“I started my business using credit cards to purchase inventory and equipment. At the time, I didn’t know groups like Northern Initiatives were out there to help. With a good business plan in hand, NI helped me with a more realistic interest rate and allowed me breathing room to get a bigger building and more employees.” Phil Myer, owner
Phil Myer built his first table lamp in junior high school, never imagining that someday he’d be doing it for a living. Today, as the owner of Ragsdale Home Furnishings and a master craftsman, he specializes in the original design creation and reproduction of high-quality, handcrafted mission lighting and tables.
Myer has designed lamps for notable retailers Williams Sonoma and Rejuvenation Lighting. You’ll find his work in The Museum of Art in Los Angeles, The Indianapolis Museum of Art, Offices in The Sears Tower, The Hancock Building Chicago, The Curator’s residence for the Florida State Senate Building, The Common Man Inn N.H., Gustov Stickley Home-Queens NY, Frank Lloyd Wright Apartment building in Oak Park Illinois, The Roycroft Copper Shop, and the Gamble House of Southern California University.
Using environmentally friendly materials and processes, Phil has successfully carved out his own niche in the world of woodworking. His designs boast wood drawn from private sustainably managed forests here and throughout the Midwest, and Mica, a naturally occurring mineral mined near Asheville, North Carolina. He sources his art glass and electrical components from US companies.
While many of their mission oak lamp designs are original, and not reproductions of any specific manufacturer, they are meant to capture the essence of old-time lamp makers. The lamps go well in authentic old homes (Bungalows, Log Cabins, and Tudors). Their rustic old-time charm is personified in the glow of authentic mica and stained glass.
When demand outpaced production, Phil turned to Northern Initiatives to help support his growth opportunities through a loan and business services.
“I started my business using credit cards to purchase inventory and equipment. At the time, I didn’t know groups like Northern Initiatives were out there to help. With a good business plan in hand, NI helped me with a more realistic interest rate and allowed me breathing room to get a bigger building and more employees”.
When COVID-19 hit the US, his business like so many others took an immediate hit. Northern Initiatives was able to bring additional resources to help him find a way forward during the pandemic. Working with his Northern Initiatives business coach, Phil devised a cash flow plan, developed strategies to boost online sales, and tapped into additional sources of financial support to navigate the early days of the pandemic.
Today, online sales are growing, production is up with the help of three employees, and Phil always has a lamp or two in the design stage – bringing light and beauty into the lives of many.
