On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:19:13 -0700, Mark & Juanita
wrote:


How many other Tucson or Phoenix Woodcraft customers got a letter in the
mail today offering the Tucson and Phoenix franchises for sale?

Seems that if they are soliciting their customer list, people aren't
exactly beating down the door for franchise opportunities.

Some of the franchises do very well. Some of them do not. It depends
on the guy who's running the operation. There are two within 50
miles of each other in Virginia and they are a success because the
franchisee is a savvy businessman and seems to have the basic good
sense to realize he has to please his customers. One of the
franchisees stores was operated by Woodcraft, itself, before he bought
it. After he took over it improved immeasurably. The other store he
opened after his success with the one he bought from Woodcraft.

I remember going into a few other Woodcrafts when I visited different
places. I walked into one and said to myself "This place won't make
it." It didn't. It was not well stocked. It was poorly lighted. It
was not that clean and there was minimum stock and selection. There
were three salesmen sitting down chewing the fat. I was left with the
feeling that they resented being disturbed.

I wish all woodworking storesl well. I like having being able to go
in a store and handle the tool rather than read often inadequate
descriptions in catalogs like Rockler. I do take my hat off to the
people at Lee Valley. Their catalog, unlike Rockler's, shows that
they are really interested in woodworking. Lee Valley, while
sometimes introducing tools that make us all laugh a bit, seems to
very innovative. They actually solicit ideas from their customers on
tools they would like to see. They then develop those tools
themselves.

I think we are living in a Golden Age of woodworking tools and
machinery. There is absolutely no comparison to what was available
when I started woodworking many years ago. And while there is less
iron in some of the professional machinery this has been more than
offset by other improvements, viz, the t-square fence.

Joe