Andy Tullis / The Bulletin

Facing layoffs in 2010, Mike Lockling and Brian Nordlund had two choices: find another cabinetmaking job or start their own manufacturing business.

“We decided starting our business would be the best gamble,” Nordlund said. “We pretty much spent every dime that we had. I think when we were done and moved in, he and I didn’t have $100 bucks left in the bank.

“If we failed, we were going to fail hard.”

The duo started with one job lined up. Now, nearly four years later, home entertainment centers, bathroom cabinets and kitchen islands fill Made to Order Woodworks, as the scents of fresh-cut alder, oak and mahogany permeate the air in the shop on Northeast First Street in Bend. To date, the company has completed about 475 projects, shipping to customers in 42 states.

The business has surpassed Nordlund’s expectations. And the secret to Made to Order’s success, he said, is diversity.

“Our catch line is no project is too big or too small,” he said. “We’ll build a shelf, a huge kitchen, golf shop. There isn’t much we won’t do. (We’ll) fix people’s furniture and antiques.”

Lockling said one cabinetmaker will work on a project from start to finish, which ensures quality control.

“We don’t have any fancy computerized equipment,” Lockling said. “We have skilled craftsmen that do the work with traditional wood-working tools.”

Despite the economy’s steady recovery, Lockling said, wood costs are still about 20 percent higher than before the recession, but Made to Order Woodworks’ prices have not increased accordingly.

“Though we’re doing a lot of work, the price of those projects is still recession pricing,” he said. “We’ve got some hurdles to overcome.”

—Reporter: 541-617-7818,

rrees@bendbulletin.com

Q: What was your biggest challenge in getting your business up and running?

A: Brian Nordlund: Finding work, finding people that would use us and just getting people to give us a chance.

Q: Where do you see the company in the next five years?

A: Mike Lockling: We know where we want it to be, but it’s hard to say with the economy and the building industry. … We’re a little bit skeptical of growing too big too fast.

Nordlund: Ideally, in the next five years I’d like to have our company doing probably 150 to 200 projects a year, maybe grow a little bit. We would hope eventually we could pick up one more unit (of space) and have 10 to 12 employees and offer benefits that maybe other companies aren’t offering.