 About Clarks Outdoor Chairs Hello, my name is CJ Gross, founder and owner of Clarks Outdoor Chairs. I started my company to offer people affordable high quality Adirondack chairs and Adirondack furniture. My humble beginning has taken me from my garage woodshop to my current shop located at 2529 Regency Road Suite 102 in Lexington, Kentucky. My story goes something like this....... In 1996; I designed and built a backyard deck and screened-in-porch onto my home and was looking for some nice outdoor chairs and tables. My interest in Adirondack chairs and Adirondack furniture occurred when I saw pictures of them while looking through various outdoor living magazines; to me nothing else was even close as I fell in love with their classic look. Now that I decided what I wanted I began my search by going to the local stores and looking through catalogs, but all I seem to find were thin fragile Adirondack chairs that all looked the same or ones so expensive they cost more than my new deck. Yes, I was somewhat disappointed, but I was also excited because I felt confident after building a deck and screen-in-porch that I could build Adirondack chairs that would be as nice or nicer than any I had seen, yet affordable. I went to work in my garage workshop using some extra Treated Pine boards from my deck project and a magazine picture of a Chattahoochee Adirondack chair. I built my chairs a little different from the picture because the wood I was using was wider and thicker, but it was a good thing because they ended up being very sturdy outdoor chairs. In fact, they are now 11 years old and are still sitting on my deck and as solid as ever. Needless to say, I was very proud of the Chattahoochee Adirondack chairs I had built and soon found myself building more for my family and friends as a way to make extra money. You could say this was the beginning of Clarks Outdoor Chairs. Today, it still seems it is hard to find affordable high quality Adirondack chairs and furniture. The market is saturated with plenty of foreign (China & Vietnam) mass produced chairs that cost $100 to $150 dollars (see"Thrones of Summer"). They are made to last a year or two or last until they get tested for strength. My belief is many people today feel the same way I felt back in 1996; that is they want something better, something that is high quality yet affordable. They are tired of buying products that do not last and if given the chance would spend a little more and buy USA made Adirondack chairs and furniture that are well made, stylish, sturdy and will last. This belief is what led to my decision in January 2004 to take the full-time plunge of building and selling my Adirondack chairs and tables. Since that decision I have moved into a new location started an internet website and added new products. Now in our fifth year of internet sales I am proud to say we have shipped our Adirondack chairs to 40 states and two foreign countries. I do not know what the future holds, but I do know that we will continue to build high quality Adirondack chairs and furniture. My father taught me there is only one way to do something and that is to do it right. I hope you find our Adirondack furniture is what you are looking for and decide to add some to your home. Best Regards, CJ Gross |
