From the Beginning
Ron has been in the furniture industry since he started his apprenticeship in 1965 in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A., repairing office and commercial furniture. He worked at four different places, culminating at Green's Furniture Hospital. Green's is the pre-eminent furniture repair and antique restoration business in Portland and has been since 1917. Ron started his New Zealand furn
iture venture as the Ashford Gallery & Workshop, in Auroa in Taranaki in 1974, so he has considerable experience under his belt. The beds he made were well known throughout the Taranaki Region and beyond. He became known for his flair and flamboyance, which was reflected in the furniture he was commissioned to make as seen in the photo above. Today Ron is located in Dannevirke, and to reflect his beginnings there has been a name change to RoNZ Furniture Hospital. The workshop has undergone some changes and upgrades, but the traditional work methods are still adhered to. Ron is a great believer in permanence and sustainability, he still stands by these statements he made back in 1974 -
"Permanence is when your grandchildren pass on the furniture you had made before your children were born". "There can be no economy in throwaway articles, in fact, the environment is now feeling the effects of this new and dangerous practice. Items of long-lasting quality infringe least on the very limited resources available". We continue to help the environment by using workshop waste wood shavings as mulch around our plants to conserve water during dry summer months.
