Cutting a path: Carpenter turns hard times into business

SPRINGDALE — James Eldridge was spending a quiet evening at home with his wife Jessa – nothing fancy – just small talk and perusing the Internet when the newlyweds stumbled upon a rogue Facebook page that displayed a beautiful handmade coffee table for sale.

"My wife (Jessa) saw this coffee table and she had to have it,” said Eldridge

The page belonged to one of his former classmates at John Brown University, a marketing major named James Smith. Once the table’s creator had been identified, Eldridge quickly called up his old friend to inquire about his new business venture.

“I couldn’t believe it was him (Smith). I didn’t know if he remembered me from JBU or not, but I had to find out more about what he was doing. And at the insistence of my wife, I at least had to buy that table,” Eldridge said.

The coffee table project was the connection that launched James + James, a small custom wood furniture manufacturing facility in Springdale.

The start-up company couldn’t have come at a better time for Smith, who was unable to find steady work following graduation. Down to his last couple hundred dollars, Smith bought a hand-held electric saw for $40 and enough wood to fashion a table.

He posted it on Craigslist and though it didn’t sell for a month and his profits were modest, Smith said orders began pouring in for other wooden pieces like, night stands and dining tables.

Still pursuing full-time employment, Smith found his home-away-from-home in the workshop.

“I was struggling to pay my rent at that point and I figured maybe I could make a few bucks off the table,” said Smith. “I had no idea in the beginning that it would turn into anything more than a glorified hobby. After (Eldridge) became a partner it got more serious and within a few months became a full-time obligation,” he added.

With Smith serving as the creative force and Eldridge playing the part of the pitchman, James + James has quickly made a splash in the home-furniture world during its first year.

The company which started in Smith’s garage has since relocated to a spacious workshop in Springdale, and the James + James designs are showing up in living rooms all over the south.

From coffee tables to lamps and headboards, the rustic designs of Smith and his crew are truly unique.

“When you order furniture online it is not always fairly priced and made from the best materials,” said Smith. “I think what sets us apart is that we hand-make every order and we hand pick our wood. We take the attention to detail that most people don’t have the time to do and we do our best to make sure the customer is getting their money’s worth.”

Since opening the company, Smith has hired Rick Eldridge (the younger brother of James) as well as eight other part-time employees. Because James + James sell their items online as opposed to a retailer, they have been able to branch out to neighboring territories at a frantic rate. In fact, only 25% of the sales come from Arkansas.

“I think it helps that (Smith) is a marketing major because he is great about growing the company through the web,” said Eldridge. “Our biggest market at this point is probably Dallas. We have also done a ton of sales in Missouri among other states.”

Bill Fox, a small business consultant at the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center in Fayetteville, says Smith and Eldridge have likely found success because they identified a niche market with some pent-up demand.

“Their story is remarkable, but I am seeing today’s college graduates on the whole possess more of an entrepreneurial aptitude than some past generations. Some of it might stem from a tougher job climate and I think educators at all levels are introducing entrepreneurship more today,” Fox said.

He adds that the younger generation seems to have figured out it is possible to make a living doing something they enjoy instead of settling for a 9 to 5 job in the corporate world.

For Eldridge the booming business is just another load added to an already full plate. He is attending nursing school full-time and serving as a medic in the Air Force Reserves.

“I didn’t know when I partnered up with (Smith) that it would be a full-time job so quickly, but it has been a blessing no matter how busy it has made my life,” said Eldridge. “I was already applying to nursing school when we got the company going and when I got accepted I figured I could balance both. It has been a tough but rewarding year for us.”

James + James furniture can be found on Pinterest, Facebook and at the company's website www.carpenterjames.com.

Fox said the personal touch Smith and Eldridge give consumers by replying to every message left for them on Facebook is huge in building customer loyalty and growing referrals.