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Andrew Pearce, the oldest of four sons of Pia and Simon Pearce, began his career at the Simon Pearce Quechee retail store location. He wasn’t a glassblower or a potter; he worked in maintenance, fabricated production equipment, managed the shipping department, attended trade shows and was a sales representative for the renowned Simon Pearce product line.

After 10 years of becoming familiar with the many facets of operating a dinnerware manufacturing and sales business and getting the end product to the consumer’s table, with his family’s blessings, Andrew set out on his own.

He wanted his new product to be compatible, not competitive with his family’s product line. He recalled that family dinners at home were always served on Simon Pearce glass and pottery tableware. What was missing, however, was quality wooden salad bowls.

Although Andrew has always been intrigued by woodworking, he hadn’t made a wooden bowl until three years ago. He was familiar enough with the product to know that there are two methods of making a wooden bowl — by machine and by hand turning. The first method didn’t produce the quality he desired and the second method wasn’t economically viable. So, he decided to combine the process.

Utilizing his machine fabrication experience at Simon Pearce, Andrew designed and helped build bowlmanufacturing equipment. He created a rough-out lathe, allowing for several bowls to be cut from a single block of wood. Subsequently the bowls enter a low temperature dehumidification kiln. Next is the hand finishing process. The bowls are individually hand sanded and oiled with boiled walnut oil resulting in a totally hand-turned appearance.

Three years ago the company had its beginnings in rented factory space in Bethel with Andrew and one employee. Six months later, therewerethreeemployees. Marketing the bowls included rapidly successful Internet sales, presence at trade shows, and at Simon Pearce retail stores, where finally the signature glass and pottery product was placed together with Pearce-made wooden salad bowls.

Together with outgrowing the Bethel facility and not having a showroom, Andrew recently purchased the larger former Savelberg Construction Company building at 59 US Route 4 in Hartland. A la Pearce style, the large, well-lit showroom is subtly and simply designed to enhance the deep richness and unique grain patterns of the wooden bowls which are often displayed with Simon Pearce pottery and glass.

The newly opened show room is already attracting Route 4 travelers — some out of curiosity and many serious shoppers. Following his father’s philosophy of the importance of allowing people to see how product is made, soon visitors will have the opportunity of viewing the creation process in a bowl-turning demonstration room in the new facility.

Executive Chef Michael Ehlenfeldt Joins The Inn At Weathersfield

Richard and Marilee Spanjian, owners of the Weathersfield Inn in Perkinsville, recently announced the hiring of Michael Ehlenfeldt as executive chef. The majority of Ehlenfeldt’s 25-year culinary career was spent in Boston. For 14 years, he was the executive sous chef at the Hamersley Bistro under chef/owner Gordon Hamersley.

Ehlenfeldt will also be one of the key instructors in the Hidden Kitchen, the inn’s cooking classroom where chefs and cookbook authors teach hands-on and demonstration classes.

“With Michael’s maturity, professional fine dining experience, gardening passion and can cook anything and everything and make it look and taste amazing, we feel this a great move in the right direction,” said Marilee

Change the World Kids Welcome Donations Of Used Ink Cartridges

Woodstock’s Change the World Kids welcomes donations of depleted ink cartridges and toners from area businesses. CTWK works with a company which recycles the spent cartridges and pays the volunteer youth organization a fee per cartridge.

Change the World Kids was founded 15 years ago initially volunteering to help local people in need and over the years have expanded globally to an ongoing reforesting initiative in Costa Rica.

Funds collected for the depleted ink cartridges will benefit CTWK’s continuing efforts to support local people during crises. Also the funds will help support the Food Justice Root Cellar project. CTWK built the root cellar located behind the Woodstock Elementary School to preserve root vegetables collected from community gardens and donated to food shelves in colder months.

Please call 802-457-2622 to donate depleted ink cartridges and toners.

Local businessman Gary Neil opened Quechee Segway in July of this year. Headquartered at the Quechee Gorge Village on Woodstock Road, Quechee Segway offers guided tours on approximately 10 nearby miles of picturesque and historic trails. Up to 10 people, including two tour guides participate in each ride, which lasts about an hourand- a-half. For those who don’t have the time, they can rent a Segway and glide around an obstacle course, which includes small hills and curvy terrain.

According to Gary Neil, the totally electric Segway PT (personal transporter) is environmentally friendly and easy to learn. The rider leans slightly forward to move onward and the Segway is automatic and self-balancing. For more information, call 802-281-6394.

Got bits of business news you want to share? Send an email to mcamp@thevermontstandard.com.

Andrew Pearce shows one of his wooden bowls in his new showroom in Hartland.

Pearce shows a log conveyor at the back of the shop.

The exterior of Pearce’s new wooden bowls factory store.

By Mary Lee Camp