Almost Heaven with Laguna Tools: A West Virginia Cabin Equipped with The Best

Almost Heaven Cabin Rentals is a family-owned and-operated business vacation rental company located in Logan County, West Virginia. What makes the company unusual is owner Eric Thompson and his family custom build each of Almost Heaven’s lavish-yet-rustic “cabins” – equipped with amenities such as hot tubs and pool tables – along with much of their furniture. Eric recently added a Laguna Tools’ 37″ widebelt sander and a 25” planer to the company’s shop. To say he’s pleased with his purchases only begins his story.

Thompson enthuses, “I’m tickled to death with these machines. I’m like a kid on Christmas.” Thompson’s enthusiasm is understandable. He replaced equipment he and his family had used since the 1960s. “We looked at other people’s reviews for the equipment we planned to replace. What really sold us on Laguna Tools was their dependability and build quality. Talking to Jay Andrews of Laguna Tools also had a lot to do with

our decision. He was very helpful and knowledgeable about the equipment.”

“We run full-size entry doors through the belt sander,” explains Thompson. “We also do a lot of kitchen cabinets and tops for tables and vanities. We’ve been able to bump up production and save a lot of time with the new machines. We also produce a much better finished product.”

“The new planer is also a huge time-saver for us,” continues Thompson. “The panels we run through it need very little manual sanding to finish them. It’s quite a jump going from a 1960s planer to one with a helical head and digital control. Not only is the quality of the work worlds apart, but we used to need hearing protection when we ran our old planer. With the Laguna Tools planer, we can stand and talk together while it’s in operation.”

In addition to the products Almost Heaven manufactures for their own use, they also produce custom woodworking pieces and sell them on eBay under the name EGC Carvings. “The rental business slows down in the winter,” explains Thompson. “So we take advantage of the extra time and build custom wood pieces such as doors and furniture. We don’t accept custom orders. Instead we just build whatever comes to mind.”

Is there another Laguna Tools machine on the horizon for Thompson and Almost Heaven?

“We’ve started to think about an RPM3 (Raised Panel Master). A machine that can produce a complete cabinet door in less than two minutes has a lot of appeal to us,” says Thompson.

Learn More About This Woodworking Story with Almost Heaven

Products:

• 37″ Widebelt Sander
• 25″ Planer

Contact Us at 800.234.1976 to “Become a Laguna

Tools Story” or “Tell Us Your Laguna Tools Story.”