinds of gifted people, and my friend has the quality of both generosity and a sincerity that makes it crystal clear that when he offers you a gift, he means it.

I believe most of us find it hard to admit that we sometimes need help, and it’s even harder to actually follow through and accept that help. I’m pretty sure this kind of stoic attitude is something we all need to try to let go of, because it’s a rare human being who never needs help. 

I’m going to implement his other suggestions and see how that goes before asking him to be away from his business. No matter what happens, this Thanksgiving, I’d like to share my deep gratitude for my friend who is not only willing to take time away from his work, but also go through the hassle of getting on a plane to give me peace of mind. 

I’m thankful for his time and talents, but also for the gift of being made to feel as though his offer was one I should feel just fine about accepting.

He would never want to be named, but I decided I had to share this story even without his name attached to it. 

The Dark Horse team and I wish you a great Thanksgiving and hope that you, too, have a community like the one I’ve become part of with my CMA friends.

Chris Dehmer to be featured presenter at International Woodworkers Fair

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The International Woodworkers Fair (IWF) is being held in our back yard (well, in our city), and Chris Dehmer is putting all the travel time he’s saving into sharing his experience with fellow cabinet makers and woodworkers who are in Atlanta for the show.

In addition to Dark Horse being one of the featured stops on a pre-IWF shop tour organized by the Cabinet Makers Association (CMA), Chris is participating in four CMA panel presentations at IWF. 

“I’ve always learned a lot from my fellow cabinet makers at IWF and other shows, and it’s great to be able to return the favor and share some of the lessons I’ve learned since starting Dark Horse 10 years ago,” Chris says.

If you’re going to the show, check out these descriptions of the presentations he’s participating in and stop by to hear what Chris and his fellow CMA members have to say:

  • Wednesday, August 22, 9:00 -11:00 am 

“Working with Architects & Designers” – Chris Dehmer (Dark Horse Woodworks), James Fox (Fox Woodworking) and Joe Knobbe (Exclusive Woodworking)

  • Wednesday, August 22, 1:00 -3:00 pm

“Buying that Big Machine” – Leland Thomasset (Taghkanic Woodworking), Matt Krig (Northland Woodworks), Chris Dehmer (Dark Horse Woodworks) and Matt Wehner (Cabinet Concepts by Design)

  • Thursday, August 23, 10:30 am -12:30 pm

“Boundary-Pushing with your Nested-Based Router” – Leland Thomasset (Taghkanic Woodworking), Matt Krig (Northland Woodworks) and Chris Dehmer (Dark Horse Woodworks).

  • Friday, August 24, 1:00 -3:00 pm

“Acing that Modern Job” – by Chris Dehmer (Dark Horse Woodworks), Shelley Wehner (Cabinet Concepts by Design) and Joe Knobbe (Exclusive Woodworking)

For details on other CMA presentations and events during IWF, please visit www.cabinetmakers.org/IWF18.

Dark Horse to be featured on CMA shop tour during IWF 2018

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routerphotonewThe International Woodworkers Fair (IWF) is coming to Atlanta in August, and Dark Horse is pleased to be a featured stop on a pre-IWF shop tour organized by the Cabinet Makers Association (CMA). 

The all-day tour on Tuesday, August 21, will include stops at several Atlanta-area shops – Atlanta Cabinet Shop and Custom Creative Furniture are participating along with Dark Horse. (CNC Factory is sponsoring the event.)

“My experience being on the CMA board inspired me to participate,” says Dark Horse owner Chris Dehmer. “It’s great to be part of a group that is so generous with its time and so willing to share its experience. I’m inviting people to come on the CMA tour and tell me what we’re doing wrong!”

Dark Horse has invested in technology to optimize its capabilities and work flow as well as the quality of its products. Tour participants will get a chance to see how a small shop makes use of innovations such as Zero Edge technology and a CNC router.

The shop tour event gets rolling early with a 7:30 am breakfast at the Embassy Suites (Centennial Olympic Park) and continues throughout the day.

Registration includes group transportation as well breakfast, lunch and an evening reception.

The shop tour cost is $55 for current CMA members and $75 for non-members. Student/Instructor members can participate at no charge, while non-member students/instructors will pay a discounted rate of $25. 

You can register via the CMA website.

A lucky glimpse of our work on a “mid-century modern treasure”

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Screen Shot 2017-08-18 at 4.46.51 PMFor most of our projects, we create cabinetry for multiple rooms in a home, and we end up with extensive photos of the final “product” that we share in our gallery.

For a recent project, we worked on only one room, creating high-gloss kitchen cabinetry with the Zero-Edge technology we invested in last year. In this case, we did not do the installation, which is rare for us. Work is hopping, and I never followed up to get post-installation photos of the finished kitchen.

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Fortunately, this beautiful mid-century modern home went on the market not long ago, and it drew the attention of Curbed Atlanta, which featured the home in July (“In Druid Hills, midcentury modern treasure is ‘unadulterated’ for $799K”).

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It was great to see the finished kitchen, and thanks to the kindness of the staff at Domo Realty, which is handling the sale of the home, I’m able to share screenshots of the kitchen here.

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A view of the kitchen from the dining room

If you enjoy mid-century modern, I highly recommend that you take a look at the Curbed Atlanta feature, as well as the Domo Realty listing for extensive photos of this distinctive home.

And the folks at Domo also passed on a compliment that we appreciated: The house is under contract, and they told us that the kitchen helped sell the house. We enjoy seeing all of our projects through from start to finish, and that kind of feedback is the icing on the cake.

Join an industry group for an instant network and plenty of great ideas

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One of the shop tours organized by the Cabinet Makers Association

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you know that Dark Horse is a big fan of the Cabinet Makers Association (so much so that I became a board member last year).

The best part of being in this group is the ability to draw on the knowledge of other members; in the grand scheme of things, Dark Horse is a “newcomer” compared to some shops that have been around for several decades, and I always learn a lot thanks to the generosity of others.

And it’s always a great moment when we find that we can offer some wisdom to other shops.

On-call help

The idea for this blog came up when we were putting together a post (we’ll publish it soon) about our new CNC router, a game-changing technology/machinery addition at Dark Horse.

We chose to invest in the software that partners with the router first, and learn our way around that piece of the process before buying the router.

Now that we have the router, and we’re gearing up to put it all together and start cutting our custom cabinetry pieces in the Dark Horse workshop, I have no worries about any questions that are sure to come up in real time and need quick resolution.

Why? Because I know that I can always pick up the phone and call one of my CMA friends who already have a lot of hands-on experience with CNC routers.

As with many situations, your personal network of friends and industry colleagues can often deliver the answers you need even more quickly and effectively than a manufacturer’s customer service “hotline.”

And this advice isn’t just for building industry types … 

When you start a business, it’s tempting to want to go it alone and look at the others in your line of work as competition – even if they aren’t literally vying for the same customers, you may see them as competing against you for awards or respect or reputation.

You’ll miss a lot of opportunities to learn if you think this way.

I highly recommend that you find the equivalent of the Cabinet Makers Association for your industry and join up and be active; with groups like this, you get out what you put in.

I’m looking forward to my next chance to pick up some new ideas in a couple of weeks: Just before one of our big industry events in Chicago, the CMA is sponsoring one of its shop tours so we can check out nearby cabinetry companies.

I’ll be there, looking for ways that Dark Horse can up our game.

Dark Horse holiday tradition: Collecting toys for kids in need

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At our company holiday party earlier this month, we kept up our tradition of collecting toys for the children served by CHRIS 180 (formerly CHRISKids), a wonderful Atlanta nonprofit whose mission is to “heal children, strengthen families, and build community through mental health counseling, training, providing safe housing, and real-world skill building.”

I’m so grateful for all that CHRIS 180 does in our community, and it always brightens our holidays to be able to help make the season special for the children served by this organization.

Thanks so much to our team, friends and clients for their generosity in helping us make this possible: At the end of our party, we were happy to find that we had collected about 100 toys – from dolls to bicycles.

We hope our clients and friends are enjoying the holiday season so far!

~ Chris Dehmer