Tanner’s Tables are booming

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE — Tanner Caron of Houlton has been busy this summer making picnic tables to raise money for college. His tables can be seen at his residence on Pleasant Street.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Going off to college can be a financial drain for many students. That is precisely why Houlton’s Tanner Caron has been busy this summer building picnic tables, which he sells from his home on Pleasant Street.
    A 2011 graduate of Houlton High School, Caron got the idea for making picnic tables from his older brother, Hunter, who did the same thing before he went off to college.
    “He gave me the idea, so I figured I would give it a try,” Caron said. “This past month it has been crazy.”
    Caron said he has lost count of how many picnic tables he has made and sold, but the money he makes will be used to pay for expenses at the University of Maine at Orono in the fall. Tanner also built tables last summer, but sales were not as strong.
    It takes him about three hours to build one table. On days he is not working at his other job at Walmart, Caron said he could produce three tables if he puts his mind to it. With little to no advertising, Caron said he has had difficulty keeping up with the demand for tables.
    “Every time I finish one, I put it down by the side of the road with a ‘For Sale’ sign,” he said. “Lately, I have had trouble keeping up as I’ve sold six in two days. Last night, I put one out and two hours later it was sold. If I could build and sell one a day, that would be great. It’s good money, but more importantly, I like doing them.”
    Caron follows the same set of plans that his brother used and has committed them to memory. He buys all of his building materials locally, to help keep the money in town. He recommends staining or treating the tables to give them added life.
    “Sometimes the grain in the wood is really beautiful,” he said. “I know some people like to paint their tables, but I suggest staining them.”
    Tables come in six- and eight-foot lengths (at a cost of $100 and $120 respectively) and are built out of pine. Custom “hexagon” style tables require a special order and are an additional cost.
    “My father called from New Hampshire and really gave me the business pep-talk,” Caron said. “He owned his own business and has been pretty good at teaching me about business.”
    Caron invested money in a new miter saw, but the rest of his tools are hand-me-downs.
    “They are old tools, but they still work,” he said.
    Caron also set up a Facebook page for his business “Tanner’s Tables,” where people can put in their request for a table.