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By Chrysa Smith
Founder and CEO of Timberlane, Rick Skidmore’s story is all about building— building wooden objects as a kid—building a career—building shutters. And, most importantly, building relationships and bridges with people and companies that have led him to the founding of his successful Montgomeryville company—Timberlane.
“I was working in financial services in New York, unhappy in the corporate world,” Rick says. “I was itching to do something on my own, but didn’t know what.” With an old home in Doylestown, Rick claims he was a weekend DIYer (Do-It-Yourselfer). He was also a woodworker; a skill learned from his father, who had a home workshop and was a pattern-maker down at the Naval Yards in Philadelphia. Rick had replaced much in the home, including the windows. So, looking to replace his home’s shutters, his woodworking experience led him to want more than what the market offered. Having an eye for detail and the ability to reverse engineer a good wooden one, he proceeded to make his own. “It was 1994, pre-internet. I was going to lumber yards, looking for a company that sold what I was looking for,” he says. He didn’t find it. That need led to a lightbulb moment. He thought, why not build them himself?
About a year later, Timberlane Woodworking was born with a focus on custom shutters. “I started it myself,” Rick says, “But after a few months in, I realized I needed someone who understands the business on an industrial level.” So, he asked his then retired dad to come work for him, and he did. His dad helped with the design and engineering process. “He knew wood at a deep level. I did not,” Rick says, So he was invaluable in the early days. Not only was he the perfect guy, but Rick had some of his best, fondest memories back then—having the chance to spend more time with his dad.
For about 100 years, Rick says, functional shutters were wood. But the mass production of vinyl changed all that. “Non-wood and synthetic material dominated the market. Homeowners liked the idea of carefree, decorative shutters.” So within a few years, after seeing the direction of the market, he worked with a consultant to “make their own recipe.” He wanted synthetic shutters that would machine and work as if wood. “I hate the plastic, fake look. The shutters have to pass the litmus test.” And apparently, they did. He says if you lay a wood shutter and Timberlane’s synthetic shutter next to each other, it’s hard to tell one from the other. “We abandoned about 100 materials before coming up with the right formula—ultimately called Endurian.” And ultimately the company dropped ‘woodworking’ from their name.
So, why even buy wood if the synthetic looks as good and is easier to maintain? Apparently, there are the purists, who still want authentic, natural elements on their homes or historical accuracy. For them, maintenance is secondary. For others, maintenance is key. And sometimes synthetic shutters can’t be done, just on the basis of size and fit. Wood is more forgiving, Rick says, where Endurian can be customized up to a point. “There are no standard sizes,” Rick adds, “Eighty percent of the time, it’s a configured product, utilizing our own library of standard profiles and trims. Twenty percent are highly custom—off blueprints.”
Rick explains, “More often than not, customers don’t know the specifics of what they want. Most customers are looking for guidance.” That’s where their design team comes in. Customers can bounce their ideas off designers, who will come up with something that suits them and their project. There are so many configuartions of louvered, raised panel and those with custom cutouts. And Rick says there are definitely rights and wrongs. That being, matching a period home to it’s authenticity or region. Many shutters are products of commonly available styles, popular at the time of building and what local mills were able to provide.
Interestingly enough, while some private field contractors do the actual measuring of window sizes, it can also be done by customers. “About 40 percent are passionate homeowners,” Rick says. “We teach them how to go out and measure windows. We provide tutorials and worksheets. About 50-60 percent are builders, designers or some other contractor working on behalf of homeowners.” After an interaction, most customers are happy to do the process through phone calls, emails and texts. Within a couple days, Timberlane has a completed quote ready to go. Of his customer base, Rick says there are two categories of clients. One are those who are actively renovating or building a house. The other are those who haven’t even bought a lot yet. “I would say that one third to half of all orders are people who started a conversation three years ago or longer,” he adds. These plan-ahead folks are thinking about shutters before the foundation has even been poured.
So, exactly how are the shutters made? For wooden shutters, Rick uses Sapele Mahogony from Western and Central Africa. “It’s pretty stable and resists rot and wear,” he says. Timberlane dries, mills, cuts down into smaller component sizes. Everything is assembled by hand. There is a meticulous sanding process, finishing, sealing, priming and multiple coats of color applied. It is dried, wrapped up and delivered. Their synthetic shutters are manufactured in a similar way, though the raw materials and adhesives are different. This is all done in their 80,000 square foot manufacturing facility, which can also accommodate custom garage doors. For now, Rick is working on building the installation teams, both their own force, which has been at it for almost 20 years, as well as working with regional contractors who will take their products and frame windows from coast-to-coast. The cost? Depending on size, quantity and hardware, Rick says you can expect to spend somewhere from $900 to$1000 per window.
Now in their 28th year, business takes them not only to the entire Northeastern United States, but all over the country—even down to the Carribean and sometimes across the Atlantic for those with second homes in Europe. “We do what we do really well, and say no to other things,” Rick says. They have streamlined their team since the beginning, with the addition of some very precise automation that increases precision and lightens the load. Their competitors are few and far-between, but for the smaller millers who work locally. Rick says their real competition comes from budget decisions. Homeowners weigh their options—granite countertops or custom shutters—pool or custom shutters. It’s that simple.
“When I started, I was very idealistic. I came from a Fortune 100 company where I was just a number. I wanted to create a more progressive culture. I wanted a collaborative environment where everyone has an identity.” He believes that his employees are his greatest asset, and this turns into job satisfaction and ultimately into customer satisfaction. He credits his employees 100 percent for what Timberlane has become and says, “They allow me to take a crazy vision and turn it into something.” Seems to me crazy ideas are relative. They might seem crazy at the time, but with changing times, they can turn into a lifetime of creativity, satisfaction, and success.
Timberlane has been rated one of the fasted growing comopanies in the country by Inc. Magazine. Rick’s ‘vision’ is on display at the Montgomeryville location. Check the website for a sampling of styles and projects. Or, call to see it all for yourself.
Timberland is located at 150 Domorah Drive, Montgomeryville, PA. For more information, call 215-616-0600 or visit www.timberlane.com.
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Chrysa Smith is a regular contributor for home and design features