Despite now having five locations across the Midwest, RJE is still considered (and proud to be) a small business. This week is National Small Business Week and we’re spotlighting a small business that is near and dear to our hearts: A Carpenter’s Son Design Co.
A Carpenter’s Son is a small commercial and residential design company based in Columbus, Ohio that is rooted in master craftsman carpentry. Owner Josh Scheutzow founded the company out of necessity in 2015 to help his family pay for their domestic adoption expenses. After being able to fund 100% of their adoption expenses through profits from A Carpenter’s Son, Josh now works to pay it forward by donating a portion of their proceeds to families looking to grow their family through adoption.
We sat down and spoke with Josh about A Carpenter’s Son and what being a small business owner means to him, his family and his community.
Where does the name of your business come from?
Josh: Our business is called A Carpenter’s Son because that is exactly what I am. My dad is a master carpenter and I grew up working for him and learning the trade. In 2015 when my wife and I were trying to figure out how to cover our adoption costs, it felt natural to start a carpentry side business outside of my regular job as a construction engineer. My dad’s background is in high-end residential work, but we started selling small homeware items like cutting boards and shoe racks. We only began doing commercial work after our Instagram garnered attention from other small business owners. After I knew that A Carpenter’s Son could support my family, we decided to go full-time.
Why is giving back through your business important to you?
Josh: When we were trying to adopt our son in 2015, we were shocked by how expensive domestic adoption is. We were very lucky that our small business could help us cover those costs. We now work with our adoption provider, Choice Network, and donate a portion of our profits to help support other adoptive families and their fundraising efforts. It’s so important to us to help others grow their families and help deserving children find loving homes.
How has working with RJE impacted your business?
Josh: RJE has been a huge advocate for our work throughout the region. Working with the team there has opened our business to a wide variety of clients and allows us to focus on building incredible, unique pieces. Being able to talk through a client’s ideas or work through their vision with the RJE team has been really impactful for us. It’s also amazing to see one of our solid hardwood conference tables in a modern corporate space. I think our mission resonates with a lot of RJE’s clients — they love having a piece of Ohio salvaged history in their workplace.
What is your favorite project that you’ve completed for RJE so far?
Josh: We just recently installed a 14 ft. conference table — the longest conference table we’ve ever built — for a corporate project. We discussed the idea for six months before we ever began work and it was incredibly fulfilling to be able to provide this monster statement piece to the client. It really pushed the limits on what we thought we could accomplish.
What does being a small business owner mean to you?
Josh: As a bootstrapping Midwesterner, it means having a lot of pride in what we do. We built our business from the ground up and it’s been a joy to connect with other small businesses and support each other. We believe in the work we do, so having that support from other businesses as well is invaluable.
Learn more about Josh’s incredible story with A Carpenter’s Son on their website here.
