Mineral Daily News-Tribune

Local Business Flourishing

By Marla Pisciotta Tribune Staff Writer

Many Mineral Counties have no idea that they have a ‘gem’ of a business right in their own backyard – a company that boasts a customer list that reads like people in a ‘Who’s Who’ magazine.

Criterion Inc. Lawn Furniture Repair is a company that has been in the area since 1980. Owner Jim Kaufman began the business by himself.

‘I started in a out-building in Burlington in 1980,’ said Kaufman, who has lived in Mineral County since 1977.

Eventually Kaufman would move his business to New Creek and ultimately to the Industrial Park. ‘Ten years ago we built a 15,000 square foot building,’ Kaufman commented.

Today, his business operates in 28,000 square feet of space and has 22 employees.

Kaufman explains what Criterion is all about.

‘We work on outdoor pool and patio furniture, both aluminum and wrought iron,’ he said. The customer base is commercial customers like hotels, apartment buildings and country clubs. ‘We do an equal amount of work for homeowners…those with swimming pools,’ Kaufman added.

Customer locations include pool and patio shops from Washington DC to the Richmond VA area, Pittsburgh, Ocean City, Roanoke and Baltimore.

The company has done work for the Smithsonian Institution, Margorie Merriweather Post’s last estate, Hillwood Museum and Gardens, and the world-renowned Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, where the DuPont family have their estate.

Client names include such notables as Sonny Jurgensen, Cal Ripkin, BET’s Robert Johnson, and Ted Koppel, to name a few.

‘Our biggest job so far was one of the Woodmont Country Club…we picked up 350 pieces of furniture,’ said Kaufman. He said he has a couple of 24-foot trucks that he coordinates pickups and deliveries on. ‘The men go out in the morning and back in the evening,’ Kaufman said.

When an old/used piece of wrought iron furniture comes to Criterion it is given a ‘new’ life.

‘We sandblast the frames if necessary, weld where needed, replace vinyl strapping and webbing. Completely refurbish the furniture from cleaning to welding to powder finishing. There are two finish processes, powder coat and wet paint enamel,’ said Kaufman. ‘They are remanufactured and are just like they come from the factory.’

Kaufman said they do a lot of three-stage color coating, which gives an antique look. ‘We do other finishes as well,’ he added. They also make cushions for the pieces.

The company does warranty work for companies like Brown Jordon, Tropitone and Woodard. They work on premier wrought iron furniture. And according to the testimonials on their website (Criterionrepair.com), they have pleased many customers.

‘The whole business is about the employees, not me,’ said Kaufman.