The Best Woods Story
I started best Woods over 11 years ago ─ in my little garage. It has been a very painful, exhilarating, stressful, faith-building, and humbling experience, and I would not recommend it to anybody!
I didn’t want to start a company. I wasn’t looking for a business opportunity – it just happened. One day I was laid off from my cozy corporate job, and something very unique happened. Within a few hours of being laid off, I knew what I was going to be doing for the rest of my life. I knew I was supposed to start a woodworking company—and we named it Best Woods! I also realized this company would be instrumental in bringing back a lost art—beautiful woodwork in our homes. Times have changed, and while most schools have dropped woodworking from their course curriculum, and it is almost impossible to find a skilled craftsman to do beautiful work in your home, it has become even more impossible to pay for it!
If you are like me, you love to watch old movies and check out the beautiful woodwork in the buildings and homes portrayed. It seems like all the homes back then had some crafted woodworking details to add character and charm. You would see stylish moldings, lintels on top of the doors and windows, beadboard or some type of wainscot on the walls, beautiful pilasters and crown moldings. The art of custom woodworking in America’s homes is dying, and has been for quite some time, as everything has become more generic.
It seems in our day, people are only interested in building the biggest home possible for the maximum amount they can borrow. There are two obvious problems with that, and I will only address the less obvious—going for the biggest possible home one can build, while cutting out all the important things that make a house a home. And that, of course, would be all the fine accoutrements that create ambiance and warmth. America is into supersizing and neglecting the finer details. Add a third car garage instead of wainscot in the dining room along with a beautiful coffered ceiling, and cozy lintels on top of all the doors and windows, crown moulding and bead board—all sacrificed for a three car garage!! You walk into the home, and it feels cold, generic, and spacious, instead of welcoming. Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a well designed room—you can actually feel a difference deep down in your soul? You can create the environment of a room, and it starts with the woodworking.
The Mission of Best Woods
I realized very early in starting Best Woods, that our mission would be to bring back this lost art to everybody—to make it affordable, so anybody could enjoy the beautiful woodworking that brings character and life to a home.
Homes can be peaceful, purposeful sanctuaries where wholesome values and human nobility are engendered in families. Well-designed homes inspire imagination, education, character, and achievement. They reflect individual tastes, values, and personalities.
~ Best Woods Vision
Within the first two weeks of starting Best Woods, our mission was set in stone “…to bring back the classic art of woodworking and beautify America's homes.”
We have worked tirelessly for the past 11 years in fulfilling our vision, and we have enhanced the environment of thousands upon thousand of homes! That part of the business has been exhilarating! Other times, like just after September 11, 2001, when our business almost came crashing down, I was left to ask myself, “Why did I ever start this company”? Who in his right mind would willingly go through something do painful and difficult? However, we put our nose to grindstone, and through hard work, faith, and pure blessings from above, we were able to pull through.
Principles to Work and Live By
A few years into our business I started what we call “The Best Woods University.” It may sound rather pretentious. However, it is fairly simple. There are eight books that have had such a fundamental impact on this company, that I had to make them available to all my employees. In fact, I strongly encouraged them to not only read each book (multiple times if necessary), but more importantly, to apply the principles taught in the books. The principles in these books are the foundation of our success, and they lead me and each of our employees even closer towards obtaining our vision.
“We expect all employees to read, understand, and apply the principles taught in the books from the Best Woods University . . . Employees that embrace the core values and the company vision realize enormous personal growth and accomplishments.
~ Best Woods Vision
Well that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! I hope you enjoy your experience with us at Best Woods. It makes me so happy, when the company I started, with and idea and a prayer, 11 years ago in my little garage, can help beautify and change the environment of your home – that brings joy to my heart! We have then fulfilled our mission in bringing back the classic art of wood working and beautifying your home!
Thank you
Tymen Best
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