February 5, 2020

I got the chance to chat with Bill French, Wood-Mode’s new owner, at KBIS 2020 a few weeks ago. The 75+-year-old company abruptly closed in May last year and resumed operations in September. The company has 700 dealers and 295 staff; in the spring, the plan is to move that number to 350.

I was able to glean more information on how the brand will progress moving forward, what its goals are and what changes have been made to improve its overall success.

KBB: What values does Wood-Mode hope to stand for with the re-launch?
French: Quality and service are uncompromisingly job #1 – our primary focus and a must-have for the Wood-Mode brand. Getting these right since reopening has helped a great deal with rebuilding trust among our dealers.

There will also be a communication and relationship focus through partnerships with staff, reps, dealers and media. We will convey a win-win attitude built on respect. We are also committed to the community, as well as sustainability and the environment.

Listening and responsiveness is also important – again with staff, reps and dealers. They have valuable experience and input and have a desire to help us succeed. We invite them to be a part of building the new Wood-Mode.

KBB: What changes have been made in terms of process and culture?
French: Operationally, several changes have resulted. Production is scheduled more efficiently than in the past, decreasing our lead times and increasing our complete on-time percentage. Out staff is utilized more flexibly, allowing workers to flow to different positions as needed. The factory production work week was reconfigured to four 10-hour days from five right-hour days, allowing most workers a three-way weekend. We collect, process and communicate many aspects of business differently, e.g., the production of opaque custom colors.

Culturally, we are focused on the power of listening (and responding) in a humble and open-minded manner. We have set this tone:

• Value the input of those who are working in the industry every day.
• Focus on listening and learning every day.
• Be grateful and thankful for the opportunity to build a new Wood-Mode.
• I have an open-door policy and regularly engage with staff on suggestions.

As a result, our complete and on-time percentage is at historic highs. For more than three months, it has been more than 90 percent. For more than two months, it has been between 95 and 100 percent.

KBB: Explain a bit more about how the leadership this time around has improved communication throughout the company.
French: The leadership team is focused on making changes by listening and learning from reps, dealers and staff. We have changed the way we communicate and function:

• We have regular conference calls with reps to update status on projects, factory performance, and gather feedback.
• We post regular company progress updates on the dealer website.
• The leadership team regularly walks the factory floor and engages the staff.

KBB: Are all the lines/products available at the company’s closing now available again? If not, when will they be?
French: All products that were available in the past are currently available. We are in the process of reviewing the products that were in development at the time of the closure to identify key products to introduce. For the near future, our first priority will continue to be the quality and service of our existing product line.

KBB: What’s next for Wood-Mode? Is there anything we should be looking out for?
French: We will be working to solidify and support our national dealer base through the following:

• Focus on building trust, listening and responding
• Maintain historic complete/on-time percentage
• Maintain lead times – Wood-Mode nine weeks; Brookhaven eight to nine weeks
• Re-engage product and design training schools
• Promote dealers through social media

We also want to expand our reputation for the best finish in the industry by introducing new standard finishes, which will be based on standardizing popular finishes requested as part of our custom finish program. We will upgrade our systems infrastructure with new machinery, engineering programs and an order entry program and payroll system. We will also explore other options like solar energy to increase sustainability.

In April, I am going to Milan for the EuroCucina show to continue to further my understanding of the business and trends.

– By Erinn Loucks