Rooted in McConnelsville: The Story Behind Contraxx

Mike Workman | Contraxx Furniture

When people ask where Contraxx began, I tell them it started long before the company was founded. It started in McConnelsville, Ohio, with the people who believed in me, the lessons they taught me, and a community that became home.

High above downtown McConnelsville, Contraxx operates from a third-floor office that many passersby may not realize is there, creating custom furniture for hotels, restaurants and resorts.

For more than thirty years, Contraxx has called downtown McConnelsville home. While our work has taken us beyond Morgan County and allowed us to build relationships throughout the furniture and hospitality industries, the values that guide us every day were shaped right here.

They were shaped by the people who taught me, the relationships I built, and the belief that doing things the right way still matters.

In 1970, after graduating from Ohio University, I came to McConnelsville and joined Taylor Woodcraft. At the time, I had no idea how much that decision would influence the rest of my career or eventually lead to the creation of Contraxx.

What I found at Taylor was much more than a job.

I found people who were willing to teach me, share their knowledge, and take pride in their work.

I learned about kiln drying, machining, sanding, finishing, and the many details involved in creating quality furniture. But the greatest lessons were not just about manufacturing.

They were about doing what’s meaningful, not what’s easy.

They were about not being afraid to make mistakes and learning from them.

They were about letting go of a dream and getting a new one.

Those lessons became the foundation for everything that followed.

One person who had a lasting impact on me was Bob Christie, chairman of Citizens National Bank. Bob took time to mentor me when I was young and just beginning my career.

Every Saturday morning, he invited me to spend time with him and learn from his experience.

What I remember most was not just the advice he shared. It was that he was willing to invest his time in me.

That kind of encouragement can make a lasting difference in someone’s life. Bob showed me the importance of helping others along the way, and I have carried that lesson with me throughout my career.

Over the next two decades at Taylor Woodcraft, my work allowed me to build relationships with manufacturers, designers, architects, purchasers, retailers, and hospitality professionals.

Looking back, I didn’t realize it then, but those years were preparing me for something much bigger.

Then, in 1995, everything changed.

Taylor Woodcraft closed its doors.

Like many people who suddenly find themselves facing an uncertain future, I had a decision to make.

I could look for another opportunity somewhere else.

Or I could take what I had learned and create something new.

In 1996, Contraxx was born.

Starting a business was exciting, but it was also challenging. Building something from the ground up requires perseverance, faith, and a willingness to keep moving forward even when the path is not always clear.

Fortunately, I was not starting from a lack of knowledge about furniture. I just needed to

convince myself that I could start my own business manufacturing it.

I planned Contraxx around a simple idea: listen to customers, solve their problems, and deliver what they want. As one of my professors once advised, “If a customer wants a blue shirt, give him a blue one. Not a red one or yellow one.”

Today, Contraxx specializes in custom hospitality furniture, helping restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other hospitality spaces bring their visions to life. While the projects may vary in size and style, our principle remains the same--never use a customer as a guinea pig.

I have never believed a business succeeds because of one person.

Contraxx exists because of many people—manufacturing partners who have supported us, customers who have trusted us, and employees who have been part of our story from the beginning.

Over the years, I have always believed that businesses have a responsibility to support the communities that support them.

McConnelsville gave me an opportunity, and I have always tried to give back in the same spirit that so many people showed me when I first arrived.

Strong communities are built when people invest in one another.

That is what makes McConnelsville special.

Over the years, people have asked if I ever considered moving Contraxx to Columbus,

Cleveland, Cincinnati, or another larger city.

My answer has always been the same.

Why would I?

Everything I value about doing business exists right here.

The relationships.

The work ethic.

The sense of responsibility.

The people who care about one another.

These things make a small community special.

Being located in McConnelsville is more than having an office address.

It connects us to the community where this journey began.

Downtown is where businesses support one another, where people know each other, and where relationships still matter.

That sense of connection is something we value and something we never want to lose.

Long before I was in the furniture business, I learned many of these same lessons as a teenager delivering newspapers.

Customers expected their paper every day, regardless of the weather.

They expected reliability.

They expected consistency.

They expected respect.

Those lessons never change.

Whether you are delivering newspapers, building furniture, or working with customers and partners, the foundation is the same:

Show up.

Do what you promise.

Treat people with respect.

Looking back, I realize that every experience—the people I met, the lessons I learned, and the challenges I faced—helped prepare me for Contraxx.

What started as a small business in downtown McConnelsville has grown into a company trusted by hospitality professionals who value quality, craftsmanship, and dependable partnerships.

But growth has never been just about size.

It has always been about relationships, trust, and doing things the right way.

McConnelsville helped shape who we are.

More than thirty years later, I’m grateful that Contraxx is still part of this community—and I hope, in some small way, we’ve helped strengthen it in return.

Mike has written a booklet entitled “Entrepreneurs Start Here”. For a free copy, email him at Mike@contraxxfurniture.com.