Norsewood Business Expanding

Saturday 26th 2011 will see the launch of Hovding Furniture in Lower Norsewood by Phil Grant and Julie Hedley of Norsewood Heritage Ltd and New Zealand Natural Clothing. The old Yarn store was one of the original Ruahine Dairy company buildings used by Horse and Cart and then motorized trucks to pick up and drop off the Milk urns for processing, then it became part of a service station before the Norsewear Company used it to store Yarns for Sock and Garment production. The building had been idle as “forgotten Storage” for many years and with 45-50000 visitors a year stopping at the successful NZ Natural Clothing store Phil and Julie see the site as Ideal for Artisan trading and extending the 2 year old Hovding Gallery into furniture is a natural progression and great use of the ample space the Heritage site allows.

Phil States; “In tight economic times we have to look at diversifying our business model and what we are creating adds to the “attraction” that’s been here for years and utilizes vacant space. Being able to create from raw materials and sell direct, along with allowing local artisans to display on low commissions, brings value in the flat market place we are experiencing. ,The link to the regions Heritage also lies in the naming of the Gallery and furniture showroom, Hovding Street is named after the ship on which Scandinavian migrants sailed to Napier in 1872 and 1873 breaking in the land for settlement while sculpting the terrain to open Rail and road links between Wellington and Napier.”

The majority of furniture is being produced onsite from Macrocarpa and recycled native species by Graham Rix under his brand, Feral Furniture. Recently Graham completed his council village maintenance contract to get back into his creative production of carving, sculpting and furniture making. His work is designed from the look , feel and aspect of the materials rather than off specification, giving a unique finish and very individual items. You will find branch wood, driftwood and uncommon species being used in his work. Phil has the same approach to sculpting , letting the material determine the style and shapes he makes when his entrepreneurial lifestyle allows time to “play in the shed”. Hovding Furniture and Gallery has an open door approach to artisans placing works on modest commissions and welcomes visitors 7 days a week.

Lower Norsewood is on the Eastern side of State Highway 2 , 19kms north of Dannevirke and was once the main road before the cutting was made in the sixties then allowing for an ultimate travelers rest stop to be created. Ample safe parking , a cool children’s playground, light refreshments and conveniences an hour to the Bay and Palmerston North its worth the stop.