Today on the podcast we are so excited to welcome Daniel Levin from GL Veneer. At its core, GL Veneer is a plywood manufacturing company. They got their start in 1977 when Daniel’s grandpa started the company, originally he was making cut to size furniture components for the furniture markets that were big in LA at that time.
A short time later Daniel’s dad joined the family business and spent a few decades servicing the plywood markets. Fast forward another 10 years or so and Daniel’s dad fell in love with California walnut. Not too long after that he turned his eyes towards the live edge product line.
The Shift From Plywood to Live Edge
Steve notes that as the company that has existed since the 70’s they must have been exceptional with adapting. Steve wonders if the shift to live edge was a gut feeling or if they noticed the trend moving that way early on.
Daniel recalls that the market for slabs in the early 2000s was a lot smaller, more of a niche product line at that time. However it wasn’t fully instinct or trends that called for the move toward live-edge furniture for the company. At that time, Daniel wasn’t part of the company yet and his grandfather had recently passed away, so Daniel’s dad went back to his roots. He used to make live edge tables when he was younger back in the 60’s and 70’s and he loved celebrating the rustic and natural characteristics of trees as opposed to plywood and veneer which celebrates perfection.
It was a perfect marriage of ideas though. The live edge slabs are the complete opposite side of the spectrum in terms of grade to the veneer and plywood. It’s nice to be able to offer the full spectrum of products from rustic and full of character to polished perfection.
To see more from GL Veneer check out their social media below!
Website: glveneer.com
Instagram: @gl_veneer
This episode of The Woodpreneur Podcast is proudly sponsored by Uneedainc, go to https://www.sandpaper.com for more info.
The Woodpreneur Podcast
We cover the business and marketing side of the sawmill, tree service, furniture making, Urban Wood, and woodworking industry. If you're a woodworker, sawmill owner, or any other entrepreneur and/or business owner in the wood industry, you need to check out this podcast.
Each week, we interview business owners, large-scale companies, entrepreneurs, makers, and designers while also offering marketing and business advice that will help you grow your business and increase your profits. Tune in every Thursday!
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