T
he phr a s e “a r ch i t e c tur a l
woodwork” conjures a vivid
image.
Adedicated, hands-on craftsmanwith years
in the trade, working attentively on every
last detail while creating a visually striking
product for an end-user.
That’s the way it was at Fetzer Architectural
Woodwork when things got started back in
the earliest days of the 20th century. And,
while he concedes there have been a few
technolog ical improvements in the
subsequent 105 years of business, that’s the
way JosephWixomwants it today, too.
“There are machines that do many things
that men used to do, in some cases even as
recently as 15 or 20 years ago,” he said.
“However, in architectural woodwork, the
craftsmanship that is required to reflect in
the wood what our clients and these
architects desire, it takes tenured skill.
“This isn’t a three-year apprenticeship and a
two-year journeyman training program.
Our most seasoned carpenters on the shop
floor have been with us 30 and, in some
cases, 40-plus years.”
Not surprisingly, the company celebrates its
historywith an equal amount of reverence.
152 | BusinessWorld |
July-August 2014
