Set in the undulating hills of Ohio’s Amish country, with its ubiquitous horse-drawn buggies sharing the roads with cars and trucks and bicycles, a components company is on a growth path.

The company is Century Components based in Sugarcreek, Ohio, where its products are bench-crafted and American-made, as the company’s website describes the process. 

“Century Components has been known for top-quality kitchen accessories for quite some time,” said Jeff Miller, CEO. “We manufacture everything here in the United States. When we say that we have quality products, that’s because it happens right here in the community where we’re from.”

On a growth path
In June 2023, Century Components began operation at its new 75,000-square-foot production, assembly, and warehousing facility in Sugarcreek.  

In addition, the company operates a secondary manufacturing facility known as the Century East component processing center in Holmes County, where CNC and other equipment craft components to support production and assembly in the new building as well as Century Components’ network of smaller woodshops. 

“We have seven smaller sub-shops that build products for us,” said Miller, “And that is a sustainable way for our community to support each other and for us to support these smaller home-based businesses in the area. That’s how we work it here in Holmes County.”

The new facility, coupled with Century East a few miles to the east, raises the company’s footprint to 81,500 square feet in Holmes County.

In addition to its growing footprint, the company recently entered into a partnership with Hafele America, a leading hardware and components provider. Hafele sells Century Components’ full range of products through its website and nationwide sales and distribution network.

“This facility will permit us to meet the needs of our growing customer base and allow us to support our expanding footprint without hesitation,” said Mark Miller, Century Components president. “It will also allow us to provide the new and innovative products that kitchen manufacturers, dealers, and remodelers have come to expect from us.”

Remaining true to its past
Century Components began producing wood kitchen accessories in 2007. Its cabinets and organizational accessories include pull-out units, Lazy Susans, drawer organization, cutting boards, waste bins, and other components that are built to quality standards “instilled by generations of woodworkers.”

Its myriad accessories provide customers with a measure of customizability. For instance, the company’s new Galaxy Charging line of drawers is available in eight sizes for kitchen-depth cabinetry and two sizes for vanity depths, with five options for framed and five frameless, said Jeff Miller.

It is a product that he said is in high demand, but which the company previously didn’t have the space to store. “But now, we have space to grow,” he added.

Bench crafted, American made
This additional space was evident during an open house attended by customers, suppliers, installers, and Woodworking Network. The warehouse is huge, multi-stories high with assembled products boxed and ready to ship on shelves — and still more available storage space.

During the October event, the attendees got a chance to see the bench-made concept up close and personal. Attendees toured several workstations, including a finishing work cell where Lazy Susan tops were finished to 60 sheen.  “As it dries it will lose some of its pop, but it will still have the beautiful warm look,” said Miller.

Attendees also viewed a blow-out line where dust was cleaned off parts. Here, stiles soared past air guns every three seconds — so fast that the solenoid to stop the guns between pieces couldn’t send the signal quickly enough to shut them off and turn them on again.

Moving in groups, attendees also saw stations where components such as wastebasket drawers were boxed by a two-man team, hardware was installed, and Lazy Susans were assembled.

A burst of steam  

 A highlight of the open house tour was the steam-bending room where the Lazy Susan rims were bent prior to installation on the tops. 

In a room below the steam bending press, a boiler produces steam at temperatures above 200 degrees. This steam is used for two purposes. “One is to soften the wood and make it bendable,” said Miller. “The second purpose is to use the steam circling through the press plates to dry the rims.”

The wood is placed in a cabinet where the steam permeates it better for an hour. After that time, the steam is released in a cloud burst of hot, moist air, and the now-pliable wood is placed side by side into the press mold. The wood is held in the press for four hours at a PSI of 4 to 5 pounds.

The two-stack press is made by a local Amish machine builder who builds the steam presses with “no schematics, no drawings, nothing,” said Miller. “Just talent, pure talent.”

The steam bending process can be hard on wood if not done properly. The planks can break or twist this way or that. “It is almost imperceptible to the naked eye until they go up to the flat pieces and looks closely to see if they match or if he will need to shave it to match the tip.”

The workers will often have to clamp it tight so the wood doesn’t move. “When a piece of wood is bent and dried properly, the wood seems to forget that it was ever straight; but if left out for a week or 10 days it will slowly spread. (To combat this) he’s going to clamp it and just bring that end around just a little bit more.”