On the Closure of South Bend Woodworks
After much consideration, I have made the difficult decision to close South Bend Woodworks at the end of this year.
I am so deeply grateful for your support over the past ten years. Please accept my heartfelt thank you for making the past decade possible.
As the year progressed, economic realities began to deeply affect the operations of the Woodworks. While the start of the year was encouraging, the spring and summer months have been challenging in unexpected ways. Beyond that, in June I turned 74, and it is time for me to make some changes to how I live my life.
This was not an easy decision to make. When I started South Bend Woodworks in 2013, my only vision was to establish a place where good people who might’ve needed a second chance could come to work and be treated with dignity. What has come from that is more than I ever could’ve hoped. The South Bend Woodworks family has become my own, and I am so proud to have seen them grow over this past decade.
When I made the decision to retire, I had to decide whether to retire immediately or to continue operations through the end of the year. I spoke with each member of our team individually, and the team was unanimous in wanting to finish out the year. Q4 is our craziest, busiest, and most satisfying quarter of the year. When all is said and done, we take great satisfaction from the fact that we will have sent out thousands of high-quality, long lasting wood toys to be enjoyed by children for many years.
Over the coming weeks, you will hear more from us about what’s next, including special sales available only to folks here on our email list. So stay tuned, and keep an eye out for more.
Thank you all again for all of your support over these years. We are so grateful to have made so many wonderful gifts for so many families. We wish you all the best, and thank you again for being part of the South Bend Woodworks community.
Gratefully,
Mike