 |
| Logo from Walker Woodworking website. |
I've written about picking cotton in a blog a did a year or so ago, but this post is about a cotton field that has disappeared. We were in Cleveland County last week, and I went over to visit my former next-door neighbor (Janet Walker). Janet was just a little kid when I used to go down to her house to pick cotton with her mother, Selma Withrow*. I loved that particular field because at the end of the field there was a wonderful honey locust tree that in the fall produced brown pods that had a sweet pulp. One could squeeze out a bit of sugary treat which was nice after a day of picking cotton. This was better than sucking on a lollipop.
I knew that Janet's son, Travis, had a woodworking shop, but I had no idea that what he really has is a 10,000 sq. ft. woodworking "factory" that occupies most of that former cotton field. In 1996 Travis was working as a paramedic when he began woodworking as a hobby. He borrowed a few thousand dollars from his grandmother, hoping to turn his hobby into a small side business. From the little garage where he was the only woodworker, in eighteen years he has expanded and now has a successful business that employs 28 people. Cleveland County must be very proud of this local entrepreneur.
 |
| Travis, founder and CEO of Walker Woodworking. |
Travis took Dan and me on a tour of the "factory". Here are some of what we saw. It was amazing.
 |
| 3/4″ domestic plywood is the very best and most expensive material you can use for cabinet construction. |
 |
| Wood is cut from a digital design. |
 |
| I love these beautiful dovetail joints in the drawers. |
 |
| Part of the assembly room. |
 | ||
| A large screen where the customer can see the proposed kitchen design. |
Little did I know when I was picking cotton some 60+ years ago that one day a successful woodworking shop would occupy the space. I know that Selma would be very proud to see what exists in that former cotton field where she and I spent many happy days picking cotton. Happy for me anyway, because I got paid and that's how I earned my spending money in those days.
This blog post shows only a mere hint of what Walker Woodworking creates. Check out their current website and a new website that is under construction to see the wonderful cabinetry they have designed and constructed, the many awards they have won and meet the wonderful staff of the company.
* Not only did I spend many a day with Selma Withrow picking cotton, but she was also my piano teacher, the director of the youth choir in my church, and the glee director at my high school.
