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Company Profile

   I started TurningARound in 2000 when I retired as a tax write off for my home shop.  Slowly word spread among Dallas area contractors that there was source for small jobs and I discovered that I enjoyed the challenge of commercial work.   I am fortunate in that over the years I have built 1000 square feet of shop space with all the tools I need so I don't have the overhead associated with a normal business.  The savings are passed along to my customers.  I use what I call "the good enough philosophy".  Is the workmanship good enough that I would put it in my house?  This is half the price of museum quality but twice the quality contractors expect.  

  As all my projects are small jobs there is not the boredom of doing the same thing day after day.  About the time I really get comfortable with the requirements of the turnings the job is over.  Quality ranges from a custom high end furniture maker who demands perfect work to the wood dowels I do for a timber framer who wants them sanded with 24 grit.  

  I was a general contract for two years and got fed up with the hassles and went back being a network administrator.  Now that I am retired I can run my business the way I wanted to be treated when I was a contractor.  I seldom do retail work but instead work directly with the contractor, designer or architect.  I charge a 100% avoidance fee to work with MDF.  There is also a 100% make do fee. i.e. "This is not what I want but I can make do with it."  I also give a delivery date and if I don't make the date there is an automatic 20% discount.  Even though a customer can't find anyone else to do the work I work hard to keep prices down.  Minimum order is one piece.

  This philosophy seems to be paying off as few of my established customers ask for a price quote before I start.  The only complaint I have had over price was when a customer said my price was too low and added $200 to the bill.  And the only time I didn't meet delivery schedule the customer insisted in paying the full price.

   I have lost several nice jobs because I told the customer that he could buy the tools and do it themselves cheaper or better.  The last one was a initial order for 100 timpani sticks.  After a little research I realized that timpani sticks were something that only a musician could tell the difference in the minute differences in weight , length, flex and diameter and were a mater of personal preferences.  I explained what was needed to turn them and that if he joined Dallas Area Woodturners at $24/year we could teach him all he needed to know to turn them himself and would have the tools and skills necessary to turn his own custom sticks from now on for less than his initial order.  I also have provided the tools, materials and training so that customers can turn the project themselves usually at costs less than I would charge to do the job.  I feel that this provides more satisfaction on the part of the customer in the finished product and also I enjoy teaching.  

Member of American Association of Woodturners, http://www.woodturner.org/  and Dallas Area Woodturners, http://www.dallaswoodturners.com/ , registered vendor with Texas Historical Commission and Preservation Dallas. 

Contact Information

Telephone

972-227-2741

           214-957-1331 cell  

normal business hours are 8 to 8, 7 days

Postal address

200 Mill Branch Lane

          Lancaster, TX 75146

Electronic mail

          akransom@tx.rr.com