MacKenzie-Dow Fine Furniture creates high

Barley Twist Refectory Table
MacKenzie-Dow Fine Furniture creates
high-end furnishings in the heart of Huntington.
By Kaylin Adkins
Photos by Rick Lee
T
ucked in the middle of Hal Greer Boulevard sits
a gray building many pass every day. While it
may seem like a run-of-the-mill building in downtown
Huntington, the façade does not tell its whole story.
Inside, local workers produce high-end 17th- and
18th-century European-style furniture, including dining tables, buffets, beds and much more. These items
are constructed of American-made materials, specifically wild black cherry wood from America’s Appalachian forests.
MacKenzie-Dow Fine Furniture is a true Huntington gem and may be one of the city’s best-kept secrets.
It all started in 2001, with a furniture show and an
overarching dream. Gary Adams, president of MacKenzie-Dow Fine Furniture, purchased the parent company, National Wood Products, in 1987. The company
manufactured kitchen cabinet components.
Then, in 2001, Don Ozmar, a former sales representative for Lexington Furniture Industries, asked Gary
to spearhead an antique-furniture operation based in
West Virginia. Gary took a few pieces to the High
Point Furniture Market in North Carolina – and the
rest is history.
More than 3,000 exhibitors and 45,000 buyers
visit the High Point Furniture Market twice a year
in the spring and fall. In April 2002, Gary exhibited
MacKenzie-Dow furniture for the first time at High
Point, offering these handcrafted furnishings to furniture galleries around the world. He merged his two
companies soon thereafter.
In January 2004, Gary’s son Bonner joined the
MacKenzie-Dow team as controller. Although the
company was steadily growing, Gary and Bonner
Adams still faced obstacles during the first few years,
including recessions and other companies outsourcing
their production overseas.
“We were really going against the grain with
MacKenzie-Dow,” Gary said. “I went to Vietnam and
China three times apiece and looked at possibly producing some furniture over there. For a time, we did
import some chair frames from China through some
American import companies; but as soon as we saw
the quality slide, we got away from doing that. A lot
goes into a piece of furniture. One of the first barriers
we encountered was not having a catalog with suitable
photography to show people our wares. Our first catalogs were printed on our Inkjet printers.”
But through it all, MacKenzie-Dow’s mission has
remained the same.
“Our mission is to make people’s homes more comfortable, and we want our products to be heirloom in
Gary and Bonner Adams are the father-son team behind much of MacKenzieDow’s success.
The MacKenzie-Dow team includes 29 plant floor employees, six customer service representatives and managers and 16 independent sales
representatives. The skilled furniture-makers carefully prepare each piece of furniture by hand.
nature,” Gary said. “These furnishings serve generations – not just a few years. They are investment pieces.
We’ve always tried to build the best quality we can.”
MacKenzie-Dow has grown exponentially to keep
up with supply and demand in 48 states and several
provinces in Canada. In addition to its production
factory in Huntington, it maintains a showroom in
High Point, N.C. Its 350 clients include retailers, interior designers, country clubs and restaurants around
the globe. MacKenzie-Dow’s pieces are featured at
The Greenbrier; the company’s retail shop is located
in the Art Colony, which showcases skilled artisans
working with metals, leather, brass, wood, glass and
pottery. In some cases, even celebrities have jumped
on the MacKenzie-Dow bandwagon, such as Rachael
Ray, the late Elizabeth Edwards, Professional Golf
Association of America’s players and a lead singer for
a rock band.
“The furniture has a certain look – rustic and refined,” said Paul Dau, owner of Dau Furnishings in St.
Louis, M.O., and a client of MacKenzie-Dow. “They
have an extraordinary and well-crafted product that has
a casual feel. They also help us with whatever we need
and are open to suggestions with any issues that arise.”
Popular products include the barley twist bed, the
draw leaf refectory table and the Brighton buffet. The
company’s most popular finish is wheatland. All items
can be customized to clients’ likings; in fact, approximately one-third of the furniture created is customized.
“Customization was one of the key things that
helped us weather the depths of the recession and
helped us make a name for ourselves,” Bonner said.
Twenty-nine plant floor employees and six customer service representatives and managers comprise the
MacKenzie-Dow team. Sixteen independent sales representatives market the furniture in the United States
and Canada.
When a purchase order is received, the production team uses work orders to collect furniture components from the rough mill. Raw lumber is selected
based on quality and finish, and Bonner Adams said
the knots in the wood are kept because they give the
final products character.
The team then uses the parts list to construct the
item. Once it is constructed, the furniture is handsanded and taken to the finishing room, where one of
four stain finishes is applied. The process is made up
of 13 to 15 steps and takes 24 to 48 hours to complete.
Barley Twist Four Poster Bed with Shortened Footboard Posts
Brighton Buffet with Wire Grille Doors and Wine Rack
Next, the quality control team checks for finish consistency and specifications. The team puts on hardware,
rubs a wax finish on the piece by hand and boxes it up
to deliver to the client.
“A lot of our customers are like family to us, and we
are to them as well,” Gary said. “They appreciate that.”
MacKenzie-Dow has won several awards, including the Build it in America Award from the MADE:
In America Foundation in Washington, D.C. The company has also won the admiration of respected names
in the furniture-making business.
“It’s satisfying to have people who have been in the
business for multiple generations come and tell you
that you build a great product,” Bonner said.
Although the company sells its wares worldwide,
there is only one place the production factory will
always call home.
“When the parent company was purchased in 1987,
I just always felt an affinity for keeping the business
here, even as it grew,” Gary said. “We’re proud that it’s
from Huntington and West Virginia. We’re one of only
two furniture manufacturers in West Virginia to show
works at High Point Furniture Market. We’re making
products that people love, and they’re coming out of
Huntington, W.Va. That just makes it even more special to me.”
Visit www.mackenziedow.com for more information or to view MacKenzie-Dow’s new products and
collections.
KAYLIN ADKINS is a freelance writer and Marshall University alumna
living in Huntington.