Excerpts from an article on Blue Ridge Cabinetworks published in the “Wofford Today”.
Blue Ridge Cabinetworks is not only a quintessential small-business success story, but it is also a good example of how a liberal arts education can be a career catalyst in unusual ways. Ben Ratterree, owner, came to Wofford College from Spartanburg High School as a biology/pre-med major. He was chosen for an ROTC Scholarship, and served on active duty with the Army for four years.
The medical school door gradually closed, but a new one opened. Creative hand-made furniture was Ratterree’s hobby, and he came into the business knowing how to turn out artistically distinctive products. Internet research was very important as he went on to build his business model.
Starting out as a one-man shop in a friend’s garage, Ben was able to build a relationship with Charlotte-based Salsarita’s Restaurants at an opportune time. Ben says that relationship was “Divine Intervention”. The design for the woodwork in those eateries is especially colorful and distinctive. That relationship with Salsarita’s allowed for business growth and soon he was able to diversify his portfolio to include hospitality, educational, government, healthcare, and corporate markets.
As Ben shares, “Success in small business stems from willingness to work long hours, constantly honing personal and organizational skills, and “grit,” a willingness to take risks and to keep going in a crunch. My faith in God has also equipped me to better weather the storms that come along when running a small business.”
