The true origins of Sheffield Furniture & Interiors go back to 1934 when the supervisor of a Pennsylvania furniture factory took a chance and hired a young man as his new drill press operator. On his first day, he struggled to keep up because one of his arms had been crippled by polio. The supervisor was impressed with the young man’s persistence but knew he would have to let him go. The young man was determined to successfully run the drill press, despite his disability, and came up with an ingenious plan. That young man was my grandfather, Francis Shrawder.

After his shift, Francis told his supervisor that the next day he would outproduce the best operator by double. All he needed was a night in the factory so he could use the machine shop to fit the drill press with a foot lever. His supervisor was skeptical but agreed. Francis worked all night and made good on his promise. His supervisor was so impressed with the new invention that he made Francis the head of quality and efficiency. His first task was to fit every drill press with a foot lever. Within a year, the factory was producing a 3-drawer chest with less than half a man-hour of labor.

Francis Shrawder went on to start a furniture restoration company specializing in repair and refinishing, and his reputation for quality craftsmanship spread. In 1983, my grandfather retired, and my wife Liz and I purchased his shop and planned to build it into a full-service, upscale furniture retailer.