Handcrafted furniture company Square Manufacturing is expanding into a large space in Lewiston

LEWISTON – Flip a piece of hardwood-finished furniture made by Square Manufacturing and you’ll likely find a signature from one of its seven craftsmen.

From start to finish, the wood is measured, cut and assembled by the same person.

The goal is not to maximize production. Adam Rogers, one of the founders of Square Manufacturing, and his fellow woodworkers just want to follow their passion and earn enough to live on.

“(Square Furniture) is actually a business, but in some ways it’s kind of like a project,” Rogers said. “Like, how can we all do what we love and have enough money to live the lifestyle we want?”

Already, the company is making a name for itself in Maine and beyond. Saddleback’s new pub features chairs and tables made by their carpenters, and they build furniture for a company in New York.

Rather than hindering their growth, the labor-intensive process of creating furniture from start to finish has set their company apart from the competition.

“It’s just the consequences of a group of people practicing their craft and really caring about the quality of these objects,” he said. “Everything is handmade, well designed, quality work done by one person.”

Two years ago, the promise of a contract with Chilton Furniture was enough for Rogers, Pete Basil and Garett Jacobs to quit their full-time jobs and start Square Manufacturing. They brought a modest collection of machinery and tools to a space on Main Street in Lewiston, where they remained until last month.

Now in a larger space on Gendron Drive near River Road, Rogers said they are turning away business because they don’t yet have enough staff to meet demand. They hope to hire two more carpenters soon to increase their capacity.

“I don’t know how big this thing is, however big it is so that we can all make enough money, pay everyone what they deserve and continue to do better quality work,” he said. said Rogers. “Right now it looks like it’s maybe a dozen people, (but) you don’t really know.”

All of their wood – walnut, cherry, and maple, to name a few – is domestically sourced.

Rogers addressed the sustainability aspects of the business, noting, “Many companies will adopt sustainably harvested wood, but for us that’s not even worth mentioning, (it’s) sort of a data.

Even the scraps are put to good use. Leftover pieces are burned as firewood or given to a local craftsman. Sawdust is also saved for a dairy farmer in Turner.

Some of their projects are routine. They could do 10 of the same dining tables in the same day. But other projects, they said, could take two weeks.

Creating furniture for private contracts is one aspect of their business, but they also work with interior designers to help bring unique visions to life. The diversity of projects means Square Manufacturing woodworkers are constantly developing their skills and challenging themselves to go beyond what they have created before.

Rogers said they are particularly proud that their underlying philosophy remains the same as the day they started the business.

“We didn’t have to compromise on our goals when we started,” Rogers said. “We don’t have to create jobs that we don’t believe in. We don’t have to pay people low wages, we sincerely try to do the right thing. Focus on the work we want to do and what it deserves, while keeping the lights on. I think it feels good.

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