Local biz turns downed trees into one-of-a-kind treasures
SEATTLE -- Trees come and trees go, especially with every Christmas.
But there are some tree people won't part with, even after windstorms knock them down. And this emotional attachment has translated into green for one company.
Seth Meyer and his business partner, John Wells, salvage otherwise discarded trees, preserving their sentimental past.
"The logs come in and pretty scraggly looking," said Meyer.
Buried beneath the blemished bark and twisted trunks of downed, doomed or diseased trees lay untapped treasures. (View photos >>>)
"This fellow's father and he planted this years ago and the windstorm caused the tree to split open," Meyer said.
The family paid Meyer Wells to create furniture from the mangled mess.
"There was no way they could just see this tree just cut up into firewood," said Meyer.
Also in Meyer Wells' shop are elm trees that were once planted along a drive in Des Moines as a memorial to WWI soldiers.
Some were cut down due to disease or to make way for a bike path. But they've been given a second life as tables, keeping the story of the fallen soldiers alive.
"A small end table might be in the $500 to $700 range, and a great big conference table could be $50,000," said Meyer.
Big clients include Starbucks and the University of Washington. A slab of Madrona removed to make way for UW's School of Business will return to campus as custom furniture.
During the recession, Meyer Wells grew from two to 20 employees. Housed in an old Navy Armory swimming facility, the four-year-old business churns out so many high-end pieces that revenues could top a million this year.
"There's nothing like opening up a tree and seeing the beauty of the wood inside. Everyone of them is an artifact," said Wells.
The milling, drying, and designing cost a lot of money and time. The process can take up to a year a log.
But the pieces' uniqueness is apparently worth the wait.
"Every tree is different unique, just like you and I," said Wells.
But there are some tree people won't part with, even after windstorms knock them down. And this emotional attachment has translated into green for one company.
Seth Meyer and his business partner, John Wells, salvage otherwise discarded trees, preserving their sentimental past.
"The logs come in and pretty scraggly looking," said Meyer.
Buried beneath the blemished bark and twisted trunks of downed, doomed or diseased trees lay untapped treasures. (View photos >>>)
"This fellow's father and he planted this years ago and the windstorm caused the tree to split open," Meyer said.
The family paid Meyer Wells to create furniture from the mangled mess.
"There was no way they could just see this tree just cut up into firewood," said Meyer.
Also in Meyer Wells' shop are elm trees that were once planted along a drive in Des Moines as a memorial to WWI soldiers.
Some were cut down due to disease or to make way for a bike path. But they've been given a second life as tables, keeping the story of the fallen soldiers alive.
"A small end table might be in the $500 to $700 range, and a great big conference table could be $50,000," said Meyer.
Big clients include Starbucks and the University of Washington. A slab of Madrona removed to make way for UW's School of Business will return to campus as custom furniture.
During the recession, Meyer Wells grew from two to 20 employees. Housed in an old Navy Armory swimming facility, the four-year-old business churns out so many high-end pieces that revenues could top a million this year.
"There's nothing like opening up a tree and seeing the beauty of the wood inside. Everyone of them is an artifact," said Wells.
The milling, drying, and designing cost a lot of money and time. The process can take up to a year a log.
But the pieces' uniqueness is apparently worth the wait.
"Every tree is different unique, just like you and I," said Wells.
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