American Made Furniture: Inside Our Wholesale Furniture Factory
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Inside Our Wholesale Furniture Factory
Jess Crate’s 45,000 sq ft wholesale furniture factory in Mt. Gilead, North Carolina handcrafts every piece of American Made Furniture we ship. Over 20 dedicated employees walk each item through a multi-step process — from Southern Yellow Pine selection to final lacquer — delivering a finished product built to last 20+ years in commercial use.
Located in Mt. Gilead, North Carolina stands a 45,000 square foot wholesale furniture factory that employs over 20 full time, dedicated employees. The hard working men and women of Jess Crate Furniture begin their day by unloading tons of southern solid yellow pine from the dense forests of North Carolina. The furniture grade lumber must contain no more than 10% moisture content. A higher moisture content will be sent back immediately. At the Jess Crate Factory, there is a standard of excellence that must be upheld day in and day out. It is that standard of excellence, that level of craftsmanship, that dedication and attention to detail that gives us the right to call ourselves the industry leaders in heavy duty American Made Furniture manufacturing.
Once the lumber passes quality inspection, it is sent to the cutting station. Here the wood will be finely cut into various shapes and sizes to accommodate everything from dining room tables to ladder-end bunk beds.
After the lumber is cut, it is taken to the routing station. At the routing station, the wood will be cut and chiseled so that no sharp edges remain. All of our products have smooth, radiant edges and that is thanks to the workers at the routing station. As much as we love to boast about the durability of our American Made Furniture, we pride ourselves on our safety methods as well.
With the wood cut and the edges round and smooth, the next step is the sanding. The wood will be sanded again two more times after this stage but for now, each individual piece is put into a 6 foot wide machine called a wide belt sander.
Now that the first stage of sanding is complete, it’s time to assemble the furniture. Depending on the product, the wood will now either be stapled, nailed, or glued together – sometimes a combination of all three methods is used. All assembled items will endure a vigorous strength test to ensure maximum durability.
After the furniture is assembled, it’s time for another sanding. However, this time it will be hand sanded instead of going through the wide belt sander. The reason for this is because now that the product is fully assembled, every detail from here on out has to be carefully done by hand.
With the 2nd sanding complete, the furniture is now taken to the stain booth. The stain booth will spray a water based stain across the furniture. The most commonly used stain is Aged Honey but the colors of the booth are completely interchangeable.
The staining is a two-step process. Now that the first stain is complete, it’s time to sand the furniture for the third and final time. Much like the 2nd staining, this will also be done by hand. The purpose of sanding after the first stain is because the first stain is merely a base. In the final sanding, every aspect of the wood must be accounted for and be as smooth as possible. Once this is confirmed, the product is taken to the staining booth for the final time.
Now that the 2nd stain has been applied, the product is basically complete. It’s time to add the finishing touches. The lacquer station is where the custom lacquer finishes are carefully applied the furniture. It is a timely procedure but it is also well worth it, as the lacquer finish adds a more distinguished and polished look to the finished product.
With the furniture assembled, sanded, stained and lacquered, it will undergo another quality inspection before being loaded onto the truck and delivered to another one of our valued customers.
Our American Made Furniture Lineup
Every product in our American Made Furniture catalog is built at the same wholesale furniture factory and judged against the same durability, sustainability, and craftsmanship standards. Below are the five attributes that distinguish Jess Crate from imported alternatives, plus the reason facility buyers continue to return for replacement parts and matching pieces decades later.
Durable Construction
American Made Furniture from Jess Crate is engineered to withstand the heavy use of commercial facilities while reflecting the wood grain and classical styling of residential pieces. Many units remain in daily service for 15-20 years across schools, camps, group homes, and senior living programs.
Solid wood commercial-grade furniture has an average service life of 15-20 years in daily-use facilities, compared to 3-5 years for particleboard alternatives (IBISWorld, 2024).
American Made Furniture from Jess Crate is designed to withstand the heavy use and abuse that commercial facilities demand, all while reflecting the beautiful wood grain and classical styles seen in residential settings. This product has been known to last 10, 15, even 20 years in the field with daily use by students, campers, families, children, and pets. We have many repeat customers, as well as customers who hand down their furniture to friends and family. We additionally offer replacement parts and cushions so that you can continue to use the furniture you have come to love throughout generations. Jess Crate refinishes with a piece of sandpaper, brush, and a can of stain.
Personalized to Your Facility
Our wholesale furniture factory can match existing brands and finishes so you do not have to replace an entire room. Order custom fabrics, lacquers, and laminates to coordinate new American Made Furniture pieces with what your facility already owns, reducing replacement costs and preserving design continuity.
We can customize our products to be compatible to other brands of products that you thought were now non-existent. To help you save money and avoid the cost of complete replacement bedrooms, we can come out, measure, and tell you what you have and match it, allowing you to utilize your existing furniture. Once you have chosen your furniture, choose your fabrics and finishes! We provide a wide variety of options to customize your furniture to fit your taste and room.
Environmentally Friendly Materials
Every piece of American Made Furniture we ship is built from Southern Yellow Pine harvested under a managed-replanting program where more trees are planted than are cut each year. Water-based stains and lacquers used at our wholesale furniture factory carry no harmful indoor or outdoor environmental effects.
More trees are planted than are harvested each year here, which creates and maintains resources for future generations of wildlife preservation and recreation. Our stains and lacquer finishes are completely water based. They have no harmful effects on the environment outdoors or indoors.
Factory-Direct Wholesale Pricing
Because Jess Crate owns the wholesale furniture factory in North Carolina, every order ships direct from manufacturer to facility without a distributor markup. Buyers receive American Made Furniture at the lowest possible price for the build quality, backed by in-house sales reps who guide each order from quote through delivery.
Because we own our wholesale furniture factory, you will get the best prices without compromising on quality, and all of our American Made Furniture is made in the USA. Our knowledgeable, in-house sales representatives are here to provide you with outstanding customer service from start to finish.
Hand Crafted American Made Furniture
Each piece of American Made Furniture is handcrafted at our North Carolina wholesale furniture factory by craftsmen with over twenty years of experience. From edge-glued panels and screwed-and-nailed sub-assemblies to a six-step hand finish, every detail receives manual attention before the piece leaves the factory.
American Made Furniture from Jess Crate is made from the Southern Yellow Pine tree, harvested from the most densely covered forest in North Carolina. Our pine is dried to our specifications of less than 10% moisture content for added stability, durability, and long life. Furniture panels are edge-glued in our own laminating plant with a premium wood glue. During sub-assembly, each piece is secured with screws, glue, and nails. Afterwards, edges are routed for attractive water-based lacquer finishes. Our sanding and finishing teams go over each piece by hand to give a smooth custom six-step finish. Cushions are constructed of high-density polyurethane foam. Zippered upholstery materials are available in a variety of styles, colors, and materials, all hand-sewn for a custom fit.
