LIVE from WORKBENCHcon 2022: Woodshop Mike, and Curtis from Hangtime (Organization Conversation, Episode 25)
Woodshop Mike, along with Curtis from Hangtime, were Richard Grove’s guests live at WORKBENCHcon 2022. Mike says he got his start in high school when he wanted to make a guitar and studied with a luthier. Curtis described the sticker wall partnership between Wall Control and Hangtime, the contest, Woodshop Mike’s work, and more.
Organization Conversation is produced by the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Woodshop Mike
Woodshop Mike is an information rich blog of all things woodworking with a vision to provide readers with an honest and transparent source for Shop Projects, Furniture, Home DIY, and Tool Reviews! It’s our hope that readers may gain from our experiences and be inspired by our energetic approach that’s safety-driven, light-hearted, and succinct.
When he failed to make varsity soccer in high school, Mike instead turned his attention to woodworking and took on an apprenticeship with a local luthier for class credits. He learned the craft of building guitars by hand, gaining a deep appreciation for reading grain patterns, attention to detail, and the use of hand tools. He began building his own custom guitars, won a few awards along the way, and ignited a passion for building.
During his collegiate career, Mike continued his study of luthiery and branched off into different avenues of woodworking. In the woodshop there, he had almost unlimited access to machining and woodworking equipment. During these years, he began his exploration of woodturning along with building a few pieces of furniture.
Mike decided to start his own woodworking blog in 2013 as a way to give back to the woodworking community. Since then, he’s grown from a part-time blogger into a full-time content creator and fine custom woodworker. He thrives on designing and building new pieces, helping other woodworkers refine their craft, and being the main voice behind WoodshopMike.com.
If Mike’s not in the shop, you’ll find him either cranking out custom build plans for other woodworkers, editing videos for his latest builds, or cramming his face full of chips and salsa.
Connect with Woodshop Mike: Website |Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
About Organization Conversation
Organization Conversation features interviews with movers and shakers in storage and organization, from professional organizers to the creative and talented Brand Ambassadors who use Wall Control products every day. You’ll hear tips, tricks, and how-tos for storage and organization, as well as receive first access to Wall Control promotions. We talk with our suppliers and partners to give you a look behind the scenes at how we operate, what makes our family-owned and operated brand tick, and some of the fun and interesting insights that go into making our business run. We love our guests, as they are engaging and entertaining with interesting experiences to share. By focusing on those guests and the amazing stories they tell, we hope you will be enriched and find your time listening to the Organization Conversation podcast as time well spent.
Organization Conversation is hosted by Richard Grove and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and others.
About Richard Grove
Richard Grove‘s background is in engineering but what he enjoys most is brand building through relationships and creative marketing. Richard began his career with the Department of Defense as an engineer on the C-5 Galaxy Engineering Team based out of Warner Robins. While Richard found this experience both rewarding and fulfilling, he always knew deep down that he wanted to return to the small family business that originally triggered his interest in engineering.
Richard came to work for the family business, Dekalb Tool & Die, in 2008 as a Mechanical Engineer. At the time Wall Control was little more than a small ‘side hustle’ for Dekalb Tool & Die to try to produce some incremental income. There were no “Wall Control” employees, just a small warehouse with a single tool and die maker that would double as an “order fulfillment associate” on the occasion that the original WallControl.com website, which Richard’s grandmother built, pulled in an order.
In 2008, it became apparent that for the family business to survive they were going to have to produce their own branded product at scale to ensure jobs remained in-house and for the business to continue to move forward. Richard then turned his attention from tool and die to Wall Control to attempt this necessary pivot and his story with Wall Control began. Since that time, Richard has led Wall Control to significant growth while navigating two recessions.
Connect with Richard:
Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
About Wall Control
The Wall Control story began in 1968 in a small tool & die shop just outside Atlanta, Georgia. The first of three generations began their work in building a family-based US manufacturer with little more than hard work and the American Dream.
Over the past 50+ years, this family business has continued to grow and expand from what was once a small tool & die shop into an award-winning US manufacturer of products ranging from automobile components to satellite panels and now, the best wall-mounted tool storage system available today, Wall Control.
The Wall Control brand launched in 2003 and is a family-owned and operated business that not only produces a high-quality American Made product but sees the entire design, production, and distribution process happen under their own roof in Tucker, Georgia. Under that same roof, three generations of American Manufacturing are still hard at work creating the best tool storage products available today.
Connect with Wall Control:
Company website | Facebook | Instagram
