Q&A with Dennis Shanoff
When did you start at Vermont Woods Studios & what brought you here?
Way back in 2010 and I was intrigued by the fact that the business model was still being defined. (and out of someone's house!) That and I have a great appreciation of things made from trees.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
It involves a lot of decision making and trouble-shooting, big picture thinking and there is a fair amount of reporting to analyze. Helping a team member is always an activity I welcome.
What’s your favorite part about working at Vermont Woods Studios?
Our headquarters is beautiful, the team feels like a family and I get to use my diverse experience pretty much every day.
Pizza or Ice Cream?
I could eat the right Pizza every day of the year!
What’s your favorite Vermont brand (other than Vermont Woods Studios)?
Tough question as that stamp typically indicates superior quality, but I am particularly fond of Vermont Flannel.
Describe your typical commute to work.
I have a long commute so there is a stretch of highway I could do without. After that I find myself passing through farmlands and cow pastures. So way better than 7 lanes of major metro traffic!
You’re furnishing your dream house. What’s in it?
Wood, wood and more wood. What wood? Most likely walnut– nature already made it a beautiful color, no staining required!
Pick one bed to sleep on for the rest of your life.
My practical answer is any one of our storage beds. A lot of square feet of bedroom is wasted under a regular bed. Let's go with the Copeland Berkeley Storage Bed. 
What else should we know about you?
Since I started counting I have tried over 1200 different micro-brews.
What are you jamming out to?
Queens of the Stone Age.
What’s one book you’d recommend everyone should read?
I don’t think I ever read a single work of fiction in my life so outside of the DIY genre you will find me reading true life adventures like sailing or mountain climbing. So I would say “Dove” by Robin Lee Graham if you are looking for inspiration to chase a big and crazy dream.
What are you watching on Netflix?
TV is not my thing but I would look for a true life adventure documentary flick.
What’s your all-time favorite quote to live by?
The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it (Henry David Thoreau).
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
Eastern White Pine
What’s your spirit animal?
Wolf
If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be?
I am fine with a P&J sandwich on a mountain summit with a good friend.
It’s a hot summer Saturday in Vermont. Where are you, and what are you doing?
Riding my motorcycle on one of Vermont’s scenic roads, visiting a microbrewery or two and looking for a “farm to table” restaurant for lunch.
What’s your favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry’s?
New York Super Fudge Chunk
What Else?
- Dennis' wife Sue makes the best cookies!
- He's a big fan of POLYWOOD outdoor furniture :)
- Dennis built bird houses out of lumber sawn on the property at Stonehurst and placed them around the property. If you take a walk around the Stonehurst property, keep an eye out for chirping birds in the House Dennis Built.
