| Entrepreneur: Roy Humphreys Location: Lurga, Mohill, Co. Leitrim Established: 1993 Famous For: Quality hand crafted Wood products Supports received from Leitrim LEO: Trading Online Voucher, Sales & Marketing Workshops / Training courses, Mentoring |
- About Roy Humphreys Woodturner:
Roy Humphreys has spent almost 30 years creating beautiful products out of home-grown Irish trees, from studio, a converted granary beside the family home near Mohill. The self-taught wood turner is fourth generation of the Humphreys family working with wood.
Roy started out working in the family sawmills, and 28 years ago started to dabble in wood turning as a hobby. Demand for his work meant that the hobby soon transformed into a sustainable business to the delight of clients both locally and in other countries and he has now established a reputation as a master craftsman whose collection includes bowls, pens, candle holders, lamps and a range of homeware and hand-sculpted pieces.
Roy believes that while many artists and people in the crafts world may be daunted by the reality of running a business, and the need to keep up with the latest marketing and sales tools, the support of LEO makes it all much easier. That expertise and support gives him more time to concentrate on what he does best, creating a staggering variety of beautiful and practical products which make ideal gifts.
Many of Roy’s products are made using native timber sourced from the family farm and include ash, beech, and bog oak when it is available. Roys creations range from bowls and platters to homewares and pens many coming in presentation boxes. His bog oak pens with chrome fittings are a particular favourite with clients, while his trademark bowls are finished with food safe oil, making them an ideal housewarming or wedding gift. Because every wood bowl and platter are handcrafted by Roy, customers are assured that no two products are exactly the same.
Like many artists Roy continued to work throughout the global pandemic but reaching his clients became more of a challenge given that so many outlets were closed. Roy credits the assistance of the Local Enterprise Office’s Trading Online Voucher at this time “the help from the Local Enterprise Office was invaluable in ensuring that my business continued especially coming up to the key Christmas season in 2020” and he continued “The Trading Online Voucher grant enabled me to build an online platform through my website which meant I reached many new customers. Christmas is so important especially in a business like mine and last Christmas would have been very hard because of Covid-19 if I had not got financial support from LEO to build up my online sales”.
- Where can you purchase products from Roy Humphreys Woodturner?
Over the years Roy’s work has become an important part of the creative dynamic in the North-West. The Leitrim Design House in Carrick on Shannon has for many years been an important outlet for his work where his products sell alongside handmade jewelry, textiles, pottery and a range of crafts.
Roys products can also be found in a large number of online and retail premises around the country including Irish Design Shop, Dublin, and Glasson Craft Gallery, Co. Westmeath. You can also purchase his products directly from his website - https://royhumphreyswoodturner.ie/
- Support from the Local Enterprise Office:
Roy says “while I love to keep busy and keep my clients happy, I couldn’t have managed that without the support of LEO, especially during the last challenging year. The dedicated Trading Online Voucher was invaluable to me at this time allowing my customers to purchase directly from my website”.
- Why Roy believes it is important to #LookForLocal
Roy is a proud Leitrim man having lived and worked all his life in the county. He believes supporting local businesses is very important and benefits ever community in the county. “There are some wonderful craft and design businesses throughout Leitrim and purchasing their products really has a positive impact on the local area”.
