About Me

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved working in all things wood. I received a toy carpentry set with a little nail pouch and a real saw around the age of 4. I immediately used it to cut the back stairs of our house. My Mom loves telling this story because she caught me just before I had sawed through the bottom step, and she said from that day on, I was always trying to use my tools to craft wood projects.

Growing up, my Father owned a business built around carpentry and I cut my teeth working for my Dad, building trade show displays. I recall one of my earliest jobs was working on a Kraft Cheese trade show booth in my teens.

He had other big clients like Pella Windows, and Autrey Shoes – all solid Midwest companies that demanded skilled carpenters, and excellence in results. I spent all my time in the shop with old-timers, learning from an older generation, who had fine woodworking skills that are hard to learn today. Later, I learned additional modern techniques, and really honed my craft.

What solidified my work as a fine carpenter is the draw of wood. For me, it has the ability to create moods and emotions from something that started out as a shapeless, often blank form. I’ve spent 25 years taking on challenges from spiral staircases to secret wooden compartments, and nothing gives me more joy than the surprise and delight of a client seeing their project come to life. Plus there is something noble about carrying on traditions that are hundreds of years old, with the opportunity to restore antiques and heirlooms, breathing new life into them, and keeping traditions alive.

Ultimately what I love, is making peoples’ dreams come to life, and turning their ideas into a reality. The craft of fine woodworking allows this, and as a result, what I do does not feel like work.

I’ve worked for some of the best names in retail, such as Rolex Watches, and Nike, but my best jobs are when someone asks me to help them solve a problem using wood. My fine woodworking brain just lights up.