The combined workforce ranges from 215
to 220 at any given time, Wixom said. All
manufacturing employees are part of a
regional carpenters union, he said, which
enables the company to flex specific skill
sets between the two facilities to meet
demand for a particular product.
Fetzer’s workload is driven by two markets
– high-end retail store fixtures and the
build-outs ofmassive projects like law firms,
libraries, performing arts centers and
corporate office buildings. The retail
fixtures space is impacted by both the
economy and the calendar, while the
architectural millwork provides a more
predictable revenue stream.
The two-pronged approach, as it turned
out, allowed Fetzer to sidestep a significant
impact from the worst days of the recent
Great Recession. It’s also ensured what’s
been a prolonged stretch of demand for the
company’s work, because it remains one
ofAD the few shops in the country with the
size, scope and capacity to serve those dual
markets.
“The people who spend the money for our
154 | BusinessWorld |
July-August 2014
