Thanks to the generosity of an islander retiring from a career in high-end cabinetry work, Vashon may soon have its own woodworking cooperative and is seeking community input to make it happen.

Jeff Thurlow has closed his Capital Hill business, Wood Specialties, after 40 years and plans to donate his considerable inventory of top-of-the-line professional woodworking equipment to help create the Vashon Woodworking Center, according to Dave Warren, who is part of the group hoping to bring the idea to fruition.

Before the project can get off the ground, though, a storage site for the equipment, originally valued at up to $250,000, needs to be located, said Dan Safford, a member of the small steering committee behind the effort. The group is looking for options, he said, and islanders with a space or good ideas for one are invited to contact him.

By next summer, Safford said, organizers hope to have an up-and-running facility that would provide an array of opportunities for woodworkers, artisans, hobbyists and homeowners who need occasional access to tools and machinery as well as a space for projects.

Such an endeavor would provide benefits to the woodworkers, and it would provide much-needed island jobs, including a manager and shop stewards, Safford said.

“I’m keen on starting a business that allows people to earn a living,” he said.

The group’s vision includes three phases, he noted. The first is getting the equipment to Vashon, storing it and finding a permanent location. Once the center is established, he said, the group hopes to rent space to island woodworkers, giving them access to all of the tools. Everyone would be given safety training and be certified on each piece of equipment, which ranges from computer-operated saws to high-end power tools.

Members of the group also foresee the center making products, in part with wood milled by the Vashon Forest Stewards. Items might include simple benches, chicken coops, tiny houses with high-end finishes and sets for nearby theaters. The center may also collaborate with others on the island, such as metal workers. In addition to  the usefulness of the products themselves, they would bring in money.

“We want this to be a project that generates revenue,” Safford said.

The group does not want to stop there, Safford said, but also intends to provide education to young people about woodworking and the elements of entrepreneurship, including design, manufacturing and marketing.

Safford has spoken with school district superintendent Michael Soltman about this idea, and Soltman has a expressed a “keen interest,” Safford said. Safford noted that he believes such a project would draw STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) grants.

Beyond education at the high school level, woodworking workshops and demonstrations are also part of the vision.

He acknowledged that while there are many plans the group would like to implement, there are constraints.

“The big bugaboo is money, of course,” he said.

The cooperative will likely become a nonprofit organization, which would make it eligible for grants, Safford said, or it could possibly come under the umbrella of the Vashon Forest Stewards. And, he added, he is considering undertaking a Kickstarter campaign, as such campaigns have proven to be valuable to other good ideas short on funds.

As the group moves forward, he said, members would like to hear from islanders who might be interested in the project or those who might have tips about a potential space — ideally 2,500 square feet where the equipment could be stored and kept in good condition for three to 12 months.

In the mean time, there is considerable work to do.

“I would like to be up and running by next June, in a space and producing our first products next June,” Safford said.

For more information on the woodworking cooperative, contact David Warren at 295-6670 or davidwarren@centurytel.net or Dan Safford at 612-2840 or dansafford@gmail.com.