Product merchandising at Trader Joe’s called for the occasional odd fabricating job. Creativity was always key due to limited resources, tools, space, and time. For example, the 12″ ‘Butcher Shop’ letters were cut out of 1/4″ plywood using a jigsaw. The 10′ and 8′ long surfboards were hand carved out of 2″ insulation foam, sanded, painted with a acrylic high gloss finish, and installed using fishing wire. The gingerbread house was an especially fun project. I had to convince my managers that not only could I construct a solid structure for children to play in, but I could do it in 2 days with a chop saw, jigsaw, and spray paint. In the end, it was a success and the kids visiting the store loved it.
