Jamerson Millworks? stile-and-rail doors build in reputation

Ever since he got his first taste of woodworking at the age of 8, Lamarr P. Jamerson has loved working with wood.

"When I was a little boy I used to go to the Boys' Club," he said.

At the Henderson Unit on Boonville Avenue, he recalls the arts and crafts room with its table saws, band saws, and sanders.

"I can remember being in there, making little birdhouses and decorative shelves out of wood. That's what struck an interest in me."

Now Jamerson is the owner of Jam-erson Millworks Manufacturing Inc., which manufactures architecturally de-signed wood stile-and-rail doors. The company creates doors for residential and commercial customers, selling to both individuals and contractors, including Morelock-Ross, the city of Spring-field and Flintco.

A member of the Home Builders As-sociation of Greater Springfield since 1996, Jamerson started working in the millwork business when he was 17 years old, building custom windows and doors. In 1989, he decided to go into business for himself.

"I had reached the top of the corporate ladder at the company I was working for," he said. "I also saw that there was a niche out there for architecturally de-signed hardwood doors, so I started my own business."

When Jamerson first developed his company, it was with the intention of building custom architectural entrances, he said. Although he focused on exterior entryways, many of his customers wanted him to build all of the doors for their homes.

The demand for interior doors was impossible to ignore, so he decided to expand his business, manufacturing both interior and exterior doors.

"I started out working by myself," Jamerson said. "Over the years we just hired more help, to meet the demand." His wife, Deborah, became the first em-ployee when she began working as the company secretary, and now Jamerson Millworks has seven employees.

Customer demand

"There is definitely a market for architecturally designed stile-and-rail doors," Jamerson said, adding, "I think we create the market a lot of times."

Stiles are the vertical pieces in the frame of a paneled door, while the rails are the horizontal parts, he said.

When consumers see that architecturally designed doors are available, he said, their awareness of the product creates a demand.

"I think there was a period where people thought the only doors available were those in lumberyards," he said. "Now, they can go through some of the subdivisions and see what's out there." Jam-erson's doors can be found on homes in several area subdivisions, including Tim-berbrook, Highland Springs, Millwood and The Terraces.

One trend in the building industry lately is a high demand for French country doors, Jamerson said. "Odd-sized doors, such as tall 8- or 9-foot doors, are also very popular."

All Jamerson's doors are made from kiln-dried hardwoods, with architecturally designed stiles and rails. The doors can be made from a variety of woods; mahogany, cherry, alder, oak, and poplar are the most common.

Customers also can request certain features, such as insulated glass or raised panels.

"Usually the customer will specify what they want on the door," Jam-erson said. "We'll show them a series of ideas or pictures, or they'll bring in a picture. We'll sit down and design a door together." Sometimes this process in-volves combining features from several different pictures, he added.

On the move

Jamerson Millworks is located at 929 N. Sherman Ave., but within the next four months or so, Jamerson said, the operation will be moving to 615 N. Rogers Ave., a property the company purchased in June 2001, he said. "We're breaking ground right now for a new 9,000-square-foot facility." Although Jamerson's current building provides an excellent facility and good location, he said, its 5,200 square feet is "just not enough space. We've kind of outgrown it."

As much as he enjoys woodworking, Jamerson's interests don't end there. A father of three, Jamerson is also the pastor of Pitts Chapel United Methodist Church, where he has been serving as pastor for almost five years.

Jamerson Millworks Manufacturing Inc. can be found on the Web at www.jamersondoors.com.