Green Design Furniture to end retail operations
Doug Green of Green Design Furniture says the decision to stop selling custom-made furniture at his showroom on Commercial Street will allow him to sell his designs directly to companies in need of cost-saving, sustainable production processes.
"It's time for me to focus on moving this idea along," says Green, 54, president and owner of the high-end furniture company. "This is the challenge that confronts me."
Green is hoping manufacturers' interest in producing more high-end furniture with less money will fuel demand for his designs.
"We are in discussions with several major American furniture manufacturers who are interested in licensing our intellectual property and design services," Green said in a press release announcing the decision. "I'm very excited about the prospect of our designs reaching a broader audience while working to strengthen the position of American manufacturers in the global marketplace."
Green, originally an industrial designer, has been making furniture with an eye for sustainability since 1993. But the recession has forced him to shift his business model from selling retail to licensing his sustainable design models to other companies.
Earlier this month, he trimmed his work force from seven full-time employees to two, plus one part-time worker. "The economy played a factor in a sense that I was working so hard to run my business, that I didn't have enough time to do design," Green says.
Soon the 2,400-square-foot showroom will be available for lease or put up for sale. Green says he will either lease out the entire space to a new tenant or a portion of it, depending on what the market will bear. Until a new owner or tenant is found, the showroom will be open by appointment only. He says the Green Design Furniture website will also be taken down and re-launched with a much smaller product list. "We plan to take our final orders in the next two weeks."
After that, he and his lone woodworker will take orders on a more limited basis and make custom chairs, desks, book cases, dining room tables and other pieces at his 9,000-square-foot shop located in the Portland Star Match Co. building, also on Commercial Street. He says the woodworker will also help build prototypes of various pieces to help him market his designs to prospective buyers.
After selling his furniture to customers nationwide and beyond, Green is confident he will find his share of manufacturers to carry on his designs.
"Green Design Furniture has developed a reputation and brand that is recognized around the country. Our next step will be to license the designs and technology to others," Green says.
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