Meet Caleb Bogenschutz | Custom Furniture Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caleb Bogenschutz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caleb, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always had interest in starting my own business. Prior to my custom furniture business, I attempted to start two different businesses with some friends of mine. Those pursuits taught me many lessons about perseverance and dealing with failure. Something about starting a business from nothing was always very intriguing to me. As for my current business, I had always enjoyed wood shop classes in junior high and high school. After purchasing my first home, I had a random thought to turn my garage into a small wood shop. I began building small items like home decor signs, lazy susans, and stove top covers. These smaller pieces didn’t require a lot of expensive tools, so it was easy to get started. I knew all along that I wanted to eventually start building larger furniture pieces. I used the profits from early on in the business to invest in large-scale equipment that would allow me to build the types of projects I wanted to build. I now specialize in custom dining tables and have an absolute blast with each build.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think what sets my dining tables specifically apart from others is my willingness to go outside of the “square and dimensional” style that you tend to see a lot of. I love to incorporate curved and intricate design features into my dining tables. I think this really allows me to scratch my creative itch and let some artistry shine through. Something I’m really trying to improve at is wood turning. I think this is the ultimate way to incorporate creativity into furniture pieces.

The past three years have been both amazing and incredibly difficult at the same time. I run my furniture business in the evenings after working my day job, as well as on the weekends. Because of this, it can be challenging completing my furniture pieces in a timely manner for my clients. This does make for some late nights and long hours, but my passion for this business and some very strong determination help me push through the tough times.

As for what I want people to know about my business, I would say that I put an emphasis on using the highest quality materials and refuse to deliver a piece that doesn’t meet the standard I’ve set for my work. I’d also say that making these furniture pieces is truly enjoyable for me. While it is a lot of work, I have so much fun in the process of it all. I really hope this is something I can continue doing for a long time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite restaurants to eat at in Carthage is Rancho Grande. They serve absolutely amazing “Tex-Mex”. On Thursday nights, they have live music on a covered patio that makes a great atmosphere. Longhorn Grill is another spot in town I like. They have a great happy hour! My family has a ranch outside of town and that would definitely be a spot we would have to visit to do some fishing for a few hours. Carthage is also home to the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. That would definitely be a spot we would visit! Of course, I can’t leave out the Carthage Bulldogs football game on Friday night. We love our Bulldogs in Carthage!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family definitely deserves some recognition for the success of my furniture business. Whether it’s helping me deliver large furniture items, organizing my shop, or encouraging me through tough times, my family has been incredibly helpful and supportive to me since I started this business. I also have several friends that have helped me in similar ways and I appreciate them very much.

I have also met a woodworker named Christian Tierno on Instagram that has been extremely helpful to me over the past few years. Christian runs a business similar to mine called Tierno Woodworking. He posts lots of very helpful tips and tricks on his Instagram page and is always more than willing to help me with any questions I have. I definitely appreciate his mentorship!

Website: www.bogiewoodworks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bogiewoodworks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bogiewoodworks/