Who doesn’t appreciate and love a quality made cutting board and charcuterie board that they can add to their kitchen? I know I do! This next company has the most beautiful handcrafted selection of wood cutting boards and charcuterie boards. Everyone I know who has one, including myself, LOVES theirs. What’s even better is that the hardworking people behind these beautiful pieces are a family located right in Catskill, NY! So let’s learn more about Catskill Mountain Woodworking, their products, and the talented couple behind it all.
Business Name: Catskill Mountain Woodworking
Owners: Mike & Mary Jo Murphy
Established Year: 2020
Location: 393 Main Street, Catskill, NY
Facebook: Catskill Mountain Woodworking
Instagram: @catskill_mountain-woodworking
Website: catskillmountainwoodworking.com
Tell us about your business and the story behind its creation!
Mike has been a woodworker as a hobby for about 25 years, making gifts for friends and family.
n March of 2020 with the start of the pandemic, he found himself with more time to spend in his workshop and that June we began selling cutting boards at a flea market! We then branched out to the Windham & Coxsackie Farmers Markets that summer. October through December of that year, we shared a space on Main Street in Catskill for the holiday season. January of 2021 we opened our store at 393 Main Street, sharing the space with our friend since then! We now find ourselves attending many crafts fairs, farmers markets and other pop up markets throughout the area as well as our retail location in Catskill.
What products and services do you offer? What makes them unique?
We handcraft cutting and charcuterie boards with a variety of hardwoods that we source locally. We have designed 7 different cutting board combinations in four sizes using black walnut, sapele, purple heart & maple. In addition, we make live edge and river epoxy resin charcuterie boards as well as cheese paddle boards in two sizes. We also create custom sized and designed cutting & charcuterie boards as well as butcher block counters, live edge furniture, coat racks and floating shelves.
Our favorite products are our cutting and charcuterie boards! We love the fact that our boards have found homes and are being used by our customers every day!! We work really hard to make sure that each product we make is finished to the highest standards! Mike takes so much pride in his work, hand sanding each piece before it’s finally finished by us! I think the fact that we handcraft each item in our home woodshop and expect our customers to be completely happy with it for many years to come makes our product special. You know you are buying a completely handmade product from two local people that truly care about our customers!!
What do you love most about running your own business and being a business owner?
We just love the fact that we are truly Catskill Mountain Woodworking. We have been a team for 37 years in life creating a family that we are so proud of and now we are business owners. We work very hard each and every day to produce the highest quality handcrafted work as well to represent our business well!! It’s just the two of us and we are constantly striving to make sure our business is successful and we truly appreciate each of our customers and take so much pride in the products we sell!! We have always wanted to own our own business and we are very grateful for this opportunity and the support that we are receiving from our community!!
What has been one of the most memorable experiences or opportunities that you’ve experienced since opening your business?
Our customers and their reactions to our cutting and charcuterie boards are what make us so very happy!! We are overwhelmed by the number of people that tell us they have never seen a cutting board as beautiful and well made as ours. When a customer comes to our store and tells us they are back for another board because they love their board so much, it is so impactful!
What advice would you give to aspiring business owners?
You have to be ready to work very hard each and every day and be willing to try out many different avenues to sell and develop your products. Everything in life that is worth doing takes a tremendous amount of time and energy and there are definitely going to be obstacles that come your way. You have to constantly evaluate what is working and what is not and make changes accordingly.
Michella Hand 