|
Against The Grain Woodcraft, LLC, will be opening inside Fire & Iron (formerly Shopko) at 291 S. Main Street in Clintonville on December 1, 2023. Owner Steve Kettenhoven began woodworking out of his garage in 2020 on a small scale. A business manager inquired about a sizeable order for custom cutting boards and Steve didn’t want to pass up the order so he added a laser to his equipment lineup and, eventually, a CNC to expand capabilities further.
It became difficult to operate from the confines of his garage. Steve looked for a retail location and when Fire & Iron began leasing space, it was an opportunity to be in an enclosed building and removed the burden of having to worry about clearing snow on sidewalks, parking areas and any other exterior maintenance that comes with renting a full building. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start,” said Steve. “We were one of the first businesses to lease a spot in there; it has just taken time to get set up and be able to open with regular hours.”
Steve spent a year preparing and furnishing the back shop area with tools and work benches built to accommodate working from his wheelchair. “My brothers built the workbenches for the shop area and the counter for the store just the way I needed them. My wife, Kathy, and I built and installed the shelves for the store, which is very spacious and uncluttered by design”, Steve said.
Business hours will be Thursday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. and other times by appointment. Some of the products you can expect to see are cutting boards, charcuterie boards, signs, cribbage boards, walking sticks, handmade turkey calls, and other items including Christmas and winter-themed items such as scene cottages, snowflake and snowman lanterns that light up. A special feature while supplies last are the wooden flowers that have been dyed and softened and put into bouquets and baskets. There are also blank cutting boards and sign-wood samples that customers can pick a specific one to have personalized, as well as odd boards and pieces of wood that if the customer envisions something, Steve will talk through it with them to try to make is possible.
Steve’s favorite projects are the unique custom orders that he takes from conception to final creation. “It is very satisfying to see these projects come to life from a plain piece of wood, and there is no better reward than the thank you from a satisfied customer. This is my work, but it is also therapy,” Steve said.
Kathy’s favorite projects are the seasonal items. “I will never forget the day I came home from work and Steve showed me a Halloween lantern he had made from cedar. It was one of the most creative things I had ever seen him make.” They came up with a few more designs and Kathy put them on facebook classifieds. That first year their post blew up with orders and they worked as a team - Steve carving the faces and Kathy doing the assembly. They have continued to keep Halloween lanterns in their seasonal lineup.
Custom orders are a primary part of the business that Steve focuses on while Kathy focuses on seasonal items she can work on aside from her full-time work at Seagrave. She also coordinates booth space for area craft shows. “The craft fairs help to supplement the business income and help us test new products,” Steve concluded.
| 
