MH Parks

The Parks family's passion for woodworking and innovation spans seven generations in Winchendon, Massachusetts, where they help us create unique wood products with a beautiful story.

Travel an hour west of Boston to Winchendon, Mass., and you'll come across a building on the Millers River that tells a story as inspirational as the craftspeople who work there. Martin Harrison (MH) Parks started his business in 1827, creating spools, bobbins and barrel covers. In 1900, the family business relocated but stayed near the river, and continued to produce spools and bobbins before current owner Todd Parks' dad Skip found a niche making wood turnings—a craft requiring highly skilled woodworkers and lathe machinery. By the 1970s, MH Parks added chair-making to its repertoire in the same building that has told the family's story for well over 100 years.

Woodworkers craft solid wood chairs one at a time.

Room & Board works closely with the company to design unique wood products. No matter the intricacies of the product, Todd figures out a way to make exactly what we need, often creating machinery to ensure the job gets done right. Out of the 19 employees who work with him, most have been with the company for more than 20 years, exploring their passions and becoming masters of their craft.

Wood turning on a lathe.

The skilled craftspeople at MH Parks make products that last a lifetime because they source the highest quality domestic wood and take pride in each and every piece they build. Todd instills this appreciation for hard work into his community by offering learning opportunities to kids in local schools. "Giving them a hands-on learning experience is beneficial for them, as well as for the company," he says. The woodworkers at MH Parks remind us when you take on a task others deem too difficult, there's opportunity to fill a niche that sets you apart.