The Next Phase of C. B. Gitty's Growth and Expansion

Big changes are always scary. 

When we moved the business into its current home, it felt like a blind leap. The costs, the work to get moved, the thought that we were biting off too much, that we would never need this much space, was almost overwhelming. But with the help of the Gitty team, and the support of our customers and friends, the fears were faced, the move was made, and here we are almost 3 years later, ready for the next phase.

Lately, the space I never thought we'd fill has been getting increasingly full. Finding places to put new workbenches and machines, and to store new products and packaging materials, has become harder and harder. Trying to expand the empty cigar box business has been a particular challenge, since empty cigar boxes take up a lot of space in bulk. The shipping department is bursting at the seams, and there is precious little room left for adding workstations for people to do desk work.

So the time has come for another expansion, another leap of faith - in two parts.

Part One: 5200+ additional square feet of office space, adjoining our current unit, part of which is shown in the photo to the right. This will accommodate my own office, a meeting room, much larger/nicer lunch/break room, photography studio, Audio/Video studio (for recording demo vids), as well as future expansion: graphic design, technical & creative writing, marketing, in-house publishing, a soon-to-be-announced non-profit foundation, and more. The large center open space can be used for intimate concerts, seminars and workshops.

Part Two: 6000+ additional square feet of warehouse space, on the fourth floor of the mill. This will be overflow pallet and rack storage, as well as the staging area for sorting and organizing the large palletized shipments of cigar boxes we now receive. In the future, it could also be put to use for production. This extra space will provide both for storage and effective handling of ever-growing bulk shipments of goods. 

This expansion will take C. B. Gitty from 13,200 square feet of space to around 24,500, and situate us for continued growth in the years ahead. The hope is to sign the papers and begin moving in next week.

All of this is part of my ongoing dedication to re-invest as much as possible into growing this business and growing the cigar box guitar & handmade music movement as a whole. The goal for me is not to get rich or make a name for myself. I am in it because I truly believe in the importance of this movement - it is a passion for me, and has grown into my life's work. The idea that anyone, anywhere can build their own instrument and make their own music with it - I believe that in its own small way, it helps make the world a better place, and I am committed to spreading it.

So even though it's scary, we're dancing with the fear, taking the plunge, making it happen. There are great things ahead, and we hope you stay with us on the journey!

- Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker