Submitted by xohannasunx t3_11ld62f in vermont
Generic_Commenter-X t1_jbf683z wrote
Reply to comment by xohannasunx in Need some Vermonter words of affirmation by xohannasunx
The are a couple furniture outfits in my area. I once inquired about getting a job at Shackleton Furniture in Bridgewater Vermont. What I noticed is that it was either very young men or very old men working there. The young men were there for woodworking training and income. The old men were there because they didn't need money and were otherwise bored with their lives. Building furniture for Shackletongave them a place to woodwork. The pay (early aughts) was something like 12 dollars an hour and you only got two days off a year. Seriously. The other furniture maker around here is Pompanoosic Mills. They're more of an assembly line furniture maker but they make decent and stylish furniture. Their pay is better but not great. If your husband has timber framing experience, there's demand for that. I'm a builder myself (or was before I turned to writing) and know a couple timber framing outfits. There's a real demand for timber framing in the area (Hanover/Norwich) because there's lots of money here. and high end building. You're not going to see timber framing jobs being advertised though. It's word of mouth. Also, check out Vermod:
They're in WRJ and are currently looking for carpenters. That would be a good place to simply get your foot in the door and start asking around. And if you're a graphic designer with some web design skills, a family friend of mine has been working at a web-design company in Lebanon with a graphic design background. With your background and your husband's background, this area could be promising.
xohannasunx OP t1_jbfodax wrote
It's funny you mentioned Shackleton, my husband reached out to them last month and apparently the job posting he asked after was 7+ months old. Happy to get insight on the pay not being wonderful, maybe it wasn't great to begin with. I'm going to pass along the tip about the timber framing demand you mentioned. My husband was actually looking to get out of it. He used to travel around the country with a field crew doing raisings and it takes quite a physical toll. I could see why you pivoted! We have to keep our options open with the higher cost of living, I guess. Thanks a million for the tips, it's extremely generous. We're really hoping to make this work but need a few things to fall into place first.
Generic_Commenter-X t1_jbg0v93 wrote
How old is he? Would he consider apprenticing/pivoting to electrical work? There's a real demand for electricians (with all the green tech being installed in Vermont). I still subcontract with an energy company and their in-house electrician was making beaucoup de $$$ installing solar panels and heat pumps. I doubt there's much to be made in furniture making. I had a friend who wanted to build and sell custom furniture, but there was little to no demand. He moved to California but didn't fare much better, so maybe the problem was his furniture? It's possible to get by as a carpenter, with a working spouse, but the real money is in contracting with a crew. I would NOT recommend Shackleton.
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