Chris Crocker and the rest of the crew at The Good Wood Guys in Great Falls see every tree as an opportunity to tell a story, to make something beautiful, or give someone a memory.
“They become, I don’t want to say a part of their family, but in many cases it’s their family history,” Crocker said. “When we produce a table or any other piece, but particularly tables, they become a part of that family forever. I mean that table will be handed down for many, many years, we build em to last, of course.”
The Great Falls lumber shop aims to bring in trees that have memories or history associated with them, especially ones that had to be taken down for one reason or another, and might have ended up in a landfill if they were not taken in.
The amount of time each log spends in their warehouse varies based on a couple of factors, including the type of tree and what time of year it was taken down. Between resting, the woodworking process, and finishing, each piece of wood will stay at the shop for a minimum of one year, and sometimes up to three years or longer.
“Everything that we do is custom built. Our shop is a custom-build shop, and we get to work through with the customer, everything from the planning and designing to the implementation of creating whatever piece it is,” explained Crocker. “Whether it’s a table or a mantle, when you get to do that, it’s really fulfilling getting to provide something to a client that has meaning. It’s a lot different to come here and design and build a table out of wood that has a story and create this heirloom piece, it’s different than just going out and buying a table at a furniture store…..you add the story and the heirloom quality of what we do, it’s satisfying.”
The Good Wood Guys will be partnering with the Downtown Great Falls Association (DGFA) to turn the Christmas tree that sat in front of the Civic Center from November 20th until January 2nd into a table that will go home with one lucky winner of an upcoming raffle.
“It’ll help fund the annual Christmas tree, which is all done through a volunteer basis at this point,” said Crocker. “The city participates still by helping get it in place and decorating it and the actual removal of it, but it’s funded entirely by local businesses working together to make it happen.”
Through a partnership with the DGFA, people will be able to purchase tickets in the coming days. Select businesses and shops in Great Falls, including The Good Wood Guys lumber shop at 815 20th Street North, will sell the tickets.
“Whoever wins that drawing will be able to come down here and pick out lumber from that tree and design a table that we’ll build for them,” Crocker said. “So that’s really cool, they’ll get to win a Christmas tree table.”
The DGFA said in a news release on Thursday: "The Downtown Association is selling raffle tickets for $20 each. The proceeds from the raffle will go towards future Christmas activities in Downtown Great Falls. The drawing will be held on June 17th, 2020 and the winner will work with The Good Wood Guys to design the table (up to a $5,000 value). Raffle tickets are available for purchase at The Downtown Office, Kaufman's Menswear, Mighty Mo Brew Pub, Ferrin's Furniture, Belle's and Lace Bridal, The Good Wood Guys, and through Downtown Association board members."
