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About Northwestern Design
Our History and Principals
Northwestern Design has been delivering comprehensive architectural millwork packages since 1981. Cal and Judy Schmidt founded the company in Rohnert Park, California, with the goal of providing clients with complete millwork packages. In 1986, NWD became a corporation, and our sales had grown to more than $1 million per year.
In 1992, the entire operation moved to Grants Pass, Oregon. That move was both a business and family vision. Cal and Judy relocated to the Rogue Valley with the dream of buying land and starting a vineyard. That dream became a reality with the 2001 opening of their family-operated Schmidt Family Vineyards in the Applegate Valley.
NWD provides full-service architectural millwork/casework packages, with state-of-the-art CNC machinery and custom shop capabilities. Our continued growth has been driven by expanding our manufacturing capabilities, exploring new markets, and consistently investing in our equipment, facilities, software, and production methods to keep pace with advances in wood technology.
By 1998, our sales had increased to over $3 million per year. Today, more than 40 years later, we comfortably produce over $12 million per year. We remain a family-run business, with son Jim and grandsons Trevor and Calvin continuing the shared passion Cal started for woodworking that has been part of Northwestern Design from the beginning.
The team behind our work is a big part of what makes Northwestern Design what it is today. Meet the people who help bring that experience, craftsmanship, and coordination to each project.
How We Work
At Northwestern Design, the way we work matters just as much as the finished product. We believe strong projects are built through respect, accountability, integrity, and a steady commitment to doing the job right.
We strive to treat our employees with respect, provide safe working conditions, and maintain the kind of culture where talented people take pride in their work. We believe our clients are the most important part of our business, and we work to be a dependable, solution-focused partner from start to finish.
We also believe in maintaining our reputation for integrity within our community and industry. Through a long-term commitment to quality and service, we have become known as a company that delivers practical, innovative solutions that meet each client’s specific needs.
Core Values & Financial Strength
We believe great work starts with great people. We recruit team members who are honest, skilled, and enjoyable to work with, then trust them to bring passion, ownership, and follow-through to every phase of a project.
Our team takes pride in going above and beyond to discover solutions, improve processes, and listen carefully to what our clients need. From bidding through installation, that commitment shows up in the quality of our craftsmanship and the professionalism we bring to every relationship.
That same steady approach is reflected in our financial strength. We maintain a strong bonding capacity of $10 million on single projects and $30 million in aggregate, giving our clients confidence that they are working with a stable, capable partner. We have also built strong vendor relationships across the United States, and our Pacific Northwest location helps us procure materials efficiently when timing matters.
Affiliations & Certifications
Our affiliations and certifications reflect the standards we hold ourselves to as a company. They support our commitment to quality craftsmanship, responsible sourcing, and dependable work that meets the expectations of commercial projects.
Woodwork Institute
Established in 1951 as a not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to the preservation of the use of wood as a building material, Woodwork Institute has grown into a national organization whose primary purpose is to ensure excellence and craftsmanship in woodwork.
U.S. Green Building Council
LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.
Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council® sets standards for responsible forest management. A voluntary program, FSC® uses the power of the marketplace to protect forests for future generations. Over the past 20 years, FSC® has earned a reputation as the most rigorous, credible forest certification system. As a result, there are significant advantages to choosing FSC-certified products. FSC® products are available upon request.
Awards
The awards we have received reflect the level of craftsmanship, care, and consistency our team brings to each project. They are another sign of the pride we take in our work and the standards we continue to uphold.
Experience You Can Build On
Established in 1981
Northwestern Design has been providing architectural millwork projects for more than four decades.
42,000 Square Feet of Manufacturing Space
Our manufacturing facility gives us the capacity to support substantial projects with control and consistency.
380+ Years of Combined Trade Experience
Our team brings deep hands-on knowledge that results in quality work, problem-solving, and reliable execution.
From Our Clients
Clients value our process and quality of work. Here they share in their own words.Northwestern Design provided a quality product and installation for the San Mateo High School Performing Arts Center. The most beneficial asset they brought to the project was their ability to problem‐solve. There were numerous design challenges on this complicated project which included curved wood railings throughout the theater, wood veneer wainscot, casework and countertops. Much of their work required coordination with other subcontractors ranging from the electricians to specialty theatrical subcontractors, such as the orchestra pit lift contractor. Ultimately, these efforts resulted in a beautiful and functional theater for the community of San Mateo.
It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Northwestern Design for the work completed at the Lower Sproul Student Community Center in Berkeley, CA.
Northwestern Design (NWD) provided and installed quality architectural woodwork in (3) Buildings at the UC Berkeley, Lower Sproul Student Community Center. The black walnut they provided weaves through multiple buildings and unifies both old and new spaces, creating beauty and interest. They were responsive and solution-oriented, and assisted in making the architect’s interior vision become reality.
It would be a pleasure to work with NWD again based upon the results achieved at the Lower Sproul Student Community Center.
Architectural millwork was an important facet of the interior design as it plays such a big part in the overall impression of interiors. Aesthetics, durability and sustainability were all considered when designing the millwork and selecting materials. Modular, prefabricated metal casework units were used in the back of house clinical areas for cost efficiency, durability and future flexibility. Furniture systems were used in repetitive reception areas for adaptability and future flexibility. This strategy allowed the team to concentrate and customize the millwork in the more visible areas or those areas where departments had specialized needs. Unique laminates that combine natural veneers with a laminate substrate such as Treefrog, and new synthetic materials such and 3-Form Chroma were introduced for added aesthetic effect. These materials required special care, expertise, and fabrication, and also required non-typical hardware such as point support brackets be integrated into the millwork detailing. Design elements such as the children’s “crawl holes” in waiting areas and “corridor respite alcoves” are a couple of areas that exemplify the special attention to design, detailing, and fabrication and the integration of art and millwork, as well as millwork as art.
NWD Services FAQs
- Where is Northwestern Design located?Grants Pass, Oregon
- What are the service areas for NWD?California, Nevada, Oregon & Washington
- What are the service sectors for NWD?Private, Public & Institutional – Including Commercial, Education, Healthcare, Libraries and Municipal projects
- What is NWD’s largest completed project value?$6.8M
- What is NWD’s bonding capacity?Total capacity $30M; single project $10M
- Who is NWD affiliated with?Woodwork Institute, Forest Stewardship Council, LEED
Let’s Explore Your Project
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