A great deal has changed at Telescope Casual Patio furniture within the last 107 many years.
The organization that got its begin in Manhattan producing folding cots now specializes in patio sets and outdoor lounge furnishings. The name has altered from the Telescope Cot Bed & Novelty Co. to Telescope Folding Furniture, to its current incarnation. And the frames have morphed from wood to aluminum to a recycled plastic composite
But over the many years, the core values have remained the same - that, and the director chair Telescope first made famous in the 1950s.
CEO Kathy Juckett says Telescope’s focus on quality and versatility has helped the company overcome numerous obstacles inside last century, including a handful inside the last decade.
“We’ve been in business enterprise now for 107 years and some of that has to do with the fact that we have really great core values that we have followed staunchly forever,” she said.
Telescope was started in 1903 by Juckett’s great-grandfather, Henry J. W. Vanderminden Sr. The company made wood furnishings and cots, which were sold to retail stores.
Two decades later, Telescope moved to Granville to be closer to its timber sources.
From the 1950s, Telescope branched into folding aluminum furniture, an innovation prompted in part by Eastern European countries that were cheaply manufacturing copies of the director chair.
Within the 1970s, the company began powder-coating its aluminum frames to provide different color finishes; it also launched sling and strap patio home furniture lines that remain within the inventory today.
The current headquarters are still located in Granville, although it has expanded considerably to more than 1 million square feet. The work force has grown as well, from 10 employees when the facility was first built to about 300.
Telescope is one of the few remaining family-owned American home furniture manufacturers with its original ownership. Three generations of Vanderminden men led the company before Juckett, who took over from her father in 2001.
She admits the competition is fierce and the economy has been rough, adding that last year was the company’s worst in 30 decades.
“We’re making a product people don’t have to have to live,” Juckett said.
No shrinking violet, Juckett said one of the core values of the company over time has been persistence.
In response to the recession, Telescope has grown its organization with hotels, motels, restaurants and country clubs. Juckett also continues to push for more fashion-forward designs, noting that the product lines underwent an “extreme makeover” after she took over.
“We’ve really dressed up our line and we’ve really dressed up our image,” Juckett said.
The Gardenella sling line, for example, has been around since the 1970s and was recently updated with white frames and bright fabrics in “Skittles” hues.
Offering a wide array of fabrics that buyers can mix and match is one way Telescope has worked to set itself apart from the cheaper imports sold at big-box stores.
Between the different frame styles, 11 frame finishes and 180 fabrics, Telescope now has more than 50,000 unique product choices - all of which are guaranteed to ship out within 15 working days of the order.
“You used to put a line out there and people would buy it,” she said. “Now they want customization. They want something that looks like a whole lot for a little.”
Juckett described the Telescope price point as middle of the road, with some higher-end options. The cheapest five-piece patio set costs $499.
She said Chinese imports “kill” American manufacturers on price, and admits that the quality is “pretty darn good.”
“When people go out and look at it, they just can’t help themselves,” she said. “Our product may last 20 many years, but they are thinking about next weekend when they go shopping.”
She may understand the consumer’s buying decision, but the state of American manufacturing is a hot-button issue for Juckett. She believes the government doesn’t do enough to help domestic manufacturers compete with foreign companies that aren’t subject to the same taxes and labor laws.
“I don’t want a subsidy or direction from the government, but I would like more of a level playing field,” she said.
Inside meantime, Juckett says the company does everything in its power to create a niche.
Telescope tries to be the most valuable vendor for the 870 retail stores it sells to by offering the widest selection of product and providing reliable delivery, a quality product and responsive customer service.
Being extremely vertically integrated is another strength. The Granville factory makes all plastic components for its furniture and has its own patented machinery.
Telescope does not make the fabrics, however. And it imports its wicker and cast-iron furnishings frames from China, applying the finishes and cushions inside the factory.
Juckett said the company wouldn’t be able to offer those products if it didn’t import because the cost of having them made in the U.S. is so great.
One of the newest additions is a product line made of recycled plastic lumber.
The material is very durable and is cut to look like wood.
Just a few years old, this line is “growing by leaps and bounds,” Juckett said.
Looking forward, Juckett said the sales outlook has improved from last year, with more retailers reporting increased foot traffic in their showrooms.
While there’s no way to know when or if the leisure furniture market will make a full recovery, Juckett is confident Telescope will be around to find out.
“There certainly have been many times in history when we were challenged and struggling, and we had to figure out how to alter our direction and keep rolling,” Juckett said. “Our family feels a very strong responsibility to keep rolling.”
