business.” Thankfully, the ….
business.”
Thankfully, the couple also has a birch bark crafting part of the business that they took over from Paul Ziegler, making decorative canoes and garbage cans, for towels or flowers.
“I think this is one of the best sellers, the canoe,” said Greg.
The two search the woods for the bark, then cut wood bottoms to fit, box them up and ship them out.
“Most of that stuff goes to New York,” said Nancy. “We do it together, this is our baby.”
They can even boast that one of their canoes is at the Sagamore Resort, where all the presidents used to spend their summers. The Simas were asked for a custom-made size to fit in the bathroom there to hold soaps and other toiletries.
Perhaps the most exciting orders, came from Robert Redford’s Coldwater Creek catalogue, where hundreds of the creations were made for the movie star’s business.
“That was impressive,” said Nancy. Birch bark is relatively easy to find, but the waterbed rail supplies, not so much. Because the products are all made of petroleum, they’re getting scarce. The vinyl comes from Mississippi, but it’s not available anymore, because the product comes from China, and the market is too high to make it worthwhile.
“We bought four rolls and when it’s gone, it’s gone,” said Nancy. “We’ll maybe find another supplier, but it won’t be them.”
At times, it’s hard to find the walnut color, which is the most popular, so they have to substitute colors. Glue has also gone up and foam comes from Eau Claire, but is ever increasing in cost.
“It’s becoming more of a challenge to find things,” said Nancy.
A historian of waterbed rails told the couple at one time, there were up to seven producers of what they do. There is now one other business who makes wooden rails, but the Simas continue to do plastic.
“Basically, we are the only business in the United States that does this,” said Nancy.
Nancy (left) and Greg Sima work together, not just on their waterbed rail business, but also to craft birch bark creations. Greg also keeps busy with upholstery work, while Nancy mans the books for the business.
