Crow Works leaving its mark with tree program
Crow Works team members help with the tree plantings that take place each time the company sells a tabletop.
A local design and manufacturing company is making a difference one tabletop at a time.
Crow Works, located in Killbuck, specializes in making commercial furniture for restaurants. With a desire to give back to where some of its products come from, the Tree For Every Top program was born. A tree is planted each time Crow Works sells a tabletop, which is the primary component sold by the company.
The program is in its third year and has contributed to the planting of more than 50,000 trees in Ohio since its inception.
“Our founders Dennis and Denise Blankemeyer really believe that they want to leave the world a better place,” said Andy Wheeler, senior vice president of operations and people at Crow Works. “A big component of that is sustainability. Especially in the industry that we work in and the products that we make utilizing hardwood lumber, we want to give back and make sure that we’re taking care of the environment.
“Anything we’re taking out of the environment, we want to make sure we’re putting back into the environment.”
The Ohio Forestry Association helped Crow Works obtain several partners who find people who want trees planted. Once an arrangement is made, Crow Works employees help with the planting.
“We have three different partners that help us source land for folks who want trees and want plantings to happen, and then our team works with our partners to help them with volunteer opportunities to go plant trees,” Wheeler said. “It’s pretty cool to have the team members have an opportunity from an educational perspective around the trees and their impact on the environment. To be a part of the actual planting and to be a part of the process, it’s pretty cool.”
Wheeler said the species of trees that are planted depend on where they’re planting them and the needs of that area.
“Our primary species are white oak and black walnut because those are also the primary species that we use for our tabletops, but we do use a diverse species list, depending on where (the trees) are going,” he said.
So far all the trees planted have been in Ohio.
“We may have to get outside of Ohio at some point, but so far so good,” Wheeler said. “We’ve been able to find land in Ohio and projects in Ohio.”
According to the Crow Works website, each of its tabletops is made to order by its team in Killbuck. From raw lumber to a finished table ready for a restaurant’s dinner rush, each tabletop is made with a dedication to the details and a love for the craft. Companies such as Shake Shack, Panera, Wendy’s and QDOBA buy Crow Works products, which are all made in the United States.
Crow Works has been in business since 1995, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2020, and has been in Holmes County since 2008.