Looking for an upholsterer

[scott_san_diego]

I have been running an add on Craig's list the past 3 weeks and have only received 1 call.  Looked into placing an ad in our local paper, it appears they sub it out to another company that is not even local.
It appears the work force for upholsters is shrinking.

[MinUph]

The workforce has been shrinking for years. Try searching on indeed.com

[Mojo]

Scott:'

The work force is shrinking in many industries. I was talking to a business contact in Elkhart, IN the other day and she indicated the unemployment rate there is 2 %. We were exploring industrial parks and they have some attractive programs with tax abatements there. Problem is, any company relocating there will have a helluva time getting help. There are help wanted signs for RV factories all over the county. Nemmar Corp has had to slow down production of their big buses because of a lack of help. The lack of help is driving up the price of labor too.

This same thing is happening in many areas around the USA. It appears someone is making America great again. :)

Mojo

[kodydog]

Next April will be 4 years since I quit mt last employer. When I left they put a help wanted sign on their business sign. They have been through a slew of upholsterers. The owner's son stopped by my house last year and asked if I wanted to come back. I saw the owner last summer at a restaurant, he sat with Rose and I and ate his meal. They are still looking. I drove by the business Sunday and the help wanted sign is still there. It's hard for me to understand how you can own a business like that and neither the father or son knows how to upholsterer. Who takes up the slack when you're in between upholsterers?

[sofadoc]

It's hard for me to understand how you can own a business like that and neither the father or son knows how to upholsterer. Who takes up the slack when you're in between upholsterers?

I know that many entrepreneurs do it all the time. But I was once told by a very wise man "Don't ever own a business that you can't run yourself. Because at some point, you'll have to".

[scott_san_diego]

That is very true.  You have to be in the trenches with them to get it done.
My guy that just left was with me 4+ years.  I hated to see him go.  He was one of my best upholsters, hands down. 
I am trying a guy out now, but Friday will be his last day.  He is working on 24 seat pads 17" x 58.5" x 2".  You will like this part, it took him almost  1 1/2 days just to cut all of the faces, boxings and zipper bands. 
Have another guy coming in on Friday for a interview.

I hate this part of the business..

[kodydog]

The bad thing is this business seams to draw some really strange folks. I worked with one guy who told me his ex-wife died because someone slipped nitro glycerin into her morphine. It stopped her heart instantly. He told me law enforcement in Oregon was looking for him. He was a real blast to work with.

[MinUph]

That is very true.  You have to be in the trenches with them to get it done.
My guy that just left was with me 4+ years.  I hated to see him go.  He was one of my best upholsters, hands down. 
I am trying a guy out now, but Friday will be his last day.  He is working on 24 seat pads 17" x 58.5" x 2".  You will like this part, it took him almost  1 1/2 days just to cut all of the faces, boxings and zipper bands. 
Have another guy coming in on Friday for a interview.

I hate this part of the business..

Help of any kind in this business is tuff to say the least. I just got rid of a seamstress that worked in NC factories for years. Took her like a day to sew a cushion. She would sew it take it apart and sew it again a couple times. I had high hopes with her but that didn't work.

[sofadoc]

Kody

Interesting that your old boss has come crawling back to you. I remember that when you initially left, things were contentious.

My old helper is out of jail and helping me again. A few months in jail has straightened him up (for the time being).
He constantly complains about the $25 a week that he has to pay for pee tests. It doesn't sink in that he saves more than that by NOT buying dope.

[kodydog]

Things were contentious with the son. The day I left I made sure to tell the father my leaving had nothing to do with him. So when we saw him eating alone at the restaurant we were more then happy to invite him to our table. Rose and I were with some friends of mine who I hadn't seen in over 30 years. Herb, the shop owner is almost 80 years old and as you can imagine is full of some interesting stories. So we all had a good time.

The sad thing is the matriarch of the family who I loved dearly passed away last spring. She was checking the mail at the business. This is something she did many times a day. Sometimes even after she already got the mail. It was cold that day and her hands were in her pocket. She stumbled on one of those concrete parking blocks. She fell and broke her neck. Sadly she died several weeks later. Rose and I went to her funeral. Of course I gave my condolences to both the son and the father.

I can't believe your old helper is back. Life is strange ain't it.

[baileyuph]

Yes, I agree looking for good help is difficult or close to impossible when it comes to a quality upholsterer.  A candidate will probably need a few tries to present himself and what type of worker they
will be.

I am sometimes disappointed with my performance because all jobs aren't the same requirement.  Often, the material can matter in "how long" something takes.  I find that "thin" can be a slowdown, plus like on smaller boxed cushions with zippers, accuracy is important in measuring, marking, cutting, &
sewing. 

Just the other day, it seemed most factors were working against me like; thin fabric, thinner boxing, scissors could have needed a sharpen job, then all the details like thread tension adjustments had to
be brought back for the fabric in hand -- bottom line, time seemed way to long for the job!

When things are awkward like this, it is sensed and that makes me slower because more checks will
be made to avoid the job not looking right.

I have electric sheers, and on multiple  pieces made alike, do any of you find stacking fabric in layers to cut multiples (with power cutting sheers) works out for you?  I might do it with heavier fabrics or
it might depend on the type of fabric and/or pattern.  But, if there looks to be any significant risk, I
usually bite the bullet and do one at a time.

Just a few thoughts on how to speed things up for the experienced, as well.  Like myself.

So much of what we do today, is part of an integrated system (cushions made to connect to other
cushions and filled before installation - the experienced who work on furniture know how it has changed;  no longer one layer at a time to the frame almost to the finish.  Not so much like this today.

So, it does take longer to do the newer type upholstery, not as simple as the stuff made 50 years or so ago.

All this considered, no wonder the skill availability is less while the requirement of the skill is tougher
partly due to technology the item(s) were made from - and oh!  Some of the newer fabrics can
drive the time up due to being thin, subject to ravel, and can't forget pattern.  It can take longer for
me to do some of the items in leather!

Customers are usually sensitive to the cost regardless of what the crafts problems are!

No wonder it is hard to find - experience!

Doyle