CP Woodcraft
by Shana Jones
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It was 3am on that fateful morning in March of 2007 when Cheryl Powlett got the call: the building of Lashley & White, the furniture manufacturer where she worked as secretary and accountant, was on fire. She immediately called her brother and another employee who lived nearby but by the time they arrived at the scene, the building had been razed to the ground. The next day, as news of the fire blazed through Barbados, Cheryl reasoned that it “…was a tragedy but…not the end”, and out of these ashes was going to rise a life-changing opportunity. Armed with her accounting experience, some knowledge gained from looking over shoulders, and some crazy determination, she gathered a few of the workers, converted her grandmother’s house into a workshop, and opened the doors of CP Woodcraft a few months later. Since those early days, CP Woodcraft has become a respected member of its St. James, Barbados community and renowned island-wide for customized furniture in all types of wood, including the island’s beloved mahogany.
Mahogany arch in the making
The use of mahogany (or any other natural resource) invites the discussion of how it’s used and whether the activity surrounding it is sustainable. These questions stem from a growing global focus on environmental responsibility, such that more and more attention is being paid to sustainability as a means of survival for the planet. The idea of sustainability as a way of doing business taps into this desire for survival and so has come to embrace some key elements embodied by CP Woodcraft: environmental consciousness, cultural preservation, social progress, and economic impact.
The first consideration of any sustainable company is to co-exist in harmony with its natural environment, a feat Cheryl easily accomplishes through the use of her grandmother’s converted house. She shares the space and equipment with a local contractor, which reduces land use and the pollutants released into the atmosphere through wood processing and site construction. And the wood shavings produced when the wood is cut? She bags and sells them as bedding for animal coops (the shavings also help animal dung to break down, creating a nutrient-rich fertilizer), innovatively avoiding a trip to the landfill.
Operating in harmony with the environment goes hand-in-hand with Cheryl’s use of mahogany, which is indigenous to Barbados and a permanent fixture in Barbadian culture. Generations ago, it was the wood to be found adorning the average citizen’s home in the form of living room suites, display cabinets, hutches, bed posts, and night tables. Nowadays, although it has often been replaced by imported, more modern alternatives, it is seeing somewhat of a resurgence as people start to realize how valuable and durable it is. Tourists can purchase a variety of mahogany souvenirs like key chains, paperweights, and decorative pieces at various shops around the island.
Cheryl’s shop not only creates and restores beautiful pieces but also stands as an indicator of the progress of women in Barbados: she has thrived and continues to enjoy success as one of a few female shop owners in a male-dominated industry. In her 5-foot-plus frame and almost equally-high rubber boots, she casually tells me that she hasn’t received much opposition besides the occasional “you sure you know what you doin’?”, which is quickly silenced when people see her work. Word of mouth is her friend, and people soon overcome whatever apprehension they had about her gender. In a more tangible example of community presence, the shop regularly opens its doors to local high school students completing their final woodworking class projects. The tours enable the students to see craftsmen, equipment and processes at work in real time.
Working on a mahogany arch for the
Barbados parliament buildings
Craftsman hard at work
Alongside the social progress CP Woodcraft represents lies its very real economic impact: Cheryl provides employment for her tenant and 5 other workers in addition to working with a network of small contractors around the island. They operate in an industry with other larger players, so healthy competition forces all to maintain a top-quality offering to locals and tourists.
When I visited Cheryl’s shop that day a few months ago, the first thing to greet me was a massive mahogany arch that formed part of a renovation project of Barbados’ parliament buildings. The private contractor who rents the shop space from Cheryl proudly held it up to give me a better view of his work. A lover of all things mahogany, I was intrigued at once and envisioned it silently peering down at the passersby in all its majestic glory. It was a beautifully imposing structure that reminded me of all the ways in which CP Woodcraft remains both sustainable and impactful: while responsibly using local and regional resources, Cheryl carves out a space for other ambitious women to realize their potential, making a real economic impact and promoting long-term cultural preservation.