$11,000 for a typical nine-piece dining room set, "many of our customers can't afford to buy the whole set at once, so they buy it one piece at a time. We try to ensure that their pattern is always available," he said, comparing the system to fine china patterns. "This is a lifetime purchase," he added, observing that properly cared for, the furniture holds or enhances its value over the years an owner chooses to keep it. Many Gibbard items from generations ago are now ranked as valuable antiques. Any leftover wood or sawdust is collected and burned in a furnace which supplements the plant's heating system, he said. There are no factory sales from the plant, but the product is sold at quality furniture stores across Canada and some through Eaton's, he said. While the product has been the same for many years, new technology-- modern power equipment - has been added. Even more new technology for modern wood work production, he said. Some of it is designed for such large scale that Gibbard could not afford it nor use it efficiently. "Some contracting out using such machinery |may be in the ·future," McPher·son suggested. Typical of the company's reputation is the fact that large dining tables for Canadian and embassies from other countries around the world often come from Gibbard. 7 i