May 23, 2013 Free

VOLUME 37, NUMBER 28 MAY 23, 2013 FREE THE WEEKLY NEWS & LIFESTYLE JOURNAL OF MT. WASHINGTON VALLEY Valley Feature Catch ‘m All Local woodworker Fiddleheads, fish, crafts playsets and “the willies” without peer Page 2 Page 22 A SALMON PRESS PUBLICATION • (603) 447-6336 • PUBLISHED IN CONWAY, NH Valley Feature Workbench: Cedar Swings and Playsets locomote through the Valley and New England, handcrafted by Pete Lawson By Rachael Brown When the housing market soured, and the Chinese had a screw up, Pete Lawson's lumber business just may have be- come sweeter. You see, Lawson, a Colby College graduate and New England native, has been in the lumber commodities and wholesale business since 1976. Lawson sold to the housing and swing and playset industry, with cedar being his wood of choice, earning him the nickname of Cedar Pete and a reputation for quality crafted swing and playsets made right here in the USA. As a matter Rachael Brown Courtesy of fact, right here in Glen. Pete Lawson of Cedar Swings and Playsets, uses his space so efficiently Cedar Swing and Playset's Chocorua model with added options, lower Lawson tells his story. he is able produce cedar playsets like the big companies in a small space. deck playhouse package and a firehouse pole. Lawson's most popular “There was a point in time "It doesn't take a giant factory." model hand crafted in Glen. when people started using less cedar, started using com- “In this business, it is impos- the Valley pops up. I can ab- Lawson continues to explain me the most nervous, setting posite decking, vinyl siding. I sible to just stop everything at solutely give a deal. Look I am the difference between the ce- up a playset three hours away, watched my lumber sales drop. the end without any waste or saving in diesel and four hours dar the Chinese use to make packing two hundred and fif- At the end of 1995, I began excess inventory; not like a of driving time,” he says. the playsets, which are sold in ty parts and thinking I forgot cold calling. I earned a couple conductor of an orchestra, and Lawson is a one man show the big box stores. something,” he says. of customers that supported the music all stops at once,” working out of a refitted ware- “If you buy from a box store, Lawson has a remedy. me until around 2006,” says says Lawson. house space in Glen. every playset comes from the “It doesn't happen often. I Lawson, who was living in the Now what to do? Why not “It is an interesting story, Fujian province of China. Chi- over pack the lumber in my Seattle, Wash. at the time. He make his own swing and play- how the shop works. When I na has its own cedar, but it is truck, and always have a com- moved to Glen in 2001. sets? moved my warehouse to Glen, soft. The sets are cheap, the plete backup package of nuts Fast forward to 2008: The “All the people I knew in I was forced to downsize from price point of one thousand and bolts,” he says. housing market was beginning the industry helped me. I a space four times as big as bucks, you install it yourself. Lawson adds there are al- to tumble. didn't have the knowledge of this. I had to put my equip- There is nothing wrong with ways left over small parts from “Part of decision to go the my friends, I was lucky, I had ment in 25 percent less space. the cedar; it is really thin,” he a playset and encourages any- playset way was with the hous- contacts and the lumber was I was thinking I don't know if I says. one who would like small piec- ing market crashing, it didn't already paid for,” he says. can do this,” he says. Lawson gives an example. es of cedar to contact him. look like a good idea to go in “Carpentry has always been But, it worked. “Our sets have almost twice “Maybe the Boy Scouts that direction. I had friends in a hobby, and I am a bit cre- “This space is five times as as much cedar. I use two by could use to make pine box the playset industry had sold ative,” says Lawson, who now efficient. I don't take a step be- fours, Chinese use 5/25 by race cars. The pieces could Sam's club for years,” says designs three different playsets tween machines. I used to have fours. My deck board is one be used for bird houses, bird Lawson, adding that at the for the young families and an a loading dock, now I work out inch thick, the Chinese is five feeders. It would be a shame same time playsets were com- additional design for commer- of the back of my truck. My eighths thick. The spacing be- for them to go to waste,” he ing in from China, another cial use and larger yards. overhead is low, I can be com- tween the swings is different, says. challenge to his business. All playsets bear the name petitive,” says Lawson as he ours is twice the separation,” Lawson has a favorite part of But it was the Chinese im- of local New Hampshire land- demonstrates how he moves says Lawson adding that the his job. port market that gave him his marks. The Saco, the smallest from one machine to the next playsets must meet ASTM “One of the things I love break. of the set, the Chocorua, the to cut a part, the aroma of ce- standards. when I put time and effort into When a Chinese company best seller and most flexible, dar wood fills the old ware- “Ninety percent of manu- a sale, the phone rings and I failed to ship 50 truckloads The Tuckerman, new model house space. facturers are compliant, but make a little profit,” he says. of cedar parts destined for for bigger kids, and the Mt. Speaking of cedar wood, a few put monkey bars over There's more… “It fills my Lowe's, to Creative Play- Washington, the largest set for Lawson talks about where his swings, terribly out of code. inner Santa Claus when I set things- one of Lawson's cus- large yards, motels, ice cream comes from. Ours are compliant; we don't up a playset and the kids come tomers- Lawson used his shops and even corn maizes. “The cedar wood comes screw around,” he grins. out pull up a chair, drink some Yankee ingenuity. He jumped “There is a reason for the from a distributor in Mas- It is a good thing- there are lemonade and watch me. Mom in and sold the company $1.5 names. No other place was sachusetts, brought in large a lot of screws that go into a and Dad are happy, too. May- million of cedar parts. It took naming their playsets after volumes by rail, originating in playset. be they paid a little more but three factories to make the New Hampshire landmarks,” Oregon and British Columbia. “The parts list is one thou- they didn't have to spend the cedar parts. Lawson says he says Lawson. That’s where the trees grow sand screws just for starters,” whole weekend setting it up,” made more than a year's salary “Most of my business is two big,” he says. says Lawson, adding that while beams Lawson, or should we in three months. and a half hours away, south- There is cedar in the north- his sets cost more money this say Cedar Pete. Upon completion of the ern New Hampshire, northern east, but the trees are smaller, includes his installation. For more information: visit: project, there were three Vermont, Portland area. I am it is mostly used for posts and “It is easy to screw up, and www.cedarswingsandplaysets. truckloads of left over parts. cheaper when someone from fencing. “It can crack,” he says. one of the things that makes com or call: 383-7027. Inside Index Valley Folks & Focus ........................Pages 6-9 On the Cover Nooks & Crannies Kids on Bikes ........................................Page 26 BUBBLES IN THE AIR Seeing both sides of Mount Valley Business ..............................Pages 15-20 Liv Surette demonstrates proper bubble blowing technique Whiteface - Page 27 Valley Education ............................ Page 10-13 in Schouler Park during the Kindness festival. Valley News ........................... Pages 3-4, 14-15 Photo by Lisa DuFault On the Links Rockpile .......................................... Page 22-23 Competition flares up Charity Chatter .................................. Pages 23 Valley-wide - Page 28 Calendar .........................................Pages 24-25 Page 2 | The Mountain Ear | Thursday, May 23, 2013 Valley News Literacy Foundation sponsors Earth Day writing contest INTERVALE — The Be- lieve in Books Literacy Foun- dation hosted an Earth Day writing contest for kinder- garten through sixth grade. The contest was part of the foundation’s Earth Day Cele- bration with Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax.” Entrants were required to write about what Dr. Seuss' story “The Lorax” means to them. Children could make up a story, relate a true expe- rience or write a poem. Inven- tive spelling was encouraged and accepted in honor of Dr. Seuss. Each story needed to be 500 words or less. Stories also needed to have at least one original, clear and color- ful illustration. Entries were judged on originality, creativ- ity, storytelling, imagination and integration of artwork. The entries were judged as follows: Category 1: Kin- dergarten and first grade. Category 2: second and third grades.

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