MILLWORK
by Karl D. Forth
karl.forth@ccimedia.net
Mock Woodworking has gone from making cabinets to millwork and store fixtures,
and has expanded its geographic area to better handle market fluctuations.
Millwork and fixture
maker emphasizes quality
in its markets.
At a glance
Who: Mock Woodworking Co.
Where: Zanesville, Ohio
Mock Woodworking has steadily
changed and expanded in its 57 years of
business. The Zanesville, Ohio, company
has gone from residential to commercial
cabinets, then into architectural millwork
and store fixtures.
Today, the company’s flexibility has
helped it deal with market fluctuations.
The company also invested in new
technologies in the 1980s and 1990s to
help it handle higher volume repetitive
manufacturing, including health care
furniture and larger store fixture orders.
Company president Doug Mock says that
the company has also changed in relation
to its local market. In the past, much of
the business came from tenant finish
work for banks, insurance companies and
other office work in nearby Columbus and
other parts of Ohio. In 2010, half of work
was outside of Ohio, and the percentage
will be higher in 2011.
“Our circle has gotten bigger, it had
to,” Mock says. “We have found it more
challenging to manage architectural
Market and geographic
flexibility lead to rebound
Strategies for success
❯ Increase geographic area
❯ Add new products
❯ Listen to existing customers
❯ Build on personnel capabilities
❯ Utilize technology
❯ Learn from others, including
trade associations and best
practices groups
Products: Architectural
millwork, store fixtures
Employees: 38
Plant size: 46,000 square feet
Web site:
www.Mockwoodworking.com
woodwork
projects that are farther from our
facilities. Also, the relationships are not
yet as strong as our existing markets.”
Business had increased in every year
from 2006 to 2009. After the downturn
started, Mock said the company had
a large backlog, so they were in pretty
good shape until end of 2009. The low
point in terms of business was 2010.
In 2011, work for larger retailers kept
the company busy. “This year, business
has improved, mostly due to large con-
