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Magnolia Wood Works came into being because A friend enjoyed helping me build
several decks for the Pascagoula Mississippi School District and asked if I could
make him a Shadow Box. I told him they probably weren't that hard to make. We
went to the Navy Exchange and looked at the Shadow Boxes they had. The boxes
were made of a particle board with a thin veneer and sold for about $150.00. With a
veneer, I think with humidity changes and a few years of wiping down with a
furniture polish, the veneer would peel back and the box would be an eyesore. He
asked me to make him a box out of Red Oak. We made the box together to ensure he
got exactly what he wanted. The next thing I knew, the next retiree asked if I could
make him one. I just started making boxes whenever people needed them and ensured
they got exactly the kind of shadow box they wanted for their Navy Retirement.
Originally I started out just charging people for materials. I had a full time job with
the US Navy and just enjoyed helping people and saving them money. Then word
spread around the area and I was swamped with requests to make boxes. I was
spending about 30 to 40 hours a week making boxes. I decided that when I retired or
was separated from the military, I would make this my career. On 29 August 2003,
after several requests, the United States Navy decided my services were no longer
needed. The career I enjoyed so much ended four and a half years before I would
have been eligible to retire. Fifteen and a half years of my life felt like it was a waste
because of two knee surgeries and a back surgery. I struggled with self-doubt and
some depression. A friend told me that I should just move up my plan and start my
own business. I could use some of the severance pay the Navy gave me and go into
business. He was always telling me his Master Chief kept trying to acquire (sailors
don't steal, they acquire) some of the things I made for him that he keeps in his
office. Several other friends also told me the same thing. I went to City Hall and
talked to the planning department, applied for a Home Occupation Permit and in 10
days, I had my permit. I went to the Mississippi State Tax Commission and applied
for my tax number. We broke ground on the workshop on 09 October 2003. I
opened for business 01 November 2003. I do everything from cabinet making, gun
cabinets, building houses, trim, crown molding, just about anything that can be made
out of wood, I do it.
If you would like to know more about my military career, please select the
navigation button labeled My Military Career.
Thank you for visiting my site, I hope you enjoyed looking. If you have any questions
about building a Shadow Box or would like dimensions of any of the boxes you have
seen on this site, feel free to call.
