Rhodehouse Wood Works Company Profile

hen asked what he likes about his work, Mark Rhodehouse of Rhodehouse Woodworks says: "I have the best customers!" Can one ask for a more ringing endorsement than that?

Mark had already worked in the grocery business for 20 years when he found himself in need of a new career. A repetitive injury related to work forced him to weigh his other options. Mark took up his heretofore spare-time activity of woodworking and furniture making full time. At first he operated out of his garage, soon he found he needed to rent space to house equipment and lumber. At the time, renting was tricky because real estate in the Bay Area was being snatched up by developers and rents were routinely doubling for tenants. After rent on his own space was doubled, Mark Rhodehouse decided to buy his own shop. It was a gamble; he still didn't know if his venture was going to prove viable, but he went for it. It has been all our good fortune that Rhodehouse Woodworks did make a go of it. In fact, Mark Rhodehouse is very successful and has the customer satisfaction record to prove it.

Being a hands-on guy, Mark likes to do all aspects of the designing, building, finishing, and installing himself for Rhodehouse Woodworks. He loves just about everything about the work ("Who likes paperwork?" laughs Mark) but the best part is something that Mark has dubbed the "seven-second-jazz" moment. That's when a customer is seeing their finished product for the first time; there is a pause while they take in the scene, and then, happiness and relief and delight spread across their faces. "There's nothing like it," enthuses Mark. He says he can build anything that a customer wants. His favorite projects are those in which he gets to use creativity and craftsmanship at the request of the client. After more than twenty years of creating beautiful pieces with wood, Mark Rhodehouse relishes the medium as a creative outlet and he is proficient in its expression. He, like an artist, has his peculiarities. He is partial to his Altendorf sliding table saw, and Castle Machinery in Petaluma, California.

Rhodehouse Woodworks and its captain Mark Rhodehouse are known for its attention to detail and exacting standards for all work done. Mark's higher standards extend to his shop too. When this interviewer remarked on the incredible cleanliness of the wood shop, Mark sheepishly admitted that he had tidied up before our interview, and that many others had commented on his fastidiousness. Anyone who has ever had to live amidst a kitchen remodel will appreciate how wonderful this quality is in a contractor or subcontractor.

Sonoma County residents in need of a fabulous woodworker for all kinds of furniture and cabinetry projects are invited to talk to Mark Rhodehouse.


                                                                   ---Genevieve Albers
                                                                       Staff Writer
                                                                       The Prime Buyer's Report