The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar opened on October 7th. Not only can you see the story of the Civil War from three perspectives — Union, Confederate, and African-American — but if you need time to sit and reflect or when you just get winded, you can sit on a bench or a settee from Local 59. Along with six of our tables in the gift shop, you’ll find our latest seating products throughout the museum.

We’re not the types to get especially excited but we are really proud of our efforts. Kent Elliott designed pieces with great, clean lines. Kyle Maurer figured out how to produce them. And our local production partners in Michigan delivered for us.

See you in Richmond.

The situation in New Orleans continues to unravel and it’s getting difficult to see how the city will find its footing again. It was, in so many ways, the perfect storm – Mother Nature’s fury, an ill-advised location, an underpaid police force rife with corruption, impoverished neighborhoods.

It’s been decades since the city of New Orleans was a true community and became an amusement park for booze-filled conventioneers. Any visitor who ventured away from the French Quarter quickly encountered some of the poorest, most desperate neighborhoods in the country. Yes, there is plenty of wealth in the area, but there seemed to be very little in the way of a business community that had actual connections to the city.

What has struck me in the coverage of the disaster is the absence of business leaders coming forward to form alliances and put forward plans for solving the crisis and planning reconstuction. In most areas of the country, this would be standard procedure.

In New Orleans, there doesn’t seem to be a business community that can help lead the city out of the situation. In fact, I can’t think of a single national company with a New Orleans address. Floating barge casinos are not bulwark companies. The fact that they now lie twisted up on the shores of the Mississippi is an apt metaphor.

Anyone who thinks business and community don’t mix should be persuaded otherwise this week. A Visitors & Convention Bureau cannot lead a city in times of crisis. Government and quasi-government leaders cannot do it themselves. Think back to 9/11. Along with Mayor Giuliani, the business leaders of New York City stepped forward to galvanize people and create a sense of hope.

Right now, it’s crisis management in New Orleans. But the problems began long ago, when business turned its back on the city and government – rather than help foster companies that would make New Orleans a true community – spent most of its time developing tourism.

Our company is located in a town – Kalamazoo, Michigan – that has experienced more than a few economic hits in recent years. Fortunately, business leaders have stepped forward and worked diligently to keep the community growing. It’s difficult work – it’s far easier for successful business people to simply watch their money grow – but it’s vital and it’s made a great difference.

I’m making a donation to the relief efforts for Hurrican Katrina – the immediate needs are overwhelming. But perhaps some good can emerge from all this human misery. Perhaps now, every city and town will work harder to ensure that business is an essential part of the community fabric.

The current Northwest mechanics strike makes it a good time to talk about Local 59 and unions.

Our furniture has an appreciation for skilled labor built into it. I suspect we’re like a lot of people who spend their time sitting at desks staring at monitors — we have a real affinity for people with an ability to actually make things with their hands. We designed our furniture so it could be made by the highly skilled metal workers in our community.

That doesn’t mean we think labor strife is going to move industry forward. In fact, Local 59 is about creating a new kind of collaboration between business and the skilled trades — one that is about forging relationships to create things that are extraordinary.

It’s time to stop thinking in terms of labor versus management and start considering how talent — skilled labor — can become integral to ideas.

We’re the first to admit that many will think we’re trade protectionists here at Local 59.

We’re not.

Fact is, nobody – least of all a small, Michigan-based company creating steel furniture – is going to stop the advance of global trade. That ship has sailed. Instead, we’re interested in sparking people to consider the footprint a business can leave on a community.

If we had written a typical business plan, it would make perfect sense to locate in a larger urban center. More potential customers nearby, more media buzz, more retail opportunity. But, for us, profit margins are just one way we plan to measure our success. Don’t misintrepret – we’re very interested in making money. But if we’re going to invest ourselves in business ventures, we’re also interested in creating something that could impact the people in our community. To do that, we’re using the resources and talents of people here in Kalamazoo to make a great product.

Fact is, the healthiest communities aren’t developed – they’re connected. A few years ago, Kent Elliott, the designer of our furniture, alerted me to the talents of a folk singer named Greg Brown. Kent saw him live a few years ago and remembered his philosophy on community. I’m paraphrasing, but it was something like this.

Brown had been reading about entire suburban areas that were “planned communities” and he had a problem with it. His beef? You can’t plan a community. You have to need a community. The people in the community have to need each other.

We need the metal workers who craft our furniture. They need us to design it and market it. We’re connected.

Local 59 is about using the talents of the people in our community to produce products that people will want. If we lived in Silicon Valley, we’d probably be trying to develop software. But, well, we don’t.

We live in Michigan. That’s why we’re making steel furniture. Not wood veneer furniture or polypropylene furniture. Steel furniture.

The furniture isn’t right for everyone. Nothing that’s truly great ever is. But if it’s right for you, we hope you’ll contact us.