We Learned How to Zoom & #WFH
When the seriousness of the pandemic became clear, we made significant changes to facilitate and implement a work-from-home #WFH strategy. We owe a big debt of gratitude to Brian, who helped facilitate a smooth transition to remote work, implementing new technology solutions like Slack, Zoom, and AirCall to ensure we maintained communication both within the organization as well as with customers.
We Got Good at Virtual Showroom Tours
During the pandemic everybody but Michelle was working at home. Good thing she's awesome at multi-tasking. She helped with virtual showroom tours and a whole lot more. Thanks Michelle!We Launched a New, Mobile Friendly Website
With an increasing percentage of our customers and website visitors shopping our site on their mobile devices, it has become increasingly important for us to design and build our site for mobile first. Martin, Neville, Nina and Geoff all worked hard updating the look and feel of the site and making sure it was fully responsive and functional on all screen sizes.
We Planted an Edible Landscape at Stonehurst, Our Headquarters
Jake Checani, our land steward, and Nina Markiw, our Creative Director/Brand Czar, led a small team in planting 30+ fruit trees at Stonehurst. Turning Stonehurst into a destination shopping experience and a reflection of the values of our company and our state is one way that we're building and solidifying our brand.
We Moved Into a Bigger Warehouse
Our new warehouse gives us room to grow... and a reason to celebrate! Thank you Dennis, Greg, Jake and Brandon for making it happen and for literally carrying our future on your backs. Thanks to Geoff, Neville and Michael too for developing new software to improve efficiency in shipping and logistics. We Found Brilliant New Teammates
We welcomed Brian Doherty, Brandon Snow, Michael Roberts, Marina McCoy and Alexandra Chisholm into our Vermont Woods Studios family. How lucky are we to have their time and talent on board!
We Worked With a World-Class Design Agency to Up Our Brand Game
Vermont Woods Studios has always been a mission driven company, and many of our customers come to us specifically because our values align with their own. But we're growing and evolving and we felt it was time to refresh our brand. We found Solidarity of Unbridled Labour, a design agency in Burlington, Vermont. They're helping us communicate to customers who we are & what we believe in. Now we have a new logo and new colors, plus we've put our mission of forest conservation front and center.
We Planted 10,000+ Trees & Joined 1% For the Planet
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Sustainability runs through the veins of every member of our organization (aptly dubbed the "green team"), and we do everything we can to make the world a better place. We've always had partnerships with environmental non-profits like World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy, but we've shifted most of our donations to Forests For Monarchs FFM. We donate 1% of our sales revenue to environmental charities and through our partnership with FFM, we now plant 10 trees for every order.
We Launched New Products
Nina added dozens of beautiful new products to our store in 2020. You won't be surprised to learn that our new home office pieces are the most popular. Check out the Manchester Furniture Collection if you're looking for a compact hardwood desk to #WFH in.
We Sold a Lot of Furniture
Like every small business, we went through a few white knuckle months last year. But once people figured out how to work from home they started ordering desks and bookcases and file cabinets. Then, since they had to stay home, they began to feather their nests. Orders started coming in for new bedroom and dining furniture. Our sales grew significantly in 2020.
Our Stonehurst showroom is still closed due to the pandemic but we hope to be able to welcome you back soon. In the meantime, visit our online furniture store anytime and give Sean, Katie and Alex a call with your questions. We're eager to hear from you.
It's All Because of You!
From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank you for your support and encouragement throughout these last nerve-wracking months. We hope your family stayed healthy and safe. We look forward to serving you in 2021. Be well!
