Meet Thomas Porter of Porter Barn Wood in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Porter.

Thomas, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Nine years ago, I was only woodworking as a side business. I have loved woodworking and metalworking since I was a child. A friend of mine and I decided it would be advantageous and were inspired by the idea of bringing barn wood from back east to Arizona. There were very few sources for it here at the time.

What started as a reclaimed materials business quickly transformed into a custom fabrication company that went from backyard to big building in record pace. We have seen nearly 5000 projects come to completion since we first started, not including all the amazing projects our customers have built using materials we’ve brought from all over the country.

Beyond our scope of work within the workshop, we’ve been able to create a community here and develop new relationships through it. Each year we host an annual bluegrass festival and open house, bringing entertainers from across the country and local food for a day of family fun.

We also host workshop demos, house concerts, and guest speaker events here to inspire others and connect with people. Porter Barn Wood has become so many things to so many people. We’re excited to see what lies ahead as we continue to develop relationships with designers, architects, builders, and the general public.

Since our humble start as a dirt lot and backyard workshop to this amazing facility we are blessed to occupy, we’ve had the opportunity to build for major corporations like Disney, Intel, Amazon, Microsoft, many major restaurants, and so many wonderful people.

Our staff has grown and now includes some of the most talented and creative builders in the state. We’re looking forward to what new creative projects our customers have in store for us.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building a business and growing quickly is never easy. Besides the cost of equipment, the facility, utilities, and other basic operational needs, the insurances, the labor, and the unforeseen problems that can arise are enough to make you wonder if it’s all worth it.

Add to this, learning how to hire the right people and maintain a proficient, efficient, happy, and malleable workforce, and it’s enough to make the squeamish business owner jump ship. However, my business partner and I have maintained a solid vision for what we want and why we want it, and continue to work hard to make sure that the vision and the direction of the company continues to head in that direction.

We have been blessed with some amazing people along the way who share this vision and have taken great pride and fulfillment from seeing the company make it through challenge after challenge. We hope to hold on to those people and that passion for a very long time. We’re always working hard to make it even better.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Porter Barn Wood – what should we know?
We are primarily a reclaimed materials supplier. We tear down barns and buildings back east and sell the materials to architects, designers, builders, and the general public. We have a woodworking shop, metalworking shop, concrete studio, and finish shop as well as licensed contractor teams that provide custom manufacturing of everything from a piece of furniture to entire remodels and tenant improvement projects.

We provide fabrication and milling services for commercial and residential projects. We specialize in unique and creative manufacturing solutions, typically focused on but not limited to reclaimed materials. We are known for our extensive fabrication capabilities. I am most proud of the imagination and creativity that has allowed us to create projects across the country for both individual customers and major corporations.

What sets us apart from other shops is our ability to design and build with materials otherwise ignored or unknown to most builders. We have a larger capacity than most shops, and our staff is creative and ingenuitive.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Creativity.

Contact Info:

• Address: 901 S 7th St Phoenix, AZ 85034
• Website: www.porterbarnwood.com
• Phone: 6027381456
• Email: thomas@porterbarnwood.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/porterbarnwood
• Facebook: facebook.com/porterbarnwood

Image Credit:
Jesse Fitton Smith

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