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Feature Story : P. Graham Dunn
P. Graham Dunn shares the Word through wood From a simple piece of wood, emerges a work of art under the hands of the craftspeople at the P. Graham Dunn Gallery, located at 1417 Zuercher Road, Dalton, Ohio. The gallery creates computerized router and laser engraved inspirational wood products ranging from signs, to Christmas ornaments to pens, crosses, furniture and customized items, according to Harry Wilkins, gallery manager for P. Graham Dunn. “We are the same core business that was started in an old chicken house in 1976,” he said. “But the biggest change has been technology. When we started, we were running three shifts, 24 hours per day.” Wilkins added that while cherry is the most popular wood for their products, followed closely by oak, other woods used for their designs include walnut, purple heart, maple, and poplar. “We have lots of new designs, lithographs and products,” he said. “There are over 1800 items in our catalogues and 30-40 percent of those are new products. Our customers may request new things or our employees may come up with new ideas. This place is really an incubator for designs.” While the business uses state of the art equipment to design their products, once the items leave the cutting machines everything from sanding to finishing to packing the products for shipment is done by hand. The gift gallery has been open since 2001, but by 2003 it underwent an expansion to double it in size. The gallery also has its own laser equipment to personalize the gift items and make them special for the recipient. The gallery is a “jaw dropper” for visitors according to Wilkins. It is an excellent marketing tool as it allows dealers to come in and see what they have to offer. “This is a real ministry,” he said. “We ship to around 4000 accounts worldwide. We have a mailing list of about 10,000 retail customers, so we promote our product sales year round. We also have a “Year End Sale to move out discontinued items, seconds, prototypes, unfinished products and other bargains. It is a great draw, we clean out our shop floor. People really look forward to this sale.” “Our challenge is to continue to keep the line fresh, and present the word of God in beautiful ways,” Wilkens concluded. The business is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. For more information contact the gallery at 800-828-5260, or fax them at 330-857-0306 or check out their web site at www.pgrahamdunn.com |
Address: 630 Henry Street Dalton, OH 44618 800-828-5260 Visit Us: M-Sat 9-5, closed Sun Email Us: gallery@pgrahamdunn.com Visit Our Website: www.pgrahamdunn.com
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