OsBlog

The Albeas (Martha and her husband Todd) hosted our annual Christmas party on Saturday evening.  In addition to the really great food that Martha serves up every year, the Christmas party is a great opportunity to enjoy the company of our coworkers in a more casual setting.  About 30 of us attended in all, employees and spouses (and one precious baby!Congratulations to Cindy J. and her husband Barry!)

The evening began with feasting, and Martha prepared so much good food for us!

Above: Will (left), Rachel (center), and Haden (right) work their way through the line, while Martha (back left) and Sherry (back right) enjoy the sight.

Then, during and after the meal, some socialized, but many of us broke off into different games.  The table I was sitting at played Cranium Zigity, and then Apples to Apples.  Another table played Uno.  But these were really only to ready our competitive streaks for the real game…

Below: Will studies the instructions for Apples to Apples, while Rachel prepares the cards and Christian engages in conversation.

Below:  JR sits with his fiancée, Telcia, and Christian and my husband, Jeff, have a conversation.

Below:  Sharon shares her beautiful smile with us, as she sits next to Carl (center) and Alan (right).

Below: Russ smiles for the camera.

The Game:  The ladies each brought a gift geared toward the ladies, the men each brought gifts fit for men, and everything was put together in the center of the room, as we sat in a circle around it.  Everyone drew numbers.  Starting with No. 1 and moving down the line, a person would go to the tree for a gift.  If you wanted a gift that someone else had, you could take it instead of going to the tree.  If you took someone else’s gift, they could either take another gift from someone else, or go to the tree.  This game is both incredibly fierce, and way too much fun!

Below:  One of the most fought over items was this lovely (and warm-looking) blanket.

Below:  And here is Carl, holding Barry and Cindy J.’s new baby, Alaina.  On the right, Jonathan relaxes, while Spencer, Cindy, and Alan observe the game on the right.

And Finally, this is what I get for putting the camera down - Jeff picks it up.  Behind me, from left to right:  JR, Christian, Carl, Haden, Telcia, Spencer, Alan, Martha, Jonathan, Janice.

We had a great time!  Thank you, Martha, for having us all over.

Yesterday we had the privilege of giving plant tours to two local woodworkers clubs.  The Dahlonega Termites and the Athens Area Woodworkers Club paid us a visit, enjoying a luncheon and a tour of the facility.

As a part of the tour, the gentlemen heard a presentation entitled, “The World of CAD,” on CAD Technology and how that impacts us here at Osborne Wood Products.  The presentation was given by Haden Smith, our Drafting Engineer.  Then they were split into groups and led on a tour through the plant.  Nathan Shurtz and Russ Mangiapane (both in the shipping dept) each led a group from our gym (Employee Fitness, LLC) to the warehouse, and then through the offices.  In the offices, which is the better part of our new addition, I gave a short presentation on all the ways we incorporated eco-friendly building techniques and products into our building project.  Nathan and Russ then led the groups back through the production floor.

The production floor is always the favorite tour spot.  People stand mesmerized as they watch a plain square blank become an intricately turned leg.  In all the tours we have given, ranging from middle school groups to hobbyist woodworkers, straight on through to professionals; the most consistent factor is how much people enjoy watching something plain become something extraordinary on the production floor of our shop.

Above:  The Dahlonega Termites and the Athens Area Woodworkers Club, with Nathan on the left end and Russ on the right.

As we edge into December, Christmas is at the forefront of so many people’s minds, and here at Osborne Wood Products, our Christmas spirit is beginning to show!

As usual, Martha outdoes herself witha cute and festive holiday display.  This is the same locale for the pumpkin display which used our fluted bun foot.  Isn’t Martha creative?!

Here are some of the cards our colleagues and customers have sent, and some lovely poinsettias.

From all of us here at Osborne Wood Products, Inc., we hope you enjoy every moment of this Christmas season!

This week’s Product of the Week is the 1755 - the 35 1/2 inch version of our Grand Island leg (part 1455).  This leg is truly versatile, lending itself to a variety of applications.

Barbara C. of Virginia ordered 4 of these legs from us in Cherry for her kitchen island.  She sent us back the finished pictures and they look wonderful!  They finished so well - not so dark that you cannot see the natural grain, but not too light, either.  But there was something about this picture that was different, and I just couldn’t put my finger on it…

Finally I realized what it was: Barbara and company had a great idea!  They flipped the leg, noting that it looks just as fitting right-side-up as it does upside down.  Part of the unique appearance of the 1755 is the very long top block.  But the reverse is also true: a very long bottom block still results in a unique and stylish look.

Great thinking, Barbara!  And thank you for sharing the results.  One of the main reasons that we feature finished products is to give customers new ideas for application and design.  Your picture definitely accomplishes this, showing how lovely the results can be when you are willing to think outside the box!

We are hoping to get a few decent photos ourselves, but this is a picture that graced the front page of The Toccoa Record (our local newspaper) last week.  The courthouse downtown was recently renovated on a grand scale; and all the cream-colored spindles (or balusters) you see in the photo were part of two custom jobs we did for the project.  This picture was taken during the rededication ceremony held on Sunday, November the 23.  We are very proud of the work that our production crew did to create these beautiful pieces.

Though we have quite a wide variety of stock items, we also do quite a bit of custom work.  What we need from you is a picture (preferably with dimensions), wood type, quantity, and description.  Call or email us, today  for more information.  Or, you can submit your custom quote here.