Stewart Roth has been in the furniture business for over 30 years and is recognized as a pioneer in the furniture business. Stewart Roth first became aware of Amish furniture when he was one of the largest stores to offer solid oak furniture. Since Amish furniture is handcrafted with a limited amount of production (there are no large factories) the Amish craftsmen who produce Amish furniture limit the number of stores they allow to sell their furniture. Amish communities with craftsmen making Amish furniture are concentrated in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Iowa. Since the Amish live the way people did in the 1700’s without electricity, simple clothing, and horse and buggies as their only form of transportation they have continued to produce furniture in a handcrafted fashion, using only solid hardwoods, and using time tested finishes with up to 13 step applications. The beauty and craftsmanship of Amish furniture is far superior to companies making factory produced furniture even if it is made from solid woods. Many manufacturers with brand names sell furniture of inferior quality at 2 to 3 times the price of Amish furniture. In addition, many have moved their production to Asia or if producing still in America have cut corners in the way they make their products. The more Stewart learned about the Amish and the quality of Amish furniture the more he knew that Southern Californians would fall in love with this furniture. The difficult task was in being able to find and get Amish craftsmen because they do not have telephones or are part of any directories. Also, just because Stewart wanted to purchase Amish made furniture did not mean that any of the craftsmen were going to sell it to him as they are selective as to who they work with. Fortunately, Stewart was able to make connections and trips to build relationships with Amish furniture.
