Dressers, cupboards, beds, shutters, doors, cribs, tables and much more. Furniture made by Old Colony and Old Order Mennonites is much sought after by many in Belize due to their quality-vs-price competetiveness. The modern colonies of Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek are no longer into furniture-making as a prosperous business due to the over-whelming and rather fierce competition by the Mestizos in the villages surrounding them. Many appliance stores, hotels and resorts throughout Belize keep their own full-time carpenters rather than continually purchasing furniture. Even then, wooden items built in Shipyard and Little Belize are prized because of their durability and craftmanship at lower prices than most non-Mennonite carpenters. From what someone told me, partly why they can maintain a lower cost is because they spend very little on personal items. A lot of their food is grown or made at home, clothing is made at home from a standard cut, no high-end personal luxuries such as LCD screens or a new model refrigerator. Also, lumber is cut, planed and prepared by workers from their own community: nephews, cousins, brothers, and in-laws working at a lower salary than most non-Mennonite citizens. But to me, I believe one big reason for their prosperity in the carpentry world is their work ethics; I have seen friends working into the night to redo a project rather than hide a mistake and cheat the customer. As a receiving clerk, I have had some Old Colony salesmen point out a particular item which had a defect and ask me if I still want to purchase it. On the other hand, I have seen some Mestizos do a half-hearted job, then do their best to hide the mistakes and charge the customer full-price. Of course, not all Mestizos are like that but it just shows that having the right work ethics plays a vital role in your business.
A load of Shipyard furniture arrives in Spanish Lookout
There are men in Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek who still work with furniture but as they modernized, labor cost went up. High-quality, first-grade furniture is still made in Spanish Lookout but mainly for personal use. The market is flooded with low-cost furniture and vendors offering the lowest bid. In fact, customers from SL and BC now often choose rather to buy from Shipyard than make it themselves.
A sawmill in Shipyard
One sad thing about this furniture and house-building business is the toll it is taking on the forests of Belize. And this applies to other Belizeans involved in logging, not just Mennonites.
