Master Seargent (MSgt) Mark Mosher, aka. “Rattan Man(TM)”, a 21 year veteran of the U.S. Air Force had just started his retirement leave on September 1, 2001. He had begun his post retirement plans and was in the process of starting his new Rattan and Wicker furniture business. He didnt know it at the time, but all of his planning was about to come to an abrupt halt. Just 11 days into his leave, America was attacked by terrorists on that tragic day we’ll never forget on Sept. 11, 2001. The following day the Air Force cancelled MSgt Mosher’s retirement and he was ordered back to Air Force active duty. Fortunately there were no further attacks on our country and 6 months later MSgt Mosher was again  allowed to begin his retirement for a second time. And this time it would be permanent. Now he could focus on his new furniture businesss in earnest and thats exactly what he’s been doing for the last nearly 20+ years!  Mark has maintained a simple and straightforward customer service philosophy all of these years – “provide the best possible products, at the lowest possible prices, and with the best customer service”. And working with his team of hardworking, highly trained and knowledgeable consultants he has delivered on that promise. Mark chose Rattan and Wicker as a business because he loves the rustic and tropical look of the furniture. Mark is also the web designer and online marketing manager. Its important to note that Rattan and Wicker furniture can blend wonderfully with your current furniture and brings so much warmth and beauty to any setting. In fact Mark loves this furniture so much that he added his new trademark “The Rattan Man” to his business in 2016. You will see “The Rattan Man” when you visit this amazing store online at https://www.americanrattan.com/ After visiting and finding collections and styles you like its a great idea to call us at 1-888-265-4695 to discuss fabrics, availability, and other details with our knowledgeable team of Rattan consultants.

Wicker Furniture – An American Legacy by Mark Mosher – “Rattan Man(TM)” and Founder

First of all its interesting to note that the first company in the U.S. to use machinery to shave Wicker strands off raw Rattan Cane was the AMERICAN RATTAN COMPANY operating in Fitchburg, MA.. This is important to note in the production of American made Rattan furniture.

Wicker and Rattan furniture as a commercial industry was created in America and not in Asia as many assume. The American production of wicker furniture began in the 1840’s. This occured after the Chinese opened a number of treaty ports to foreign trade. Clipper ships would leave China bound for America with a variety of goods. Raw cane rattan was used as dunnage to secure the cargo and prevent shifting. This raw cane would then be discarded and left at the docks on America’s east coast. One day in 1844, a 33-year-old grocer by the name of Cyrus Wakefield, collected an armful of the discarded rattan that had been abandoned at Constitution Wharf in Boston. Wakefield took notice on how flexible the cane was and an idea struck him. Could the cane be wrapped to produce furniture? Wakefield was not a furniture maker by trade but he still bent the rattan to produce a chair. He saw the infinitie potential of the material and quit his grocer job to pursue the rattan and cane idea full time..

It wasnt long when Wakefield realized he couldn’t pursue a legitimate Rattan furniture manufacturing company using slow manual stripping processes. He needed a machine-based production capability. In the 1850’s the AMERICAN RATTAN COMPANY of Fitchburg, Massachusetts was the only company using machinery to split raw rattan into wicker. Wakefield was familiar with the American Rattan Company because they were one of his customers for the raw Cane Rattan poles he was importing. He followed American Rattan Company’s example in setting up a manufacturing operation on Canal Street with the same type of machinery.

To start his business Wakefield traded the raw rattan to basket makers and furniture manufacturers. The manufacturers used just the outer cane to weave chair seats and backs. In 1855, Wakefield and his wife left Boston and moved to South Reading, Massachusetts. There he established the Wakefield Rattan Company. He continued to sell the imported rattan throughout the United States and he continued to experiment with wicker furniture. Bending oak or hickory into flowing shapes, the frames were filled with ornate rattan patterns and wrapped with split cane.