Tiverton, RI¡ªAt Stephen Plaud, Inc., every new customer order is treated like an entirely new project. Customization is key, according to Stephen Plaud, president, and clients walk away from the buying experience knowing that they¡¯re getting a custom, four-poster bed that no one else has.
Running a single shift, five days a week, Stephen Plaud buys about 100,000 board feet of lumber annually, primarily in batches and with a focus on the very best grades and the thickest, clearest, and longest lengths available.
Primary species procured include Curly Maple, Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Red and White Oak, and a variety of Mahoganies. Most of Stephen Plaud¡¯s raw materials are Appalachian Hardwoods purchased from distribution yards and specialty companies. The company¡¯s Mahoganies are imported from Central and South America and Africa.
Plaud¡¯s preferred lumber size is 20/4. ¡°We¡¯re pretty unique; most companies don¡¯t use 20/4 but we need it for our four-poster beds,¡± Plaud explained. ¡°A lot of furniture and bed manufacturers just laminate pieces together but our bedposts are made in one piece.¡± He said the longer length gives products an heirloom quality and is more appealing to the eye. ¡°Having a solid piece of wood, rather than something that¡¯s pieced together, really means something to customers.¡±
Hardwood inventory of 20/4 bedpost stock includes Maple, Mahogany, Curly Maple and Cherry.
¡°We¡¯re all about ¡®custom,¡¯ said Plaud, who runs the 9-employee company with his wife, Susan Plaud, vice president. ¡°We literally offer unlimited options on our beds and because our master craftsmen make every bed to order, we can change any element on any product in our line beyond just the wood, size, and finish.¡± For example, a customer who likes an extra-thick mattress may request an adjusted post height; one who wants rails to show can select from various options; and a client that wants a canopy or valance can choose from a selection of quarter testers to full architectural valances.
¡°We can even create an entirely new bed and complimentary custom pieces of our customers¡¯ own designs,¡± said Plaud. ¡°All they have to do is ask.¡± This accommodating approach to customer service has served Stephen Plaud well since its founder started the company in his basement in 1986. ¡°I loved doing wood turnings and carvings,¡± says Plaud, ¡°so I started out making those products for antique dealers in my spare time, namely at night, after work.¡±
Before Plaud knew it, he was making queen and king-sized four-poster beds for customers who were hungry for the unique designs, which included copies of antique beds that are generally unavailable in the larger mattress sizes. Fast-forward to 2013 and the Plauds run their company from a 28,000 square foot turn-of-the-century textile mill that they purchased and renovated about 15 years ago.
Stephen Plaud¡¯s internal sales team sells the manufacturer¡¯s final products to architects, designers and high-end furniture stores across the country. Since inception, Stephen Plaud has sold over 10,000 beds to customers across the country. ¡°We believe the reason we¡¯ve been the ¡®bed-maker of choice¡¯ for so many is because we will make any style four-poster bed ¨C from museum-level antique reproductions to contemporary designs with a myriad of custom options in-between,¡± said Plaud, whose firm offers a 100 percent ¡°Heirloom Guarantee¡± on the craftsmanship for any standard or custom-built bed produced. ¡°Our beds are built to last,¡± he said. ¡°If we could, we¡¯d guarantee our beds for 200 years.¡±
Bedpost designs with unique finishes are made from premium Hardwoods.
To make those beds, the manufacturer¡¯s skilled artisans build each finish layer-by-layer. Whether they want a traditional or contemporary look, the firm offers a ¡°silky-smooth finish or hand-planed texture, two levels of distressing (gentle or generous) and any combination of oils, sealers, stains, paints, glazes, varnishes, waxes or lacquers,¡± according to Plaud. ¡°Our color options include standard paints, stains and glazes or custom-matched colors to achieve just the right look.¡±
Like many Hardwood manufacturers who cater to the home-building industry, Stephen Plaud has dealt with its share of negative economic impacts over the last few years. ¡°For many years we just kept growing and hiring and buying new machinery,¡± said Plaud, whose most recent equipment acquisitions included new CNC machinery that complements its hand-carving and other manual processes. ¡°We¡¯re innovative in that we use a combination of old and new technology to make our products.¡±
Currently, Plaud said customers are still holding back on big purchases and non-necessities as they wait to see what happens with the national economy. This level of hesitation has made business challenging for Stephen Plaud Inc., which lost a number of key customers during the recession. ¡°The housing market is important to us because people buy furniture to go in their new homes,¡± said Plaud, who is optimistic about the future and his company¡¯s prospects. ¡°I think our customer base will continue to grow, particularly as more consumers look for that ¡®Made in the U.S.A.¡¯ label. Right now we¡¯re on a good path and we plan to continue on that route for the foreseeable future.¡±
