Self-taught woodworker places value on quality

Custom furniture manufacturer, Otis Jackson, will be the first to admit that his exclusively designed products are not the cheapest; however, this Passagefort, Portmore-based woodworker, has schooled himself to guarantee an "excellent return on investment".

"My designs are unique. The furniture is made from hardwood, and the quality speaks for itself," he declared, trying not to sound self-serving.

"It doesn't make sense to create a product and five years later, the owner has to replace it. I believe that whatever you build, as a furniture maker, should last a lifetime; and when the owner passes on, their children and relatives should be able to inherit it," he adds.

The quality of Jackson's furniture is a direct result of the professionalism that this JN Small Business Loans Limited (JNSBL) client invests in his work. He carefully procures original designs, paying keen attention to detail and employing like-minded craftsmen who are committed to producing work of the highest quality.

"I work with a carver who provides me with only original artwork," he says. "I also have a sander, a turner and a furniture maker who carefully follow instructions and are detailed in the execution of their work."

Turnaround time also plays a significant role in the quality of Jackson's service. Every job is done in the time specified.

Emphasis on quality

"If you accept an order and the job takes a month to complete, then the client will receive the furniture at the end of the month," he states in a no-nonsense manner. "There are furniture makers who take John, Tom and Mary's job and when the deadline arrives none of them are completed. I can't do more than one job at a time; therefore I don't take on several jobs at the same time," he explains.

A father of four, Jackson's emphasis on quality is natural. Making woodcraft has been his occupation since he discovered his talent while attending the Bridgeport Secondary School in Portmore where he learnt industrial arts more than 25 years ago.

"I started out carving wooden clips for girls at school," he relates. Soon, he graduated to making night tables and coffee tables; and then on to cupboards, before he eventually made his first chest of drawers, at age 17.

Accomplishing this task gave young Otis the confidence boost to set up his own business immediately after leaving school. The Beeston Street-born youngster, who had moved to Portmore from Kingston at age five with his mother, established his first operation at the back of his mother's shop in 1987.

"I took my time and saved my earnings from small carpentry jobs I did for people in the community, and bought my tools," he recalls.

From that early start, Jackson now has an operation, which is a source of employment for four men; and his client base continues to grow.

Tough task

Financing his operation was no easy task, Jackson explains. He sought financing for his business from JN Small Business Loans Limited, "I was not so happy about the loan amount they were offering me, but it was helpful, and over time I graduated to larger loans, which helped me to get several pieces of the equipment I needed," he says. He adds that, while sometimes he found it difficult to make his weekly payments, his field officer Shekena Mitchell was supportive.

"Jackson's business is now a lucrative operation which provides meaningful employment and he is determined to grow it in an effort to better his own life and that of his family, and his employees," Mitchell stated.

"We, therefore, thought it a good decision to finance the growth of his business."

"The company understands my business and they will assist you," Jackson adds. "And that is an important quality to me."

"Through JNSBL's funding I was able to make custom furniture for a number of clients including doctors, lawyers, and cosmetologists. However, my main clients are women," he says, explaining that, as homemakers, they often make the extra effort to ensure that the quality of the furniture items in their homes is the best.

Jackson has also made furniture for large companies such as Homelectrix and Rooms in the early 1990s; but, today he concentrates on his base clients - women.