And that’s the way Jonathan David Coote wants it. It’s not that Coote craves anonymity; it’s just that he sees little reason to expend energy and money on the outside when his creative focus and skills are constantly being tested inside.
Coote, 50, is a master wood craftsman, and since 1987, his business, Jonathan David Woodworking, has been producing top quality custom wood products. “I called it Jonathan David (my middle name) because Coote seemed a little too rough,” he said.
Coote, married and the father of four sons, creates his masterpieces one at a time. JDW is a one-man operation. “I can tell folks I have the capability of a shop of 200 people because of the equipment and skill sets I have, but I also tell them I won’t be able to turn it around quickly. However, my customers save an enormous amount of money because I don’t have the overhead of these 200-people shops," he said.
His product line listed on his website includes custom cabinetry, entertainment centers, residential libraries, kitchens and closets.
His custom furniture items include residential furniture, office furniture and boardroom furniture.
Coote began with an apprenticeship on the shores of New Jersey, in a small shop like the one he now owns. “The owner did very high-end work on beach houses and this gave me an excellent introduction to the trade,” he said.
He began making small bookcases while working in Chicago for about seven years, and that’s where he met his wife.
“We landed in Greene County in 1986 after my wife had volunteered for Habitat for Humanity,” he said. “We decided this is great place to be and that we would stay here for a little while.”
Twenty-five years later, “We are still here and we love it. We are glad to be here, and I am glad my four boys are able to call Greene County home,” he said.
He said cherry wood is his personal favorite, but he also works with maple, ash, white oak and a little bit of walnut.
Making kitchen cabinets are his bread and butter because that’s what makes him the most money. “My love is making furniture, but furniture is a limited market because few people want to spend that kind of money on custom-made pieces of furniture, like dining room tables, chairs that accompany the tables, and hutches,” he said.
He explained a typical client who wants kitchen cabinets is someone who has lived in their house for 20 years or more, in their mid-50s and who doesn’t want to do this again. “They know what they want and they want it to be of high quality,” he said.
Coote, who has a degree in business from Waynesburg University, said one of his most unique projects took place last year. He said his two oldest sons were involved in a mission project in Liberia, Africa, and part of the project was to construct a building to house a training facility for physician’s assistants.
“So, as part of that project the operation needed cabinetry that could withstand the weather and insects common to Africa,” he said.
He donated his services and time to build cabinets out of a material called Azek, which is plastic cellular polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC.
“I designed the cabinets and fabricated them here in my shop. They were shipped flat so they could easily be assembled in Liberia," he said. "Because of the challenge it presented in fabricating and engineering, the end result was just fantastic,” he said.
Being a self-proprietor of a custom furniture business can be a risky enterprise.
Coote’s equipment represents the new and the old. “I have modern saws, but I also have a 1954 planer, a 1957 straight line rip saw and a 1942 molder,” he said. He gets these pieces of equipment from auctions of large firms shutting down. “That is happening all through the furniture belt, which is Michigan, Indiana and the Carolinas. These mammoth companies are either shutting down, shifting equipment to Asia, or selling out completely. Then other companies are buying their equipment and shipping it to Asia. For 30 years, 70 percent of household furniture has been imported from Asia, and now that number is up to 90 percent,” he said.
However, Coote said anything he produces is “made in America. All the hardwood I use is domestic. I stay away from fancy import woods, though some of them are very unique to work with,” he said.
He also said he has no regrets he is self-employed. A typical shop like his has one to six people. “If there are more than one you have to enjoy supervising and be willing to generate business most of the time. When I have been in that position I have found it less rewarding.”
Coote did admit it is more difficult to make money now, but he said his time as a laborer is more enjoyable. “Yes, perhaps I am becoming a dying breed, especially in this economy with the housing market so dead. With tight money, custom-made cabinets are not a priority."
Yet, he said he can’t afford to retire. “None of my sons have expressed interest in the business and that’s OK with me,” he said. “I would just assume they go to school and pursue their own careers.”
But, he said with a slight smile, “If that doesn't pan out they can always come and join dad.”
