Ramblin Wood - 20th Anniversary

The Placitas Futon Sofa Bed

Cady started working with wood in 1975. “My dad was a woodworker of sorts, and that got me interested in it too. I started out in my garage making things for myself and friends,” Cady said. In 1980 Cady went into business for himself commercially and by attending local arts and crafts shows he began picking up business for his new venture. “I began to make a living at this craft by doing custom work. There was a lot of custom work back then, and I went on like that for years.”

In 1988 Cady moved out of his garage into his first commercial space and in 1989 he showed for the first time at the FANA Futon Expo in New Orleans. “I had run into Lois Hamamoto of Bright Future Futon in Albuquerque a year earlier. There weren’t many futon manufacturers back then so I started making futon frames for her with a very simple conversion mechanism, similar to the sliding pin (William) Brouwer was using,” Cady said. With a desire to expand his horizons Cady took his show on the road and picked up several accounts at the Expo in New Orleans. Cady also pointed out that of all the futon frame manufacturers who were at that show, only Ramblin Wood still exists in the same form with the same ownership.

Dave is a fine woodworker who loves his craft. He has done all of the finish work and cabinetry in his own home and has built most of his own furniture. He has also built several small watercraft including two kayaks and has recently finished this beautiful canoe.

Futons Hand Made in Albuquerque
 

Cady has done every show since, and has introduced several innovative designs along the way. “The following year in Washington, we showed the first true convertible chair in the futon industry,” Cady said. But it was the following year that Cady found something he had always been searching for. “I had always been looking for hardware improvements right along, and I found the hardware that we still use today. This hardware allowed us to create the Pecos Bed, a simple platform bed,” he said. Cady showed the bed at the next show in Denver and it took off. “I didn’t think much of it back then, but our direction was about to change.” He said.

“At that time we felt it was going to get very competitive with so many manufacturers jumping into the futon frame business. Offshore products coming in, domestic goods… we decided to redirect ourselves away from only making the convertible futon frame, and slide into the platform bed business too,” Cady said. “That decision has worked well for us.”

“The key benefits of our (Ramblin Wood’s) beds are that they are made of solid American hardwoods, they are easy to assemble, show no exposed connectors and they can all be shipped UPS. And since there is no minimum order, smaller specialty shops can place an order that is shipped directly to them or their customer, and large shops can order a dozen beds at once,” Cady said.

Stability Through Controlled Growth

Cady has been deliberate in his desire to keep his hand to the saw. “The way Ramblin Wood is now is where I want it to be,” said Cady. “With the company at the size it is I am still able to cut every piece of wood to length myself and keep a close eye on production. I like that because it keeps me involved and it keeps the quality very high. To be honest with you growth is not a goal. I just want to do quality work and keep pace with the business I have right now,” he said.

Ramblin Wood also polls all consumers with a mail-back warranty card. A high percentage reply with positive feedback and some make suggestions for improvements. “We listen very carefully to what we hear on these cards,” Cady says. His attitude is positive and he firmly believes any comment from the consumer is valuable. “Feedback is the best guide to help us improve the product and maintain quality,” he said.

The Sandia Bed Cady's best selling platform bed

A Product Lineup with a Custom Twist

Ramblin Wood makes about ten different platform beds but their standard bed can be customized. “We make several different finished products from a single basic design,” said Cady. Each bed can be made in several different finishes, woods, and in several different heights. “Our basic four poster bed can come in one of five different sizes, all the way up to king size, in oak or maple, with one of four different styles of headboards, and can be fitted for a box spring and mattress or futon mattress. That means every bed that goes out of here can be made to order, and that’s a great selling point when the dealer knows their customer will get the bed they want in three weeks or less,” Cady said. The company also offers a “rush” service that guarantees shipping in five days or less for a small surcharge. Ramblin Wood also makes convertible futon sofa beds, with love seats and chairs, in two different styles. “We make tables, dressers and hatracks to match too!” Cady said. But quality seems to be foremost in this entrepreneur’s mind. “Our customers seem to know a lot about our products and like dealing with us,” said Cady. “In fact, many of them say that our furniture has the fewest number of problems of any product they carry, even with the high level of customization we offer.”

Options galore, high quality, superior service, custom made (to order), drop shipping (upon request); sounds like something I could deal with. Dave Cady seems to be able to have his cake and eat it too. “We are very stable right now,” says Cady, “and that’s where I want to be.” Me too!

FL