Duo behind Cutting Board Man putting business up for sale
After nearly 25 years and more than 50,000 cutting boards made, the husband-and-wife duo behind Cutting Board Man are selling the business.
“This stuff is heavy. I’m 85 years old and it’s just not as easy to move it all around,” said Ed Herman. “It’s been a profitable business. It’s been my vacation money.”
Ed and his wife Colleen started the business in 1999. It started out as a lark for Ed. He owned a kitchen and bath company in the Wilmington area before selling it in the late 1990s. He had leftover Corian – a man-made, non-porous material typically used for kitchen and bathroom countertops – and decided to turn those scraps into cutting boards.
Colleen, who makes crafts, brought the new cutting boards to a show. They promptly sold out.
“I knew we had something on our hands,” said Colleen. “It’s a good business, and we’d like to see if someone wants to continue on with it. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing it.”
The shop is set up in a three-car garage at their home near Long Neck. They’ve got more than 150 patterns. There are work benches, a bandsaw, a spindle sander, hand tools, a vacuum system, jigs for the router and much more.
The Hermans have an Annapolis, Md.-based vendor who loves their products. When they recently told her they were selling the business, the response was, “That’s great for you guys, but bad for me.” The vendor then went on to request boards in different patterns so she could stockpile them.
It’s not just the greater Delmarva area where the cutting boards are popular.
“We’ve shipped boards all over the place,” said Colleen, listing Puerto Rico, Germany and all parts of the United States.
Looking to get a new owner off on the right foot, Ed said he’s picking up a load of Corian from New Jersey soon. It comes in 8-foot-long, 2.5-foot-wide pieces, which are pretty heavy, he said.
Can’t miss the opportunity when it’s available, added Colleen.
The Hermans are participating in one more show before retiring for good – the St. George's Chapel Christmas Bazaar in Harbeson, which takes place 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2.
For more information on the Cutting Board Man and to inquire about the business, call 302-528-2527, 302-528-2528 or email cuttingboardman@verizon.net.
