The following is an interview with Tharp Custom Cabinetry President, Garth Rummery, as he shares his thoughts on the effects COVID has had on the manufacturing industry, specifically as it relates to custom cabinetry in the Colorado area.

The COVID pandemic took manufacturers all over the world by surprise. At the beginning, shipments came to halt, money was being conserved, demand was low, and as people lost jobs, the market flow slowed.  The market had almost completely plummeted. But since then, things have turned around and are growing more than ever before. The following interview was done by Cydney Baron with The Statement in April 2021. Through the interview Garth Rummery talks to us about how the downfall caused the greatest improvements in manufacturing. 

What was Covid’s Initial Impact on Manufacturing in Colorado?

Exactly a year ago, our business pretty much stopped. At the end of March and April 2020 things just went silent. We were struggling to figure out how to navigate a pandemic. Things were shutting down left and right, and we had to figure out how to run our manufacturing facilities where there are typically a lot of people working in close quarters.

How have things progressively changed? 

Fourth quarter and this year are much more optimistic. Orders are way up and people are spending money again……It’s certainly a good time to be a manufacturer. There’s a lot of pent up demand. So manufacturers like us are trying to keep up. We’re seeing a lot of growth in commercial construction as well as residential remodels and new home building.

Has the market growth brought more competition in the industry? 

There’s a good amount of business coming back to the U.S. from low-cost regions around the world. That’s a great thing, but it’s a stressor on the supply chain. There are a lot of factors at play, but overall, I think we’ll see this growth trend continue, and even accelerate, through the rest of the year.

Where is the manufacturing market headed now?

We’re looking at further automation and pretty big capital expenses over the next year or two. That also drives demand. The equipment we’re buying triggers that manufacturer to add more jobs, which gives people more money to spend, which leads to them buying new homes and remodeling; therefore they need cabinets—which we supply. It’s a self-fulfilling trajectory upwards.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful observations Mr. Rummery! Since this interview, manufacturing has continued to experience exponential growth. It is truly exciting to see the manufacturing market thriving again!