Support Wood Werks Through Construction Chaos

Wood Werks Supply is a retail woodworking store planted firmly in the great city of Gahanna Ohio. For over 34 years we have served woodworkers, carpenters, contractors, educators, and hobbyist with everything they need to work wood. From hinges to hand tools, stationary machinery to lumber, consumer to industrial, Wood Werks has it all.

Our retail store has grown to be among the largest, most complete woodworking stores in the country. Our showroom lets us display and demonstrate hundreds of power tools.

In this span of 34 years, we have successfully survived the recession of 2008, the Covid-19 pandemic, and recently the post pandemic economy of high inflation and high interest rates. In all situations, we adjusted our business plan to accommodate the changing needs of our customers. Until recently, we found ways to meet our obligations to vendors and found ways to reduce and cover our operating costs.

Our store sits on the corner of a busy intersection that is being updated to become one of the largest round-abouts in our Franklin County. To build this, gas, sewer, and water lines needed to be updated, and cable and power lines need to be moved. These latter projects began in January of this year (2024) with the partial closure of Claycraft Road (our road) allowing traffic to travel in only one lane. Access to this lane from the main road was completely closed, and access to our parking lot from Claycraft at times was blocked by construction vehicles. Needless to say, this situation had a huge negative effect on even our most loyal customers, who decided not to suffer through detours and construction traffic to visit our store.

This initial phase was completed about two weeks ago allowing customers access our store as usual. As a result, we have experienced a gradual uptick in cash flow. But this will be short lived since the final phase of the project is ready to begin in just two weeks.

On July 8, 2024, the construction of the round-about will begin. The main road will be closed and detours will direct traffic to our road which will be closed to only local traffic. The detours and the resulting construction traffic will be a huge deterrent for our customers. But the most detrimental part of this project will the closure of the entrance to our main parking lot, which will continue until the completion of construction (about 3-4 months).

To access our showroom, customers will need to park in our loading dock area, which has limited parking spaces and absolutely no accommodations for the elderly and the handicapped. They will need to climb a ramp or climb concrete steps (that has no railing) to our warehouse, where they will then need to walk about 50 yards and up another ramp to access our showroom. The other option will be to park and walk about 70 yards on the lawn along the side of our building to get to our front entrance. Understandably, these inconveniences will inevitably dissuade customer visits.

So, to remain in business we will need help to cover operating cost for the next 4 months along with paying for signs along detour routes directing customers to our store, and accommodations for the handicapped and elderly. This will include designated parking spots with handicap logos, a railing installed at the steps leading to our warehouse, and motorized carts for those in need.

Before all this began, we would answer numerous customer calls asking about product pricing and availability and for advice on completing their projects. Now, most calls are inquiries about whether road construction is still going on. And of course, there is always the rumor that we will be closed during the duration of the project or worse, closed permanently.

For those who frequent our store or plan to visit for the first time, if you choose not to find your way through detours and construction traffic to get to our store (we certainly understand), please find your way to donate.

With your help, we will be able to offer products and advice for customer’s woodworking and construction projects for another 34 years and beyond.

Sincerely,

The Wood Werks Family