Near the end of the Great Depression, 30-year old Erie Sauder had a family, a mortgage, a few homemade tools and an eighth-grade education. But Erie knew how to make do and innovate. With help from his wife, Leona, Erie started a woodworking business in a small barn behind his Archbold, Ohio home. The company initially made items needed by local farmers, from chicken crates to cabinets.	In 1935, a new building was constructed at 502 Middle Street, the same site Sauder Woodworking remains today. Steady orders kept Erie, Leona and five additional factory workers busy.	The factory produced church furniture to meet growing demands. Two area churches ordered pews, but before the second order was filled, a fire destroyed all the work and badly charred the building. This two-story brick building was constructed at the same location in 1937.	As the volume of church furniture increased, so did the wood scraps. Erie used the hardwood scraps to make several small tables, and an order for 25,000 tables overwhelmed his small shop. But with the help and encouragement of a business friend, Erie decided to incorporate the business and expand the factory to fill the order. The tables sold well.	November 5, 1945 – Fire again struck the Sauder factory, leaving it a total loss. Erie’s uncle, William Sauder, was killed in the blaze caused by a defective extension cord that ignited freshly finished tables. Erie reached safety by jumping out a second story window.	Sauder Manufacturing Company was formed and a new building was constructed to exclusively manufacture church furniture, efficiently separating the custom church business from the mass tables.	Erie J. Sauder	After the second fire, Leona encouraged Erie to rebuild despite his discouragement and grief. Alongside employees, they sorted through the rubble and began to rebuild. Erie was determined to build the safest possible factory, with fireproof materials and a sprinkler system. The new factory had a separate finishing room (the cause of both previous fires), and a catwalk conveyor system that moved furniture from production to finishing.