Shift in focus helps spur growth

BREAKING THE MOLD: When President Ken Bertram, above left, and partners took over Cumberland’s Herrick & White Architectural Woodworkers in 2007, a single commercial customer accounted for much of the company’s business. But the Great Recession forced a change in strategy. Also pictured is moulder operator Steve Langis. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
BREAKING THE MOLD: When President Ken Bertram, above left, and partners took over Cumberland’s Herrick & White Architectural Woodworkers in 2007, a single commercial customer accounted for much of the company’s business. But the Great Recession forced a change in strategy. Also pictured is moulder operator Steve Langis. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

When Ken Bertram, president of Herrick & White Architectural Woodworkers, first heard that he was in contention for an entrepreneurial-excellence award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, it came as more than just a surprise.
Herrick & White wasn’t, after all, a new company. It had grown from a two-person operation in 1977 run out of a garage to a home in a 55,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that now employs more than 100 people.
“An entrepreneur? I didn’t see myself as that,” Bertram said.
But as he considered the history of the company since he and his two partners had taken over the firm in 2007, the near-complete re-envisioning of the company’s business did help him realize the 2014 entrepreneurial award the company received made sense.
In his first days at the company, a single commercial customer, the department store Talbots, had accounted for about 70 percent of the firm’s business.
But in the early days of his ownership came the stock market crash that caused Talbots to cut back an estimated 80-90 percent of its business.
Herrick & White weathered the first half of 2009 fairly well, propped up by a large, high-end residential project, but by the end of that year they were looking at cutting costs, cutting benefits, cutting pay and possibly cutting jobs.
But with the aid of some outside consultants, Bertram said, “we really started building the company back up again.”
“We basically rebranded ourselves as primarily a high-end residential firm,” he said. “It was a difficult transition.”
But by demonstrating the ability to do the high-quality cabinetmaking work that was the trademark of the company, Herrick & White has grown ever since, with sales poised to grow 60 percent even over last year.
One key to success is Herrick & White makes sure to follow through on its project commitments.
“All construction projects have issues and bumps,” Bertram said. “Some [companies] walk away when there are issues and bumps. We will not walk away.”
The ability to offer that kind of commitment comes from both tradition and the people that make up the company, Bertram said. “Our team and employees, they’re an amazing group of craftsmen,” he said. “They just produce such a high level of work.”
But looking to the future of Herrick & White, Bertram confesses to some concerns.
“For several years we’ve had an aging workforce,” he said. “Who is going to be our next generation of people?”
“I don’t see younger people coming in with the drive to take over and grow with the business,” he added.
Younger workers could certainly find inspiration in the story of Bertram and his partners.
Bertram started as a cabinetmaker in 1985. Garry Rousseau, now the executive vice president of sales and marketing, was one of the first employees that Steve Herrick and Ken White had hired.
“And now we own the company,” Bertram said, adding that the company’s chief financial officer, Steve Brannigan, was also a long-term employee before becoming the third partner.
“As a cabinetmaker my question to the hiring manager was, ‘Can I move up to the office,’ ” Bertram said. “He told me, ‘No.’ ”
But Bertram did move up to become a project manager and each time he moved up he always asked what he needed to do to get to the next level. And when the previous owners started looking to their own retirement, Bertram, Rousseau and Brannigan found themselves in a position to take the ultimate step up within the company and take over.
And with woodworking still a strong industry in Rhode Island, Bertram emphasizes that there are plenty of good opportunities for talented young people in the region, without moving far from home.
“There’s at least one company in Rhode Island that’s substantially bigger than us, and many, many more that are smaller, but we’re all looking for good craftsmen,” Bertram said.
Another challenge for the future that Bertram and his partners are considering is that the majority of their current business today is in the residential market, and there are dangers in becoming too focused on one area of business growth.
“If the market shifts again, I want a place to go,” Bertram said. “I want to be in a position that we can shift with them. I want to be versatile.” •

COMPANY PROFILE
Herrick & White Architectural Woodworkers
OWNERS: Ken Bertram, Steven Brannigan and Garry Rousseau
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Crafting and installing high-end, custom woodwork for residential, commercial and retail customers.
LOCATION: 3 Flat Street, Cumberland
EMPLOYEES: 100 (estimated)
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1977
ANNUAL SALES: WND

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