Spectra

At the foot of Mt. Nittany, two generations grow a thriving woodworking business that began as a family hobby.

Nittany Valley ingenuity is reflected in the Red Round Barn, a nearby historic landmark.

Nestled in a valley where the countryside meets Penn State campus, all six members of the Roeshot family got involved in the solid wood giftware business that began in their basement workshop in 1969. Even Diana, the youngest member of the family, helped out at gift shows, earning a nickel for each cutting board she oiled. The business evolved into furniture-making and Diana and her husband Andy Friberg returned to State College, Pennsylvania, to continue Spectra’s long-term commitment to building durable, quality furniture.

Long-term craftspeople are committed to durability and quality.

Spectra’s goal is to create furniture that will last, and the company fine-tunes production to create a tailored process. Veteran craftspeople combine classic techniques with the precision and consistency of automation, working in dedicated groups trained to build specific furniture collections. Spectra’s pristine facilities support this approach—even wood deliveries are made only as needed from forests less than an hour away. Long-term relationships with local lumber suppliers make it possible for Spectra to use the best, sustainably harvested wood from nearby forests.

Wood is harvested from local forests managed for sustainability.

Spectra reduces waste through automation and design. A computerized chop saw optimizes the amount of usable material in each piece of lumber. In pieces where it makes sense, Spectra uses a combination of solid wood and veneer to add stability while actually using less wood. And if there’s anything left over, the remaining odds and ends go to locals for heating, retirees for arts and crafts and farmers for bedding.