MAY 27, 2010 ISSUE
Business Spotlight
Harmony Timberworks—Old World Craftsmanship, New World Technology
Theresa DeMarco, COO, and Mark Howell, CEO, of Harmony Timberworks stand under the timberwork entryway to the company’s office. The company prides itself on the skill of its employees and the quality of its timber frame systems. Photo by Corinne Saunders“I feel we have a combination of Old World craftsmanship and New World technology,” said Mark Howell, CEO of Harmony Timberworks in Boone. “We design, manufacture and install exposed beam timber systems.”
Harmony Timberworks was one of the first companies of its kind to invest in a computerized cutting machine, Howell said.
Now, “all the biggest timber frame companies going that way,” he said of using CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing).
The German-made machine at Harmony Timberworks is top-of-the-line in the construction industry and allows the company to produce jobs faster and more accurately, to meet clients’ lead-time requirements, he added.
Still, “every part that comes off the machine is pre-fit, [and staff members] handle every timber to make sure it’s right, fitting everything [and] testing everything,” he said.
After the machine makes the cuts in the timber, people still do the texturing and edge treatments by hand, DeMarco added.
Harmony Timberworks, founded in 1979 and owned by locals Mark Harrill and Tommy Sofield, employs 15 people—“we have a really experienced group of people and we work well together,” said Howell, who has been with the company for 19 years.
“I’m proud we’ve provided employment for people in Watauga County for 20 years now,” he said.
He is also proud of the company’s quality products, he said, adding that the company serves all 50 states and has also completed jobs in Japan, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.
Harmony Timberworks completes residential and commercial projects, as well as industrial jobs, such as auditoriums, gymnasiums and pavilions for schools.
The company completed the largest timber frame church built in the U.S. in the year 2009, and it is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, he said.
“We do very traditional timber frame and very contemporary,” Howell said, adding that people can enjoy products produced by the company at home, in churches, in schools and in parks—staff even completed a timber frame horse barn.
“Timber frames open up a house and make it warm and inviting,” he said.
Timber frame construction is a growing trend in the housing industry—“we’re seeing it in more and more architectural magazines,” Howell said. “It works perfectly here in the mountains of North Carolina.”
Especially after the housing crisis of recent years, people building homes want the finished product to last a long time, increase in value and be something they can pass on to children and grandchildren, Howell said, adding that timber frame construction uses less raw material than in some conventional construction, so it is “conducive to green building.”
The company uses primarily Douglas-fir, which comes from the Pacific Northwest, but also uses Western Red Cedar and some local products, such as white oak and white pine. The Douglas-fir is a favorite because of its strength, beauty and the fact that it is available in long lengths that are conducive to timberframing
Theresa DeMarco, COO, has been with the company for five years and attributes its success to “good customer service and a high-quality product,” she said.
“We’re a full-source company,” she said, explaining that people can bring in a concept and the company’s team of “talented designers, engineers and craftsmen will develop the design and make it work, [as well as] fit your individual budget.”
Customers and staff of Harmony Timberworks have a lot of conversations to meet the clients’ desired look and budget. “We exchange ideas back and forth until the drawings are more developed and we have just what they need at a price they can afford,” Howell said.
Harmony Timberworks is located at 645 Roby Green Road in Boone. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. For more information, call 828-264-2314 or 800-968-9663 or click to www.harmonytimberworks.com.
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