Founded as Union Woodworks in Warren, Vermont in 1971, WallGoldfinger (named after two Union Woodworks principals, John Wall and Michael Goldfinger, in 1981) will soon celebrate 38 years of continuous growth. The company has evolved from a small, decidedly local, woodworking shop focused on residential projects to a nationally known builder of the finest high-end custom corporate furniture. But, more than that, WallGoldfinger has become a full service manufacturer, working with designers and clients from the very earliest conceptual stages of a project, providing technical advice on materials and construction, illustrating concepts and options with state-of-the-art computer graphics, and shepherding projects through the entire fabrication-to-installation process with an experienced team of professional project managers.
At its inception a traditional woodworking shop using veneer and solid lumber, WallGoldfinger is now recognized as a masterful integrator of other materials as well. These include marble and granite, stainless steel, aluminum and bronze, glass and plastic, and leather and artificial leather. Products incorporating these materials range from elaborate custom boardroom and conference tables to our “Arbor” line of lightweight reconfigurable tables to credenzas, lecterns and reception desks. WallGoldfinger has been particularly aggressive in integrating the latest electronic and mechanical features into its work: monitor lifts, retractable microphones, unique power and data access hatches. This technical expertise makes WallGoldfinger the preferred source for the most sophisticated and complicated designs.
Originally, WallGoldfinger’s marketing efforts covered light commercial and residential work in central Vermont. Now, almost exclusively, our work is out of state, with major corporate, institutional and government clients in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington. We have also done important projects in Chicago, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles and in places as far away as Seoul, Cairo, London and the Cayman Islands. Much of our work has been for internationally known financial firms and law firms and other prestigious clients include the White House, the New York Stock Exchange, the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations. More on WallGoldfinger’s clients and the important design firms we work with can be found elsewhere on our website.
What makes our reputation for excellence possible and an enviable list of loyal and prestigious customers a reality is, of course, WallGoldfinger’s staff. With a total of some 444 years of in-house experience in the furniture business, WallGoldfinger’s employees offer a breadth and depth of knowledge unequaled in the industry. WallGoldfinger places a premium on developing technical skills and in the cross-training of employees; many have held two or three positions in different specialties such as cabinetmaking, veneering, and finishing. In addition, most of the administrative staff of salespeople, estimators, draftsmen, graphic artists and project managers have had hands-on experience on the shop floor so there is an ingrained understanding of furniture construction company-wide. The company is currently working with the Vermont Training Program to further develop employee skills.
Now located in Northfield, Vermont’s historic Nantanna Mill, WallGoldfinger’s facility houses the sophisticated equipment mandatory in today’s production environment: state-of-the-art finish application, computer controlled routing, advanced machining systems, and, most recently added, a $300,000 custom built Italian panel sander. However, hand craftsmanship is not a thing of the past at WallGoldfinger; all veneer layups are done in-house and by hand as this is the only way to achieve the precision expected in a WallGoldfinger product. Similarly, quality furniture assembly involves a significant amount of hand fitting, trimming and adjustment and this requires skill and judgment that comes only with experience.
Not only is WallGoldfinger interested in servicing its clients with the best and most forward looking products, but we are equally intent on fulfilling our role as a responsible corporate citizen. This extends from the equitable treatment of employees to involvement in the community to an abiding interest in conservation and environmental affairs. We were an early member of the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibilty and have been given state awards for the environmental controls in our Nantanna facility. More recently, we have been certified to produce furniture as an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) “Chain of Custody” manufacturer, thus standing firmly with those lumber and veneer suppliers committed to the responsible management of forest resources. And, WallGoldfinger is in the final stages of planning a major solar power installation on the roof of the Nantanna plant; this will provide 15% of WallGoldfinger electrical needs.
It has been a long and gratifying journey from a small shop in Warren four decades ago and all of WallGoldfinger’s extraordinary and dedicated employees are proud of the prominent place we now occupy in the world of furniture. We think our relationship with our clients and with the designers who represent them has been mutually rewarding and we look forward to many more years of providing the highest quality, innovation and ongoing service.
President
