Upcoming HGTV episode is ‘true chance of a lifetime’ for featured Dothan bed-maker

Local craftsman and Reid Classics owner Andrew Reid makes custom wooden bedframes for people all over the country and around 20 foreign countries.

His materials, imported from Central America, and tried-and-true process for making the pieces makes his work unique and highly sought-after.

Reid Classics hasn’t changed the process for making beds since Reid’s grandfather originally opened it in 1938 in Mobile. In Reid’s present-day woodshop, there are several pieces of heavy-duty cast iron machinery dating back to World War II.

“What really makes us unique is it is a true handcrafted quality piece,” Reid said. “I haven’t tried to change it over the years to make it faster.”

In Reid’s shop, beds are put together using mortise and tenon joints, a woodworking practice that has been used around the world for centuries that allows adjoining pieces to fit together at right angles.

“We do what’s harder because it works the best,” Reid said.

His work can often be spotted in the pages of Southern Living and Coastal Living magazines.

The craftsmanship of his beds and Reid’s passion in his practice attracted the attention of HGTV star Ben Napier online several years ago. They formed a friendship over the years and decided last year to trade hand-crafted pieces.

Reid made a custom four-poster bed for a home in Laurel, Mississippi, that Erin and Ben Napier renovated for a couple who moved from New York City.

Ben Napier, in turn, made Reid’s family a “beautiful” custom dining room table from some walnut left over from a project Reid worked on with former President Jimmy Carter.

Reid Classics has already seen their business boom in the last year, due in part to consumer buying behavior, the prevailing trend of natural wood tones in home décor, and a good economy despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Reid said that consumers are more interested now in investing in lasting, quality products.

Sunday’s episode is expected to draw 2.5 million viewers, according to HGTV’s data on past episodes.

“I’m super excited about it,” Reid said. “It’s a true chance in a lifetime.”

On Friday, Reid said that he already has a one-year waiting list of people wanting one of his beds in their homes. His Dothan business only has around six employees at the moment, but Reid said he is prepared to make changes to grow his operation in the likelihood that Sunday’s episode spurs increased interest.

“We’re just going to ride with the wave, we’ll just have to see what happens,” Reid said. “If it gets busy and things just really grow, we’ll make it happen – hire more people and get more machinery in here.”