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900 W. Main St.,
PO Box 690 Grangeville, ID 83530
Phone: 208.983.1200 |
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| Thoroughly modern McCoys |
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| Cabinet shop steps into 21st century with machinery, software |
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 | | Free Press / Lorie Palmer | | A carved scene on the side of an entertainment center is nearly ready to install at a customer’s home. |
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By Lorie Palmer - community editor, ICFP
HARPSTER - Carpentry may be an age-old profession, but Alvin McCoy has added some seriously modern technology to the cabinetry business.
For McCoy, gone are the days of measuring everything with a tape and hand cutting each piece of wood.
At McCoy and Sons Cabinets up Sears Creek Road, a large industrial computerized machine takes cues from McCoy and cuts out cabinets, drawers, entertainment centers and more.
"It has been a huge learning curve - and it still is," smiled McCoy, who has lived in the area for the past 25 years. When estimating jobs he goes with laptop in hand and uses specialized software to create three dimensional images on-the-spot.
"I can punch in the measurements and what the customer is looking for and show them right there," he explained.
The software he uses to make the designs and place them into the cutting machine allows him to choose from thousands of textures and designs to customize each piece. Popular in Idaho are the wildlife scenes but McCoy wants his customers to know he can create much more than animals.
"I can do whatever a customer wants - grape leaves, modern designs, European or Victorian style - you name it," he said. "The possibilities are really endless and not just for cabinets but also for crown molding, headboards, fireplace inlays and more."
Though he has more than $200,000 in machinery in his shop, he knows the personal touch is also important. He and his sons and one employee work at sanding and staining/spraying items as well as detail work with nailing and gluing. McCoy's sons, Steven, a senior at Clearwater Valley High School, and Christopher, a sophomore, play an integral role in helped install as well as in other areas.
"Steven is going to go to school in Lewiston for a business degree with plans that he will come back and work her and eventually run the business," McCoy said. "That's my dream - rather than just sell the business someday, to pass it on and have my sons run it."
One of McCoy's future purchases, he hopes, is a lathe machine so he can create carved posts to go along with his pieces.
McCoy was born in Port Angeles, Wash., and spent time picking mushrooms in the Northwest to earn money before he went into carpentry. He and his wife, Sarah, run the family business. He said he has had mostly hands-on by also on-line training to learn his machinery - first purchased about five years ago - and 3D software.
"I've been really fortunate to keep very busy with commercial and residential jobs," he said. "There never seems to be enough time to get everything done and try some of the new things I want to."
McCoy's work promises to become even busier as he launches a website and continues to learn more about his software and the possibilities of his machinery.
"I would tell people who want to get into this type of work to hone up on their math and computer skills," he said. "Those are definite musts."
To see McCoy's work check out his Alvin McCoy Facebook page. Call him at 451-4557.
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