Grandson of George Nakashima Gives New Life to Old Trees

Ru Amagasu, grandson of the renowned George Nakashima, has partnered with Sam Willard to form Willard Fine Furniture of Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Willard Fine Furniture is a division of the Shearer/Penn Organization, whose tree and lawn care operations merged with SavATree in March 2008.

Ru Amagasu is making his mark by refining and strengthening the work that his elder relation had begun. Integrating modern processes and machinery with old world craft and skills with a chisel, he brings his own fresh and new designs to furniture making. Using the natural burls, curls and figures from the trees, Ru works in collaboration with clients to design tables, cabinets, beds, and chairs of uncommon beauty, strength and history.

Since February 2006, the Company has had commissions from California to New York and as far East as Taiwan. Currently under a 7 month backlog, the company caters mainly to custom commissions but is in the development stages of offering production pieces as well. The production pieces are catering to those clients that prefer “I would rather see it first,” and to those people that want to take advantage of greater efficiencies and the resultant lower price points.

Sustainability is also a critical component of the company’s existence. Already an integrated business with Tree Operations, a sawmill, a lumber company, and a firewood/mulch plant, a furniture company only made sense. In a way, it completes a large “circle” of sustainability that starts when you call SavATree– Shearer/Penn. After a tree removal, trees are graded, milled, dried, and then used for furniture. In a time where most trees are either turned straight into mulch or turned into heat, the company does its best to recapture the strength and beauty of these trees by making them into something useful & beautiful for generations to come.

Willard Fine Furniture prides itself on being a very green company and is not interested in trees that do not need to be removed. Three years ago, the now famous “Princeton Elm,” had died and needed to be taken down. Sam’s interest in saving this tree from the mulch plant inspired Sam and his family to take steps to create a furniture company. Sam Willard, a true Octogenarian, is still the sawmill operations manager. Also, he ensures that the staff works, with considerable effort, to minimize its impact to the environment. They present products that have been manufactured with sensitivity from start to finish.

If you have trees that you may like to “recycle” please contact your local SavATree Arborist. He/she can take photos and forward the information to Willard’s. If you would like to know more about Ru and the furniture that they produce, please go to www.willardfinefurniture.com or email him at [email protected].

SavATree can now offer its clients the unique opportunity to save and turn your special tree, that has to be removed, into beautiful, hand crafted furniture that will last for generations.

Click or call today to arrange a complimentary consultation from our fully trained and certified arborists for tree service, cabling and bracing and tree pruning from SavATree. Contact the office nearest you.

 

SavATree provides tree service in the following areas:

Connecticut – Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, Tolland, Windham; Illinois – Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry County, Will; Massachusetts – Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Rockingham, Suffolk, Worcester; Maryland – Montgomery, Prince George’s; New Hampshire – Rockingham; New Jersey – Bergen, Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union; New York – Bronx, Brooklyn, Columbia, Dutchess, Manhattan, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster, Westchester; Pennsylvania – Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Hampshire, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, York; Virginia – Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William; Washington, D.C.