LeeAnn Miller & Personalized Gifts at P. Graham Dunn

The Wacky Cyclists

Believe it or not, there are three people that work here at the shop who have chosen to ride either unicycles or bicycles to work. The bicyclist (who also happens to be the company President) is an environmentalist who jokingly claims that due to the amount of oil needed to lubricate the chain on his bike, he has estimated that he gets over 200,000 miles per gallon on his bicycle. This rider also claims he’s going to ride to work all winter (which will be a first). He also has vowed to ride his age in miles on each birthday, and for the last two years he has done that. What combs everyone’s hair a little backwards is that he is not hesitant to remind everyone of his accomplishments. At the same time, if he ever misses riding his bike to work, there isn’t a person in the shop who doesn’t relish rubbing it in!

The unicyclists, however, really take the cake! They prefer to remain nameless, so we will simply refer to them as workers from the packaging department. They like to get to work at 5:00 a.m. to be ready for the rest of the crew that starts arriving shortly after. To do so, they leave their homes in Kidron (about six miles away) at 4:30 a.m. to get to work on time. They travel on the treacherous Zuercher Road with Schneck Hill on the West end that is so steep that when riding downhill on a bicycle, it is not unheard of to hit 45 miles per hour. On a unicycle, you have to work as hard going downhill as going uphill or you will loose control and end up flat on your backside! They take precaution by attaching bright LED lights to the brim of their baseball caps and a reflector on their backsides to keep from being run off the road by the early morning milk trucks.

This past summer, a brother of one of the unicyclists (who shares the same hobby) visited. To celebrate their reunion, the brothers chose to unicycle across Wayne County together, a 26-mile jaunt that took a little over six hours. We believe that was an historical first and it earned its way into a nice photojournalism article in the Wooster Daily Record newspaper. Do you have to be a little wacky to work at P. Graham Dunn? Not necessarily, but generally you fit in a little better if you are.

~Peter Dunn

Shop Christmas at P. Graham Dunn

Christmas Open House

November 12 & 13, 2009

We just wrapped up on of the most popular events we have ever held at P. Graham Dunn. Being that this was the first year for our Christmas Open House, we didn't know what to expect. In fact late in the week before the event there were few tickets reserved and some very nervous people at the store. We knew we had lined up a fun schedule of events, but if no one showed up it would be all for naught. Ticket reservations took off about 6 days before the first evening of the open house and we expected about 150 to 200 guests to arrive. When the doors did open, over 400 people attended! There were free snacks all through the store, with nearly a full meal provided by Broken Rocks Cafe of Wooster - Unbelievable! They decided that a tasting just wasn't enough. LeAnn Miller of Amish Country Living was the host for the evening and guided guests through cooking demonstrations by Coblentz Chocolates, Sally Lahmer, Trish Berg, and the Mariatha School. There were craft workshops by Cummings Floral, Thymbles, Pink Tomato, and P. Graham Dunn. All this and much more. Then, on Friday night we did it all over again and this time over 600 guests came out to attend. That's over 1000 people in 2 days. Now that we have an idea of the scope of this event, we will be turning it up a notch for 2010! Thank you to all who helped make those evenings so much fun.

Be sure to stop out the week of Thanksgiving for our big Christmas Sale on Wed, Fri, and Sat.

Christmas Open House

How many Christmas Trees?

If you had stopped in our Factory Store in Dalton, Ohio the last couple of weeks, you would have seen a busy group of people decorating for Christmas. When the dust settled and we were able to take stock of what was done, we were amazed to find 72 Christmas Trees had been placed throughout the store! The tallest tree required the use of heavy equipment simply to adorn it with decorations. There is no better time of year than when the whole world is reminded of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. 'Tis the season to celebrate!

Saving Green by Going Green

Sometimes you can save a little green by going green. If you have been in our Factory Store in Dalton, OH in the last couple of weeks you may have noticed a steady crew working their way through the store changing out light bulbs. We are doing more than just answering the question, how many Mennonites does it take to change a light bulb? Like nearly every business across the country, P. Graham Dunn has spent considerable resources identifying and correcting wasteful and inefficient ways in which the company operates. A big part of our business is the use of computer controlled CNC routers. It requires a good deal of electricity to run these machines. After a careful review of our energy use we found that our retail store track lighting was drawing a lot of that electrical usage. Now I'm no electrician, but I do know basic math. While the cost to change out all the lights in our store (about 600 in total) was rather significant, we found that the return on investment would come in after merely 1.5 months of use! The compact fluorescent lights have to warm up a bit before reaching the full intensity, but there was no loss in light. They do have a slightly different color compared to the halogen bulbs, but we're pretty sure it actually looks better. We are almost done changing out the remaining bulbs and we invite you by to see for yourself. It feels good to save energy, but it feels even better when it can have a positive impact on your finances as well. If you haven't looked into compact fluorescent lights for your home, there are plenty of resources on the web to help you compare energy costs.

Appreciation Sale

Thousands have stopped by P. Graham Dunn in Dalton, Ohio this week for our Appreciation Sale. There is still a couple days left and we still have a lot of food, snacks, games, balloons, crafts, movies, sale merchandise, activities, and most of all fun to be had. Best of all - it's all free! Bring the whole family.

A few sale items of note:

There are a number of colorful outdoor chairs available for a special price of $175 each through Saturday. Each is guaranteed not to fade and are made from recycled plastics. Regular price is $299!

We also have a number of large pieces perfect for a church or large great room. Currently there are 4 carved mantel pieces available as is for $500 (obo). Regular price on these would be $2000 or more. We have a few framed Albena prints. This is a grand white horse wrapped in multiple frames of carved cherry. Regular price on these are $1999 and they are available through Saturday for $1000. Lastly there are about a dozen dinette sets, buffets, and hutches that we are selling off the floor, as is, at 25% off.

Offers are good through 5pm on Saturday at the Dalton, Ohio location only.

Amish Country Living with LeeAnn Miller

P. Graham Dunn featured on the program Amish Country Living with LeeAnn Miller.
We are in the second half of the program.

Touring P. Graham Dunn

We are always excited to see a motorcoach roll up to P. Graham Dunn. Harry Wilkins will grab his megaphone and take the group on a complimentary tour of the factory. Guests get to see up close the carving machines we use to engrave our products. They also watch all the handy-work involved as Harry explains the finishing process, screen printing, assembly, packaging and much more.

The best time to arrive at our factory in Dalton is on a weekday from 9am to 3pm for the most shop activity.

700 Reasons to watch TV this December...

Recently P. Graham Dunn was visited by a film crew from a nationally televised program. The 700 Club is doing a piece on P. Graham Dunn and is set to air in late December.

Last year, the 700 Club did a piece on a local gentleman in Wooster, Oh. Steve Crisafulli and his wife, Nancy have been good customers of ours and they suggested the crew stop by P. Graham Dunn before heading back east. The producer of the show was impressed with what she saw and decided to do a piece on P. Graham Dunn. The crew stopped out in late June and considering the airing date, we added a touch of Christmas to the set. After about 9 hours of filming, the crew got what they needed for a 5 to 6 minute story. Amazing what goes into even a simple production! We are excited to see it this December.

For more information about the 700 Club, click here.

A Day in (the Best of Ohio's) Amish Country

A Day in (the Best of Ohio's) Amish Country

By Allison Ervin, writer, age 10

So you're in Amish country, looking for something fun to do. Here are some of the great things that I enjoyed when I visited Wayne and Holmes County recently. A good way to start your day in Amish country is by visiting the store Lehman's, in Kidron. There's lots of unique and fun things you can buy there that are sure to brighten up any day. If you are a child, or have children with you, there's a huge toy selection and there are toys you can play with. Lots of their products are non-electric and eco-friendly like their wood burning stoves. The store is very big, which means there is a lot you can look at. You will see many things you thought weren't made any more.

After you leave Lehman's, head up the road to the store P. Graham Dunn in Dalton, where they make inspirational wood carvings, which are very detailed and beautiful. You can even watch the magnificent items being made with lasers.You can make a homemade puzzle by coloring on a piece of wood, then putting it into a machine where a laser carves it into puzzle pieces. When you walk into their store they have a magnificent lobby with beautiful furniture, and a floor to ceiling mural drawn by a local artist.

As you are walking out of P. Graham Dunn, you realize you are kind of hungry. As you're driving, you see a sign that says Amish Door Restaurant, one mile ahead. So you stop in for some lunch. The fantastic restaurant was awarded the best chicken in the country award. Their food is homemade by the Amish -- such as mashed potatoes, corn, bread and drumsticks. They also have pies, cakes, cookies and other pastries. I even got a free cookie. I ate lunch at the Amish Door in Wooster, but there is also an Amish Door Restaurant and Inn in Wilmot. As you're walking out, you notice the gift shop, so you can stop in and look at the wonderful things like the wallets, quilts and pencils.

The next stop on your day in Amish country is Homestead Furniture in Mt. Hope to purchase some of the beautiful furniture they have there. When I was there recently, a lovely v-shaped couch caught my eye. The store is very eco-friendly because instead of a normal heater, they have a solar-powered heater. To go upstairs there is a larger, curvy staircase that you walk up. They have children's furniture, too, such as a pink girl's bed and a crib. If you see a piece of furniture you like, you can customize it and Homestead will build it for you. They get the trees to make their wooden furniture from close-by states.

After you leave Homestead, you take a trip to Coblentz Chocolates in Walnut Creek, where they make delicious chocolates. Some of the chocolates are very fun shapes, such as golf clubs, motorcycles, or even trains. A lot of them have fun fillings such as fruit or caramel or nuts. There was a little house inside of the store for the young children's entertainment. Coblentz doesn't just have chocolate, they also have wind chimes and stuffed animals. When you walk in a yummy aroma of chocolate and other candies fills the store.

About a minute away is Walnut Creek Cheese, where tasty cheese and meats are sold. A lot of the food there is locally made. We were planning to just buy a little, but when I saw all the delectable choices they had, I couldn't help but buy a lot. Above, on a large shelf, they have decorations set up to look like a market from the olden days. They also have a huge selection of candy and a room designed like a cave filled with cheese. They carry a lot of bulk food and a lot of people buy food from here for parties, like graduations, weddings and other type of events.

The last stop was Keim Lumber in Charm (cute name, huh?). If you're building or adding on to your home, Keim Lumber is the place to be. They have a really big, fancy new room where they can show you their kitchen and bathrooms. I've never seen so much pretty wood. They are the experts in building so they can help you decide what looks nice.

Now your day in Amish country has come to an end. But it certainly was the best day ever! :)

You know you're in Amish Country when...

You have to slow down because you are following a horse and buggy

Clothes are flapping in the breeze on the clothesline

There are silos and barns and white fences in the fields

Cows and horses are grazing in the pasture

Girls in white coverings and light pink or green dresses walk down the road to the neighbor's house

The parking lot at the baseball game is filled with bicycles, not cars

You see a sign that says "eggs for sale -- no Sunday sales" at the end of the driveway

The people are friendly, the food is good and the roads are hilly

New Promo Video of the P. Graham Dunn Factory Store

Ambassador Harry

If you have visited our factory and store in Dalton, Ohio chances are you've run into a gentleman named Harry. If you were to ask me to identify the heart of this company, I could make a very strong case that it's Harry. Harry has been with us for nearly 8 years and has performed in a variety of roles. As of the last few years, Harry has been acting ambassador for P. Graham Dunn. Stop in with a group large or small and Harry will walk you around the shop and tell you all about the place. I can't tell you how many people stop in on a daily basis and ask for Harry by name. It takes a special guy to make such a memorable impact.

P. Graham Dunn talks about the origins of Graham

Click the image to view Peter's vlog about the origins of his middle name.

Made in the USA

I remember a time in which there was a great push to buy American. It seemed like every TV station in the nineteen eighties aired commercials about checking the tag for the Made in America logo. Since then it seems we get nearly everything from overseas. Without treading too far into the debate about the pros and cons of a global economy, I think it is important to focus attention back on those businesses creating products and jobs right here in the USA.

At P. Graham Dunn we employ nearly 100 people. Many of our staff are hard working Amish and Mennonites, though we employ people from nearly every walk of life. When you visit our factory, you will never see someone leaning on a broom, or the shop floor in disarray. We take pride in our jobs and we take pride in the products we make. The 5% of products we do import are laser engraved and packaged in Ohio. The packaging is often done at home by local Amish women. When I walk through the factory it makes me proud to call this community home.

Traveling around this area of the country you'll find domestically made products at places like Homestead Furniture, Lehman's Hardware, Walnut Creek Cheese, and Coblentz Chocolate. Smuckers is headquartered just down the road, and the Cat's Meow just a little further. We have over 1000 shops manufacturing Amish made furniture, and the hills are covered in 100 acre farms making the landscape look more like a quilt. Speaking of quilts, you'll find none better made than right here, and while you're here pick up various food products like Amish Peanut Butter, Eggs, Pastries, Pickled Garlic, Trail Bologna, Bulk Foods, and the world's best cheese (sorry Wisconsin). Stuff it all in a homemade Amish basket.

Whatever you find around here, it's a good chance it was made by the very hands of the person you're purchasing it from. And while you may find some nice prices, you won't get that at Wal-Mart.

Peter Dunn Vlogs About the Factory Store

Runaway Pony

First let me say this is not the horse in question, though he looked similar. This evening I headed in towards Kidron, OH on my way to church league softball practice. My favorite route takes me up, down, and around these curvy two lane roads. I pass by countless small Amish farms and see lots of buggies. What I saw today was a little out of the ordinary. As I crested a hill I see this miniature pony running in my direction down the center of the road. Moments later I notice a couple of kids about a mile further running after him. I did a most English thing (English is what all us non-Amish are), I blocked the road with my car, waved my arms out the window and spooked the pony back in the other direction. Following behind the pony I kept pushing him towards the kids until about 20 feet from capture, the pony jumps a ditch and tears across a field! The kids laughed, waved and headed off after the freedom craving miniature pony. After softball practice about an hour later I am driving the same road home. Those poor kids, walking along the road and looking a little less enthusiastic, continued to chase down this stubborn pony. Just another day in Amish country...

An Unlikely Family

Every day when coming to work, or leaving to go home I always slow down or pull over to check in on the newest members of the family. Our facility uses a retention pond to collect rainwater and we have deliberately begun to plant native plants to Ohio around the perimeter. It's surprising that before any of our efforts have really taken root, we already host about a dozen Canadian Geese, two species of ducks, and a variety to mosquito eating, dive bombing birds! Early this spring a mating pair of Canadian Geese gave birth to 4 little goslings. They started as 4 little puffs of yellow and are now displaying that characteristic Canadian Goose color. When the weather is sour, the mother covers them with her wings and her mate is always nearby. Interestingly, about 3 weeks ago this white goose decided to adopt the whole family as his own. After some early feathery fights, this unlikely family is now inseparable.

New Website

If you're stopping by the blog via our website, you've probably noticed something a little different. Last week we unveiled our new website. Some of the new features include more organized categories, full screen images on the product detail page, greater detail in copy and description, customer reviews, and much more. Take a cruise around. While we still have a few glitches and unfinished pieces, I think you'll agree it was an improvement on the last design. Enjoy!

Please save Kidron, Jack Bauer!

Little did we know that in the quaint town of Kidron, OH just 3 miles away there was a disaster about to happen. No I am not talking about an Amish traffic jam during a Thursday auction, or that Lehman's had to close early due to a snow storm. No this disaster was much more sinister. It seems the terrorists in Fox's hit show 24 had targeted our quiet community for destruction. While the facts are a little mixed up (and this happens during disasterous events like this) it seems the show may have slightly exaggerated the population of Kidron by 29,000 or so, and while I couldn't find a chemical plant north of town, there is a Gerber Poultry plant just south of town. Their chicken is so good, it's no wonder the terrorists would target it.

It's been a lot of fun seeing our little community in the spotlight. I have a few links below you are welcome to click on for more about this unique story.

The Daily Record
New York Entertainment
Akron Beacon Journal

Happy Birthday Abe!

As a way to draw attention to one of the most influential leaders in American history, Eric Ebinger will run across the state of Ohio to commemorate Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. Beginning on Feb 12, 2009 (today) Eric will run the equivalent of 2 marathons a day to complete his journey on Feb 16. The course will be along the aptly named Lincoln Highway. This highway was the first to cross the United States and happens to run directly by P. Graham Dunn in Dalton, OH. You can read more about the Lincoln Highway here. Or click here for the Times Bulletin article about Eric.

On behalf of the staff at P. Graham Dunn, we wish Eric godspeed on his journey across the state.

Oversized Custom Doorkeeper

One of the more enjoyable aspects to my job here at P. Graham Dunn is to see all the custom projects that go through our shop. About 3 months ago, a customer of ours had us make a doorkeeper about 4 times the size of our stock product. It was such a simple adjustment to our regular item, yet we had a lot of comments about that piece as it went through production. Paul Dunn, my brother-in-law and head of our design department, decided to make a few extra to put in our Factory Outlet room in Dalton. Since then, all of the extra doorkeepers have sold, and at least two more customers stopped in to get their own over sized doorkeeper with a custom design. I have posted a couple of pics of one of those doorkeepers that can be found at the Seville United Methodist Church in Ohio.

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