Jake’s Handcrafted Oak offers beautiful furniture plus the very best in customer care
By Jennifer Kneuss
Jake’s Handcrafted Oak, located just eight miles north of Millersburg, Ohio, is definitely not just another furniture store, and it definitely contains many wood choices other than oak. Owners Jake and Millie Chupp, who opened the shop more than 15 years ago, love to help their customers select just the right furniture for their home. The Chupps stay up-to-date on what their customers are looking for.
“Our customers used to always want oak, but anymore we are seeing the brown maple becoming very popular. We used to do a lot of cherry, too, but we can also stain the brown maple to closely resemble cherry, in a less expensive option,” explained Jake Chupp. The shop also insists on contributing to the local economy. “Almost all of the wood used to make our furniture comes from Ohio, with a small portion coming from eastern Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Absolutely nothing in our shop is imported from overseas. It is all made locally, by area Amish craftsmen.”
The commitment to the personalized customer service that the Chupps provide extends to their design services, too. If customers cannot find exactly what they are looking for, Jake and Millie will sit down with them and help design the perfect piece of furniture.
“Someone may come in and buy a table and chairs, and down the road they return for a bedroom set. Our customer base is quite loyal. Once they’ve purchased something here, they feel very comfortable coming back to make future purchases.”
How do people find out what Jake’s Handcrafted Oak has to offer? After all, since they do not use modern electricity, the couple does not have their own website.
“Word of mouth,” noted Jake Chupp. “And through other places on the Web that tell about us. We’ve had people from California, Canada, and New York visit the store. About 80 percent of the people who order actually visit the store first. Others may order from information I send them. They contact me and tell me what they are looking for, and I talk with them on the phone.”
Most customers do indeed come in person. They come for the Shreveport dining room set with its beautifully turned table legs and gorgeously upholstered chairs, or for the elegant Windsor Ridge hutch or wide-screen entertainment center. They may stop by to look at rustic bedroom sets, or more elegant sleigh beds. Or perhaps they want to cast their eyes on the Millie Heritage bedroom suite, which was designed by Millie herself for her own room.
Along the way, customers will find spectacular living room furniture and distinguished pieces for any office setting, whether it be at home or in the corporate world. All of the offerings at Jake’s Handcrafted Oak are shown in comfortable, home-like settings, so guests can easily picture how the pieces will look in their own homes.
Heirloom quality baby and children’s furniture can be found at the shop also, as well as wonderfully simple and entertaining children’s toys that will last for generations.
The list of available styles and finishes goes on and on.
“I do have a lot of mixtures in the store. The Mission style has always been good, and is still strong for us. There is a little more of a leaning toward incorporating more modern touches now, though. People are spicing it up a little,” commented Jake Chupp. “I would say that dining room sets probably are most popular, with tables, chairs, and a hutch.”
Need to entertain large groups or large family? No problem. The store offers as many table leaves as you could possibly want, to accommodate from two to 20. And if an outdoor party is more your style, the outdoor furniture at Jake’s will provide unique seating for your guests. Truly, Jake’s Handcrafted Oak can furnish your home both inside and out.
What you find in the store now may not necessarily be there several months into the future, however.
“People are always looking for new things, and we want to keep up with that,” explained the friendly store owner. “We’re always getting new things. We always bring in something new at least every six months.
Take a relaxing and beautiful drive through the rolling hills of Amish Country and stop in and see the Chupps for your home furnishing needs. Jake’s Handcrafted Oak is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and like many Plain People businesses, are closed on Sundays. You’re sure to find Jake and Millie eager and willing to help with your choices.
Jake’s Handcrafted Oak is located at 8239 Township Road 562 in Holmesville, Ohio. Call Jake and Millie at (888-388-5650) and leave a voice mail. Jake will be sure to return your call quickly.
“I’m fair and honest, and I definitely care about my customers. I want my customers to be happy and satisfied,” said Jake. “I enjoy what I do.”
