Jewett Defies Recession, Triples Size of Space With Move to Dover

It took nearly a dozen trips and one grueling week, but Jewett Farms & Co. has finally landed in Dover.

After 12 years in York, Maine – where the custom cabinetry outfit had expanded its space no less than four times – Jewett officially opened its Broadway doors to the public last week.

Truth be told, co-owners Mike Myers and Matthew Lord had been planning this day for the better part of three years. After weighing their options – and an exhaustive search to find the perfect “working” property – the team settled on the 15,000 square foot Dover warehouse

In so doing, the company tripled its work space and brought the entire family of companies – Jewett Farms & Company, Jewett Farms Flooring, and Jewett Farms Soapstone – under one, manageable roof.

“We needed more room, pure and simple,” says Myers of his company’s long-awaited move. “To be able to grow as we want to as a business, we needed to double and triple our size, and luckily we found the perfect space in which to do that.”

Perfect, and chock full of history: For decades, the space -- built in the latter part of the 19th century -- served as the home of the Somersworth Machine Co. (pictured above), which manufactured, among other things, woodworking equipment.

Talk about bringing things full circle.

To say Jewett has come a long way since its own humble genesis back in 1999 would be an understatement: For the first two years of its existence, Myers and Lord – little more than a two-man show at the time – didn’t even have running water.

“It’s funny to look back on now, but it’s true,” chuckles Myers. “No bathroom, no water – something you’d think would be necessary for a wood-working company. Space was so limited, we’d have to bring prospective customers overto our clients’ houses to show them our work. So it’s been an interesting journey from where we’ve been to where we are now, to say the least.”

In 2008, Jewett opened a second showroom in Newburyport, Massachusetts, further bolstering their exposure and opening them up to the metro Boston area.

Since then, the company’s been gangbusters, wielding their dual commitment to sustainable practices and creative ingenuity to forge a unique niche in a region known for craft-conscious artisans and industries. Chief to their strategy has been a top-to-bottom green approach: From locally harvested wood to water-based paints, stains and glazes to donating excess sawdust to local horse farms, there’s scarce been a green rock left unturned by Jewett.

While efficiency is most commonly associated with smaller, tighter spaces, according to Mike Myers, Jewett’s new Dover abode promises to turn that logic on his head.

“With our York space, we’d maxed out our ability to do more work,” Myers explains. “Because we were so tightly packed in there together, we couldn’t be as efficient as possible. So just by giving ourselves more breathing room, we’ll be able to stage our projects better and allow our finishing operation more room to operate.”

Indeed, Myers thinks the new space – having jettisoned a once cumbersome bottleneck – will soon allow Jewett to double their output, as they’ll be able to process multiple projects simultaneously, instead of just one or two at a time.

“What’s great about the space is that from here we can expand to 20,000 feet, then 30,000 – whatever we have to,” says Myers. “We’re no further away from the Newburyport showroom, so in that sense we won’t have to sacrifice efficiency with longer employee commutes or more driving between the two spaces.”

More than anything, the move is a testament to the company’s enviable, recession-defying growth.

“What appeals to people is that we’re building and designing cabinetry and floors right here locally – making things from our community, for our community,” exclaims Myers. “People might not have known there was an option like us in the industry, and thought you had to go to Lowe’s or Home Depot or IKEA or wherever. So when they find out that there’s someone living right here and making these products right here, and doing so without any middlemen, they realize how astronomically different it is.”

“I think people see how our process is more organic, that we’re truly designing cabinets and floors to fit their exact space, and making sure the smallest details work and truly speak to them.”

Jewett Farms was born from a belief in quality and sustainability, and has grown in accordance with those principles. Lord, Myers and their team are excited to begin this new chapter for the company – with a little more room to move.