Area business owner finds niche in woodworking industry

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Battle Ground resident Kevin Wade first got into woodworking before he was even hitting the double digits in age.

“My first big project was a dog house made from 2-inch oak blocks from the DeWils’ mill-ends pile when I was 9 years old,” Wade said.

Wade decided to keep up with his woodworking and started his business, Lasting Generations Woodworking, in 2002 after spending almost 20 years in the semiconductor industry.

“Woodworking had always been a passion and I believed I could build quality furniture and cabinetry to sell,” he said.

Wade came up with the name Lasting Generations Woodworking because he said he wanted a name, not a logo, something that people relate to the quality that he tries to build into everything he does. Wade primarily builds with solid wood and solid veneered plywood, working with Emerson Hardwoods of Portland to “get the best quality from local mills.”

Offering all types of wood furniture and cabinetry for all rooms of the house, including living and dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, office and entertainment centers, Wade also offers some unique wood furniture items. In fact, the most popular-selling items that Wade makes are his custom-made wall beds.

Wall beds are a unique piece of bedroom furniture designed to give someone more space in their room when the bed is not being used. The bed is hinged at one end to store vertically against the wall, or inside of a closet or cabinet.

“When I made the decision to go into business I wanted a niche,” Wade said. “There are hundreds of local cabinet shops that build quality cabinets. I wanted to stand out with the wall bed. I researched wall bed hardware and found an American family owned business in Kentucky. Create-a-Bed Wall Bed hardware is all American made and comes with a 10-year warranty.”

In addition to making wood furniture for humans, Wade also offers pet furniture. The pet furniture includes dog crates made to look like end tables or a kitchen island, and the doggy wall bed that provides a nice comfy place for your four-legged friend to take a nap and then can be easily stored against the wall inside a cabinet.

“The dog crate end tables are perfect for pet owners who crate train their dogs, but want a nice looking piece of furniture in their living room,” Wade said. “I thought a dog wall bed was a great idea as well.”



As for trends in wood products, Wade said different types of wood tend to be popular in cycles. He said alder was very popular two years ago, then it was cherry. This year, he said he’s done a lot of work with oak.

Almost everything that Wade builds is customer ordered, with the exception being a piece he builds every year for the Clark Public Utilities Home & Garden Idea Fair. Some years, however, he will have a customer-ordered wall bed that he keeps for the three-day garden fair event which he then delivers to the customer with a discount or a free mattress.

“I do the Home & Garden Show every year and open and close the wall bed all day for three days,” he said. “It draws everyone’s attention in and gives me the opportunity to show off my quality. If they’re not in the market for a wall bed then hopefully they will consider me for some other project.”

Currently, Wade does have the wall bed he made for this year’s Home & Garden Show for sale. It’s a white maple queen wall bed with a two-drawer side cabinet, and he is selling it with a free mattress purchased from the Battle Ground Mattress Superstore.

In his own home, wood furniture can be found everywhere.

“There is literally a different species of wood furniture in every room of my home,” Wade said.

When asked what sets his woodworking business apart from others, Wade said he sets out to be “that guy” who gives the customer exactly what they want. Customers work directly with him on every detail of whatever project he is doing for them. He also doesn’t mass produce anything.

Wade is 50 years old and was born in Seattle. He moved to Southwest Washington when he was 9 years old and then moved to Battle Ground with his wife of 22 years in 1997. They have two daughters, ages 20 and 17.

To find out more about Lasting Generations Woodworking, visit www.lastinggenerations.com. To set up a personalized appointment, contact Wade at (360) 666-3345 or email lastgen@comcast.net. Shop hours are Mon.-Thu., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., noon-5 p.m.; and Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.