Todd Gosche of D & D Upholstery (Cape Girardeau, MO)
What does being an upholsterer mean to you?
Being an upholsterer means meeting the challenges of making customers proud and appreciative of the work we do. I get to support my family while working right along side them and I enjoy what I do – it doesn’t always feel like work!
How did you get started in upholstery?
I served in the military for 6 years right after I finished high school. After that, I had to decide if I wanted to stick with the military or change my plains. My father-in-law offered me a job at his upholstery shop, so I decided to try that. 99% of the time I know I made the right decision, but there are days when I think “Why did I do that?”
What types of upholstery do you do?
We do full auto, marine, and many custom covers for golf carts, boat – virtually anything that can be covered!
How long have you been upholstering?
I started working for my father-in-law in 1993. He had already been in business since 1949! I worked for him until he semi-retired in 2000 when I took over the business. My son now works with me and has for the past 6 years. My father-in-law has since passed away but my son and I intend to keep our shop open for as many generations as possible.
What is your biggest consumer demand?
I don’t think we have one big demand. We always have as many boat seats as we do car seats, plus a list of boat covers and golf carts to get through. I suppose headliners would be the most common item on our schedule.
What is your favorite upholstery project you've done?
I don’t really have a favorite because as soon as I think I’ve done something really neat or fun something new comes along shortly after to take its place!
What is the strangest item you've found in a restoration?
We have found a lot of strange items, but most of them are unmentionables. Many items make you feel like running to the ER for a tetanus shot just by being near them!
Have you noticed any up and coming trends?
Not really any new trends around here. Most of our custom work is not really outrageous; they prefer to fix what they have in the most economical way possible.
What changes would benefit the upholstery industry?
It is hard to say what changes would benefit the industry. Most of the vehicles we work on here are having a midlife crisis and just need to be brought back into shape. The reproduction of the more popular original materials would be the most help to us… that and more options for automotive cloth.
Have you ever been featured on television, online, or in another publication?
No, we haven’t.
Some answers have been edited for clarity.
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