My Story

I first developed a passion for woodworking while attending East Surry High School, taking two courses in construction. I was the guy in the shop that would take scrap pieces of wood from the bin during my free time and create simple, yet functional items - a fishing rod holder, a stool, and a shadow box, to name a few. I loved it, and then I graduated and a thing called life happened. While continuing my education at Appalachian State University, and the dream of someday owning my own business, I chose to major in Business Management with a concentration in entrepreneurship. My degree led me to a great corporate career and my free time to enjoy woodworking continued to diminish, until…

In 2019 I began planning to build a house on our family farm in Pinnacle, NC. With future projects in mind for the house, my interest in woodworking was reignited and (gaining the idea from my brother) I decided to build a “garage apartment”. This layout gave me the perfect space required for a woodworking shop. After adjusting to the COVID life and completing my projects around the new house in 2020 (bar, coffee table, shelving, barn door, etc.), I had the desire to create more, become more skilled at the craft, and share my passions with others.

It all started with custom barn doors. After a Facebook Marketplace listing, I quickly found myself busy constructing numerous doors in a variety of sizes, styles, and finishes. I was so busy, in fact, my younger brother (who works in commercial construction) teamed up with me to offer assistance and installation services. His construction knowledge coupled with my design and finishing strengths made for a great team.

For Christmas that year, I had created charcuterie boards with epoxy inlays as presents to my family members. Not only was it a challenging and fun experience, I also enjoyed seeing the surprised look on their faces and the joy it brings to them each time they used my boards. Not long after, I awoke in the middle of the night and it hit me… this could be the business that I had dreamed of starting for years! I pulled out my phone and began listing ideas. From there, Tri-Mount Custom Wood Creations was born in 2020!

Then, in January 2022, after 7 years at Reynolds American I made the difficult decision to leave and pursue my passion. Shortly thereafter I met fellow woodworker and now great friend, Aaron Gibbons. By woodworking full-time, researching best practices and techniques, and learning from and collaborating with Aaron, I was able to elevate my craftsmanship to an entirely new level.

I married the love of my life and my biggest supporter, Stephanie, in October of 2022. We have an Australian shepherd, Finley, a white shepherd, Ash, and a cat, Milo. In our free time we enjoy kayaking, gardening, and going for walks around our family farm.

I hope you will choose Tri-Mount for your next custom wood piece; I look forward to working with you!

- Michael