After my time in the military, I found my success in the small business world, leveraging the skills and knowledge I gained both from my military service and my education at Clarion University. It was during this time that I discovered a significant issue within the forestry sector: a large amount of logs and lumber was going unused. After logging and lumber processing operations, many logs were left behind, either deemed low-quality, forgotten, or considered unusable.

Driven by a passion to make use of these overlooked resources, I started small—working in a humble “she-shed” with just a bandsaw. I milled, dried, planned, and finished each piece myself. This process turned out to be a life-changing experience. I realized I had found my true purpose and passion: taking wood that was once considered worthless and transforming it into something valuable, meaningful, and built to last for generations.

The wood I work with, often left behind in the industry, is some of the highest-grade and most character-rich lumber available. What others saw as waste, I saw as an opportunity to create products that will be cherished for years to come. This journey has not only been a professional success but also a deeply personal one—bringing new life to materials that would otherwise degrade, and creating heirloom-quality products that families can enjoy for generations.