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Tony and Kathy Everett with some of their team members in the cutting room at Millwork on 31st in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A lot of the narrative on modern manufacturing automation has to do with using technology as a substitute for employees. This is especially true in the woodworking industry where finding skilled workers is routinely listed as the number one problem. But when Kathy and Tony Everett bought Millwork on 31st in Charlotte, North Carolina, they had a different vision for what automation could do.
The Everetts came to the woodworking industry from a non-woodworking background, but they were well versed in running a manufacturing business and using lean manufacturing techniques. They had bought a school bus seating company in 2006, which they grew from a $6 million operation to more than $20 million in sales. They sold that to a family-owned conglomerate, and Tony took over management of that division in the conglomerate while Kathy handled sales. Together they helped grow the division to $140 million.