Owners Andy and Margaret Mitterholzer, which translates into their business name in German, have been married for four years and have four children ages 11, 16, 18 and 21.
“My wife is the driving force... we are in the business together,” Andy Mitterholzer said. “We finally hit that point of saying, ‘We did it.’ It took me 47 years to feel what I feel right now. There’s no feeling like it, to make a dream happen and have the support of my wife to be able to do it.”
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Andy Mitterholzer was around woodworking at a young age, when his father had a woodshop that he would help out in every once in a while. He never really got into it until his adult years when he thought he’d do it as a hobby, and even made small sales from it over the last few years.
Initially, his items revolved around charcuterie boards and kitchen items, but he then started making Christmas trees out of solid, vintage doors. He said those items took off, and he was pretty successful doing that, as well as wood shows and festivals.
“The more response I got from that, with small sales, I thought maybe I could make it into something,” he said. “Everything was pointing to this venture... it was the little signs saying it was meant to be.”
The couple took the lease out for the store in April, but two weeks later found out his dad was battling cancer. He said a lot of plans were side tracked and the business sate idle, but they worked on things when they could. The store was supposed to open up in spring, but the date kept getting pushed back.
Finally, Andy Mitterholzer said his wife pushed him to help get the business open.
“My wife said, ‘We’re going to do this.’ I kept prolonging things because I thought they had to be perfect, but my wife pushed me,” he said. “During the hills and valleys we’ve gone through with all of this, I often wondered if it was meant to be... but my wife has reminded me we’re moving forward because it’s supposed to be.”
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
As far as COVID-19 and inflation, he said his only concern would be the cost of lumber, which increased but went back down, but once he relays that to his customers, they are understandable.
“I had a good response from people that came in and several orders were placed (at the opening). We had a good fanbase and our customer list kept growing through online sales,” Andy Mitterholzer added.
The business is more centered around kitchen items and dining tables, but he won’t shy away from other things customers may want. The only thing he won’t make is dining room chairs, he said. In the store itself, there are about 50 to 60 charcuterie boards on the walls, and he will soon be making noodle boards and cutting boards. He said his wife also does a lot of vinyl work such as shirts, aprons and door hangers.
“Who would have thought at that young age something would have been instilled in me that many years down the road that it would have been where it is now,” Andy Mitterholzer said.
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