Laguna Tools Gives Back to the People of America
Author: Margaret B. Babin
Since opening its doors over 25 years ago, Laguna Tools has shown itself to be much more than your ordinary woodworking machinery supplier. Constantly building on its reputation as an innovator in the field, Laguna Tools has singlehandedly kept the whole woodworking community on its toes with its line of high-performance tools and machines. With a team of revolutionary minds at the helm, the company is now priming itself to dominate the world of power tools.
The success of Laguna Tools has stemmed in large part from the forward-thinking men and women who hold key leadership roles in the company. The company’s founder, Tolben Helshoj, first distinguished himself as one of the most skilled woodworkers in Denmark before coming to the United States. His vision for the company was grounded in the delivery of European-quality machines to an American customer base. Catherine Helshoj, meanwhile, serves a rare role as one of the few female vice presidents working in an industry mostly occupied by male woodworkers. She has since played a huge part in expanding Laguna Tools’ reach as a company.
Far beyond giving the woodworking industry a much-needed shot in the arm, the dedicated employees at Laguna Tools have also worked tirelessly to give back to the California community. The Irvine-based company has since been allowed to evolve with the times and become a positive force for good in an otherwise difficult consumer economy. Among the company’s more successful projects had been the donation of top-quality woodworking equipment to short-handed workshops in prisons and public schools.
Laguna Tools has also performed consumer advocacies on a smaller scale through its providing complementary assistance to struggling workers and entrepreneurs. One of the most meaningful moments in the company’s lifetime came one morning, when Catherine Helshoj received a letter from a very special customer. A veteran of the recent Iraq war, Nate Meadows had been the victim of a life-changing injury which kept him from continuing his duties as a senior field medic. Meadows would later be honorably discharged and awarded the Purple Heart.
Short on career prospects, Nate would take part in the Warrior in Transition unit, allowing him to rekindle his passion for woodworking. Moved by his story, Catherine Helshoj would later grant Meadows’ request for a set of the company’s signature woodworking tools, which would give him a chance to start over and take charge of his own livelihood. Laguna Tools is now a fervent supporter of the Wounded Warrior project, which is dedicated to providing assistance to others like Nate.
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