Doing It Right
Hudson Millwork Inc. strives for perfection on every job
When you want something done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself.
It may be a shopworn old bit of wisdom, but it’s at the very core of how Sergio Fornelos, President of Hudson Millwork Inc., started his own business and built it into a booming enterprise.
Previously, Sergio had a lucrative career as a construction project manager, helping build high-rises from the ground up. However, he kept seeing a lack of professionalism from millwork contractors that rankled him. Eventually, he decided he needed to do something about it and had the skills and experience to bring it into reality.
“I decided if no one can provide cabinets on time the way we want them, I ought to just do them myself,” Sergio says. “My father had always been a cabinetmaker, and he’d taught me how to do the work. I just decided to do what my old man did.”
Hudson Millwork was started just three years ago in 2016 by Sergio and his partner, Sergiu Chirita, who serves as Vice President. The company swiftly grew too large for Sergio’s garage, so the leaders moved into their current headquarters in Mahopac, New York.
“After moving into our shop, buying equipment and setting everything up, we spent more than we took in those first few months,” Sergio says. “But, starting with our first full year, we’ve had steady growth. This January was huge, and we’re on track for our best year yet in 2019.”
Above and Beyond
January 2019 was a frenzy of activity for Hudson Millwork, as the company stepped in at the last minute on the new Million Air facility at the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York. The timeline of this project, led by Texas-based Jacob White Construction, was in peril after the original millwork contractor defaulted on the job.
“We jumped into the project,” Sergio says. “We did everything—railings, ceilings, cabinetry, column wraps and more. Everything on that job was custom-made; nothing was cookie-cutter. We had 50 guys on-site daily working 14-hour days to get a six-month project done in six weeks. We were very lucky to be able to add the airport to our portfolio and create new relationships while we did.”
Hudson Millwork’s commitment to excellence and its ability to step in and salvage a project seem certain to bring in more business for the company, not to mention the relationships forged in the process.
“We were in a pinch,” says Sean Mickler, President of Jacob White Construction. “After the original millwork sub went bad, Hudson Millwork presented themselves as capable of doing the job. They saved the job and the move-in date; they saved the client. Their work is exquisite, and their promises are kept. It’s nice to work with people focused on a team mentality, not just themselves. We’re currently evaluating them on a number of other opportunities given their dedication to our project in New York.”
Sean adds, “It’s rare you find a strategic partner that’s more than a one-and-done. Sergio and his team were absolute professionals in every manner—and Sergio is one of the hardest working guys in construction I’ve ever met.”
While the airport’s Million Air club is the largest job Hudson Millwork has ever done, it’s by no means the only large job. Recently, the company completed a major project for the Brookville Country Club on Long Island, a job that included creating 6,800 square feet of custom ceiling. Sergio and his team have also lent their skills to several flagship restaurants, such as Blue Park Kitchen in New York City.
Putting It Together
Hudson Millwork operates a little differently than other millwork companies, Sergio says, which allows the team to take on jobs like the Long Island country club without disrupting the client’s day-to-day operations.
“We don’t want the owner or client overburdened with the project,” Sergio says. “So we come out to the site, take all our measurements and do drawings for everything. When it’s approved, we build it at our shop, then bring it to the site and put it together. That ceiling in the country club was installed in two days. We put it together on-site like a puzzle. We do everything we can to make the install seamless. For the airport project, we built two 40-foot by 20-foot barn doors at our shop, disassembled them, transported them and put them back together on-site.”
This practice also makes the job site run more smoothly, Sergio says, with one less contractor occupying workspace. It’s a way of doing business that helps the customer and helps get the job done on time.
“We hit the mark every time,” Sergio says. “We always make sure things are done on time for the client. We’re able to expedite projects on a tight timeline, but we’re also upfront with the client. If the deadline can’t happen, if it’s impossible, we tell them. We provide a complete project schedule and timeline that’s in tune with the construction schedule. My experience in project management lets me plan our scope of work to align with all the other trades on the project. I can foresee all the issues and plan around them.”
Most of Hudson Millwork’s projects come from in-state clients, but the company has also done work as far south as Florida and as far west as Texas, where the crew is currently doing work for three separate apartment complexes. Clients range from construction companies to individuals looking for custom design in their homes.
“We do everything because I don’t like to say no to anything,” Sergio says, laughing. “We’re about equal between commercial work and residential work, but commercial is probably 60 to 70 percent of our income. Honestly, I prefer commercial; residential can be more difficult.”
As an example, Sergio points to a recent job in New York City, creating custom pieces for a penthouse apartment. The designer provided specifications for each piece, though the pieces as designed would be too large to fit inside the building’s elevator. Hudson Millwork crafted them to be disassembled and taken up to the apartment in pieces, where they were carefully reassembled and stained to appear as though they had never been taken apart.
“Everything we do is unique and custom,” Sergio says. “We go out of our way to work with designers, and what we make is not something you can just go get at the store.”
New Is Old Again
One request Sergio sees frequently—from designers and owners alike—is for reclaimed wood. This product, which can be salvaged from an old building and repurposed, is popular for its rustic appearance. The problem is demand outstrips supply. To accommodate all the requests and keep prices low for his clients, Sergio created a way of artificially aging wood to achieve the reclaimed appearance—and without using any harsh chemicals.
“Reclaimed wood is expensive and hard to find,” Sergio says. “A reclaimed mantle might cost me $2,000. With this process, I can take a new wood mantle and age it so it looks reclaimed, then sell it to the client for $1,000.”
Hudson Millwork currently keeps a staff of 10 employees, including Sergio. However, the company enjoys close relationships with a network of local subcontractors, which it can call on when it needs additional help—such as on the Westchester County Airport project. Likewise, Sergio has loaned some of his workers to other subcontractors who needed a short-term boost in skilled manpower. Sergio is pleased with the arrangement and proud of the caliber of workers he has available in his shop.
Sergio is quick to give credit for Hudson Millwork’s success to the quality of the team members he has assembled, both in their skill and in their dedication to get the job done perfectly for the customer. He talks about walking into his shop and seeing his employees working with a hand planer, rather than using a machine, to shape a piece of wood to make sure it’s absolutely perfect.
“We have an awesome team,” Sergio says. “I’m not saying that because I have to. Our customers say the same thing. Our employees are willing to put the time and effort into making everything we do the best it can be. Our guys feel personally liable for the things we do. They want to get the job done 100 percent right. Our guys look out for the company, which enables us to look out for the customer.”