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Local family creates squirrel picnic tables after catering business was closed during pandemic

Posted at 6:31 PM, Jun 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-12 18:59:52-04

(WXYZ) — The last few months have been tough on many families, especially those forced out of work. But the time spent at home has been a source of inspiration for some, including one New Hudson family who turned a nutty hobby into a business metro Detroiters are going nuts for.

The family created a squirrel picnic table after Danny gave in to entertaining his wife Laurie's squirrel-feeding love affair.

"When he made the table, my other daughter made fun of him on Facebook," Laurie said.

The social media post was meant to be a joke, but it would turn out to be the first sales ad for what would become The Squirrel Projects.

The Kort family wasn't looking for a new business, but it found them. Within a half hour, Danny said a dozen people reached out about buying one.

Because of the pandemic, the Korts were forced to close their family-run catering company, canceling events and losing thousands of dollars.

That's when they decided to lean in on what they thought was once a nutty idea.

Now, they've sold more than 2,000 tables and have transformed their garage into a full-time workshop.

The Korts are also using a portion of their proceeds to make food and deliver it to essential workers at no cost. They've donated over 1,200 meals to fire departments, police departments, ERs, medical clinics and more.

The Squirrel Project is running a Father's Day sale. You can find more at their website https://www.thesquirrelprojects.com/

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