We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Luke Barnett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Luke, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
The Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute is named after my dog Samson Beauford Barnett, who passed away in the fall of 2016. He was a wonderful shop dog, and a big part of our school family.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Luke Barnett, I am the President and Co-Founder of the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute (SBWI), a 501(c)(3) post-secondary college and trade school located in Adrian, Michigan. Before founding the woodworking college in 2017, I was a Windsor Chairmaker for 10 years and had gained some national recognition for my chairs. We teach woodworking on three different levels: 1. Furniture Making College Program, 2. Continuing Education Intensive Courses, and 3. Weekend Intro Courses. When we started the school, I was teaching most of the courses. Now, my primary responsibility is to lead our staff of instructors, facility managers, and administrators. I do still teach 5-7 Windsor Chairmaking Courses a year.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I met SBWI Co-Founder and now Director of Operations Dena Koehn in 2015 at a local art fair called Art-a-licious. Dena is a graduate of Adrian College with a BFA in Studio Art and a BA in English. She was teaching kids how to throw on the potter’s wheel during the art festival.
When I met Dena she was a member of a local pottery club which eventually became the Adrian Center for the Arts (ACA). By that time, I had gained national recognition for Windsor Chairmaking. Together, we started teaching woodworking at the ACA and across the country. The classes gained popularity and, in 2015, the City of Adrian approached us with an opportunity to take over a vacant old power plant, which is where the SBWI began.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
The Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute is not just a school, it is a big network of woodworkers from all over the world. Most of our students travel to our area to attend our courses or college program. Communication is key. We share our experiences with our students, instructors and supporters via email, blog posts, and social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.longlivewood.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sambeaufordwoodworkinginst/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamBeaufordWoodshop/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPwes_HgZRA6Lr2-qxMLD0Q