About Tradgard

“Original Designs and Quality Products Built around your Needs and Budget.”

One of the ways that Tradgard, LLC is different than other custom woodworking companies is that I’m the only one here.  And this is how I’ve intended it.  I’m not particularly interested in having a big production shop that does a high volume of projects each year.  In the work that I take on, my focus is on the artistry of woodworking and what unique contribution I can make to whatever project I’m doing.  Those are the projects that I’m most interested in and those are the projects that lend themselves best to what I see as my particular skill set.  And so what I offer is very much handmade and custom.  I use tools, but my shop in Fall Creek isn’t filled with production equipment.  I am interested in working with people and local businesses that value the quality and uniqueness that comes with a high-level investment of human labor and creativity; people who would value a piece of pottery thrown by hand or a hand-blown piece of glass.  Every Tradgard product reflects these values.

On Process

If you’re interested in working with me, I’m not going to come to you with a brochure of pre-selected door styles and stain colors and wood species for you to choose from.  For me, the process is a lot more collaborative and organic and built from the ground up.  I’m going to ask you what you hope to accomplish with this project, both aesthetically and functionally, and then I will work with you to build those things into the design.  Together we will find a wood species, features, and a finish that will result in a product that will look and function to your particular needs.  Some projects are more complicated than others, but the benefit of this for my client is that I have a significant investment of labor into these projects.  This investment means that the end result matters a great deal to me.  My interest in your project doesn’t end when I send the design off to production.  And my interest doesn’t end when I send your cabinet from sanding over to staining or from there to delivery because I do each one of those things myself.  The fruit of this entire process is that you have a truly bespoke piece of woodworking that has been built to last just for you.

On Sustainability

I believe that the way that I approach my projects inherently promotes sustainability.  Wood is a very renewable resource if it is managed properly.  Where I source my lumber is a big part of that, but equally as important, and more controllable in many ways, is the way in which I choose to allocate those resources in my projects.  A significant part of that allocation involves a sustainable design.  Sustainable design begins with the understanding that we are all individuals with different aesthetic preferences, functional needs, and lifestyles.  This is the major premise behind my belief in custom building rather than over-producing a particular product or set of products in preselected styles and then offering them for purchase.  This is also why it is important for me to work closely with my clients in order to develop a design that works with their lifestyle and meets their overall aesthetic and functional goals.  No one wants an out of date product, but the challenge with that is staying “on trend” and relevant while still providing the uniqueness and the warmth that comes with something hand-made in addition to the long-term functionality that makes for a really good piece of cabinetry or furniture.

Whether, in thirty or forty years from now, it is still in your home, passed down through your family, or picked up in a second hand store by someone who deems it worthy of re-purposing, a well-built, well-designed, functional product will be around for a long time.  That is true sustainability.