When looking at what the future holds for Homestead Woodworks, Clare says it’s not so much about size and numbers, but about maintaining the company’s reputation, and keeping the quality of their products intact. “My goal is not to double the size; my goal is more about making sure we are still a good company.” However, when Clare does consider his projects and plans, he says growth is on the company’s horizon in the near future. “We’ve got drawings now for doubling the size of our shop in a phased approach. Probably half of that will be in phase one, which is the third time we’re growing in the shop size.” “When we look at the growth that we’ve had, we see a slow and meaningful growth. That means we do have to expand the shop at some point.” Shop expansion also means enlarging the workforce with properly trained employees, to make that growth possible. “We are landing some people from other companies, but we also grow a lot from within,” Clare concludes. “We have a lot of very young help, and put a lot of energy into taking the young help and training them.” Clare points out that plans for the future also include a management changeover spanning a 10-to-15-year period. During that period, the company will bring in third generation of managers. “Our goal is to have a well-run reputable business with the third generation in full leadership.” FEBRUARY 2024
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