Rick Todd photograph by David Uttley
The scent of sawdust hangs in the air as Rick Todd cuts a piece of white oak to build a leg rest for a chair. He envisions the product’s final destination — somewhere sandy. “Most beachgoers enjoy that moment under the umbrella,” he says, “kicking back in a chair and watching the waves.” Todd makes these moments possible from afar — in his workshop in Boone.
He inherited his tools and his love for woodworking from his grandfather, a furniture builder, and his uncle, a carpenter who sought to create a more functional version of a traditional beach chair. His uncle founded H&T Chair Company with a friend in 1967, building foldable, four-position wooden beach chairs with marine-grade fabrics.
After a four-year stint in the U.S. Navy in his early 20s, Todd bought the business in 1980, using his grandfather’s equipment to replicate the product. He expanded to custom boat, deck, and lounge chairs, creating Anywhere Chair — a beach accessories business — with his late wife, Mary Jane Fiorella-Todd. The company, now run by their daughter, sells umbrellas, tables, and chairs.
Today, Todd’s chairs can be found at beach rental companies in North Carolina and on beaches across the country and overseas. While his company has grown, Todd says that his uncle’s first design remains the most popular — a testament to its timeless style and to the most important part of the business: his family.
H&T Chair Company, Inc.
(828) 264-7742
anywherechair.com
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