Today we’d like to introduce you to Darryl Michaelson.
Hi Darryl, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
36 years ago I was looking to buy a piece of cat furniture for two kittens I had just adopted.
I realized the cat furniture market has many problems. They are too small where cats would lay. They were too steep in the design for the cat to properly manuever. Many taller pieces were top heavy before a cat was even on it.
The upholstering was also of poor quality. So many flaws overall that I decided to build my own.
My approach was to repurpose wood I would find.
When I finished my first piece my cats really loved it. I enjoyed the process and decided to start a hobby of making cat furniture. The hobby lasted a year before I decided I would try to make a business of it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being self employed requires a commitment unlike any other. There is always an area for improvement.
One of the biggest challenges is finding the right people for the job. And when the right person is found the next question is “how long are they going to last?”
I have been lucky with a few people who work here. I have 6 employees. 3 have been around 20 years. 1 is in her 3rd year and is very dependable. The other 2 are special needs and have been working here for over 2 years.
However, I have hired and fired around 10 people over the last 5 years who just simply did not work out.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Purrniture Cat Furniture?
Purrniture Cat Furniture was founded as a brand that uses repurposed materials in it’s construction. Specifically electrical reels. Companies who build computer servers, cords for items, and electrical distribution. What they refer to as their “empties” are high quality plywood disks. Plywood is something most other cat furniture companies do not use. They use a partical board of some sort. That is another one of the downfalls of that industry.
We also use carpet remnants to upholster our pieces. Carpet remnants are smaller pieces of carpet that the industry has a hard time selling. They must pay a fee to recycle the carpets that are too small to sell. We get a great price buying remnants from various carpet companies. This allows them to keep warehouse space open and save on recycling fees.
We can also boast that Purrniture Cat Furniture uses the latest styles and colors available today.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Customer service is most important.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://purrniture.com
