Millersburg, OH–Holmes Custom Moulding Ltd. (HCM), headquartered here, manufactures wheelbarrow handles and wedges, broom handles, wagons and many other custom wood components. The company purchases approximately 3.25 million board feet annually of Softwoods and hardwoods combined in 4/4 through 8/4 thicknesses, No. 1 Common and Better. Species utilized include Southern Yellow Pine, poplar, beech and sycamore.
“We emphasize the importance of choosing American suppliers for your wood products. The advantages of American suppliers are endless from high quality standards and quick lead times, to direct and clear communication.”
Wayne Troyer, purchasing and account manager, Holmes Custom Moulding Ltd.
Established in 1992 by three brothers–Albert, Dan, and Wayne Hershberger–HCM was based on the south side of Berlin, Ohio just across the road from its current location. “The brothers received a small business loan from the bank and purchased used equipment to start manufacturing dimension lumber,” Purchasing and Account Manager Wayne Troyer explained. “Their product base ranged from simple wooden dowels to chair parts for local furniture builders.”
The business moved to a larger facility in the fall of 2012 and added the Berlin Flyer wagon line to their product list. Today HCM has grown to a company with approximately 50 employees. The company’s main products are wooden handles for brooms, mops, wheelbarrows, and paint brushes. “We also manufacture wheelbarrow wedges, small furniture parts, and lawn furniture,” Troyer explained. “We process most of the lumber for our products in-house from drying to milling, but also offer custom milling services.”
Troyer said the company purchases green hardwoods from sawmills and kiln-dried Softwoods from wholesalers. Equipment utilized by HCM includes a Leadermac moulder; several Weinig moulders; a C.R. Onsrud 3-Axis router; Delladova U.V. finishers; a Mereen-Johnson gang rip saw with a Cameron feed system; a Weinig Dimter Opti-cut and a Tisfoon wood scanner. “Most of the secondary operation machines are engineered from scratch by our maintenance department,” Troyer explained. “These machines are used to either knob, chuck, sand, thread or drill our dowel products.”
He continued, “Our Tisfoon scanner involves four cameras at different angles that scans the wood for defects, specific to the species. This eliminates the need to have team members mark the wood for defects by hand. Our wagons have a patented No-Tip Steering feature. The steel undercarriage is designed to keep the wagon from tipping over, which is a great feature for a children’s toy. The wagon paint line is set up to weave back and forth to allow time for drying. They are dipped and hung up on the overhead paint track. By the time the racks arrive at the end of the paint track, the racks are completely dry. Our UV finishers give us the capability to take our products from unfinished to finished in seconds. The UV lights inside the finisher instantly dry the finish that is sprayed on, and the product comes out of the finisher ready to package. The 3-Axis CNC router allows us to take in custom orders that would otherwise be very difficult for us to produce.”
With 2019 being one of the highest sales years in company history, going forward, the company would like to see a continual, steady increase in sales, especially the wagon line. “Our wagons have not been changed since they were first produced in 1965,” Troyer said. “We launched a campaign to offer promotional opportunities to businesses, schools, nonprofits and other organizations using our wagons. We have full graphic branding capabilities and eight stock color options. It is the highest quality and most durable wagon on the market today.”
Located in the heart of Amish country, Troyer said the company’s most valuable asset is its employees. “Most of our employees are either Amish or come from an Amish background,” he said. “Work ethic and the value of family are a staple ingredient to the Amish heritage. Along with quality craftsmanship, these things are evident in our culture. Our employees are our greatest asset.”
Troyer said another strength the company has is the ability to accommodate large quantity orders. “Our shop is set up best for order quantities that are over 1,000 pieces,” he explained. “With the recent purchase of a new moulder, our capacity has grown even further.”
HCM provides 100 percent American-made products and supports American suppliers. “We emphasize the importance of choosing American suppliers for your wood products,” Troyer said. “The advantages of American suppliers are endless from high quality standards and quick lead times, to direct and clear communication. Choosing American suppliers helps lesson contribution to the Amazon rainforest deforestation problem and there are no exchange rate issues here in the USA.”
As for special installations and projects, HCM products can be found in some fascinating places. “We have had the opportunity to take part in several specialty orders,” said Troyer. “In 2015 we received a call from the White House. Former First Lady Michelle Obama was planning a visit to London where she would meet Prince George, Princess Charlotte and the royal family of Cambridge. Mrs. Obama wanted to gift Prince George with an American-made wagon. A Berlin Flyer Pee-Wee Wagon was prepared and sent over for the royal family to receive.”
The firm also completed an order for Doggo Ramps, a bed ramp specially made for dogs. The ramps were promoted by Crusoe, the celebrity dachshund. Crusoe has a large following of fans, with nearly 800,000 followers on Instagram.
Key personnel at Holmes Custom Moulding, including Troyer, are President Wayne Hershberger; Chief Operating Officer Joe Yoder; and Chief Financial Officer Keith Miller.
Holmes Custom Moulding Ltd. is a member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
For more information visit www.hcmohio.com.
