Ohio is filled with makers, artisans and craftspeople, meaning creativity, skill and enthusiasm abound in the Buckeye State. Check out some of the great people and businesses with products that are proudly made in Ohio.
EDGEWORK CREATIVE
›› Ohio maker community
“It’s been really interesting to watch the community evolve over the past few years. We are all using similar materials and skillsets, but each shop is creating from their unique point of view and collectively we are keeping the spirit of craft alive and well,” says Meghann Bush. “Here at Edgework Creative, we believe in a world filled with furniture made by passionate people, from quality materials and designed to tell a story.”
›› Inspiration
“Our work is inspired by the desire to return to a time that champions our makers, where handcrafted is found in every home and where we share meaning through the experience of space,” she adds.
Location Columbus Founded 2012 Specialty Furniture
PATHWAY TABLES
›› Ohio maker community
“It’s great being part of the community,” says Noah Lucas. “Everyone that we come in contact with is very passionate about what they do and share the common goal of bringing unique skills and items for everyone to enjoy.”
›› Favorite
“My favorite piece to date would be any of our custom glass river tables,” he adds. “It’s very rewarding creating these pieces where glass and wood flow together seamlessly.”
›› Inspiration
“Everything around us (inspires me),” Lucas says. “When your work requires you to use beautiful materials, you have to try very hard not to be inspired once you see it.”
Location Powell Founded 2014 Specialty Furniture
GERSTNER & SONS
›› Ohio proud
Step into the Gerstner & Sons factory and it truly is like stepping back in time. Their products are crafted generally the same way they were when the company was founded in 1906. “The craftsmanship and beauty of a Gerstner makes each piece a lasting treasure to be shared for generations,” says Paul Burgess. The company takes great pride in their craftsmanship and the community where they are based, as well as in the fact that they are Ohio and USA made.
›› Favorite
The Innovator is a chest like no other Gerstner chest. The iconic center handbook drawer was changed into a flip down door, which increases storage and versatility.
›› Inspiration
The inspiration of their work is to continue their great tradition of crafting the finest wooden chest in the world. H. Gerstner & Sons was founded on the belief that a journeyman’s reputation is built upon the professionalism that he brings to his work.
Location Dayton Founded 1906 Specialty Wood chests
FRANKLIN ART GLASS STUDIOS
›› Ohio proud
“A little known fact is that we are named after Franklin County, Ohio, where we have operated since our founding by my great-grandfather and his partners in 1924,” says Andrea Reid.
›› Ohio maker community
“It is no secret that Ohio, and Columbus in particular, is a community that really celebrates and supports the arts in a way that you don’t often see,” she says. “I think that we are tremendously lucky to be a part of a community where not only do other artists support each other, but the general public strongly supports the arts.”
›› Favorite
“One of the more interesting and unique projects I’ve worked on in Ohio is an elevator. The customers were looking for accent panels that run up the sides and a dome to fit over the top,” Reid says. “They requested a grapevine motif as to coordinate with some of the other accents in their home. This project was great fun because of the challenges it presented.”
Location Columbus Founded 1924 Specialty Glass
M CONCRETE STUDIOS
›› Ohio proud
“We are four brothers born and raised in Ohio,” says Zack Mehaffie. “We started very young, working for my dad’s remodeling company.”
›› Ohio maker community
“In recent years there has been a surge of handmakers all over Ohio,” Mehaffie adds. “There are many talented people in Ohio focused on custom materials and we are very happy to be included in that group.”
›› Favorite
“One of our favorites is a residential fireplace project we did a couple years ago in Centerville, Ohio,” he says. “We have also created several interesting commercial bar tops in Columbus and Cincinnati. Atlas Tavern in Columbus is one of our recent favorites.”
›› Inspiration
“Our product is completely unique from project to project,” Mehaffie says. “Learning and creating unique surface finishes keeps it all fresh for us.”
Location Dayton Founded 2006 Specialty Concrete
IG FURNITURE
››Ohio proud
“It is great to know people that are also makers,” says Ian Grundner. “When I need something done—and done well—that I can’t do, I will reach out to another local craftsman.”
›› Ohio maker community
“The community is great,” he adds. “It is really nice to be a part of a community where people are just as passionate about their work as you are and I love to collaborate with other makers.”
›› Favorite
“I think it has to be this huge oval-shaped bench I made two years ago,” Grunder says. “The bench measures about 7 feet across and we had to match the curve from an existing table.”
›› Inspiration
“The drive to be the best maker possible and produce the highest quality product,” he says.
Location Cincinnati Founded 2013 Specialty Furniture
SENECA TILES
›› Favorite
“Being located in Ohio, we have many projects all over. However, one of the more recent projects was creating a new, large fan-shaped tile for the Toledo Aquarium that was installed on edge, so that with the many green tones it looked like giant fish scales,” says Jim Fry.
›› Inspiration
“Our inspiration for new tiles and colors comes from the ever-evolving design community and watching what trends emerge—from wood textures to geometrical shapes, to gray color palettes, to multicolored blends of different shades,” Fry says.
Location Attica Founded 1978 Specialty Tile
TOM WILL MAKE
›› Ohio proud
Founders Thomas DeVore and Will Hinnefeld studied industrial design at the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program.
›› Ohio maker community
“Seeing other makers and craftspeople in Ohio has validated our decision to strike out on our own,” Hinnefeld says. “It’s a tough road, creating work instead of finding a job. So, it’s comforting to see other people on the same path—sweating and creating and trying to get paid.”
›› Favorite
“Personally, my favorite product we produce is the Unit Chair,” he says. “Most likely it’s because I invested the most time in its design—about four years. We found the right setup to bend 7/8-inch thick solid Ash boards that define the profile of the Unit Chair.”
›› Inspiration
“This will sound a bit circular, but what inspires our work is the work,” Hinnefeld says. “What I mean is that the process of making inspires what we make.”
Location Cincinnati Founded 2015 Specialty Furniture
CUSTOM WOOD CREATIONS
›› Ohio maker community
“It’s exciting to be a part of the artisan community in Dayton, Ohio. In particular, The Front Street Building Co., where our shop is located, is home to many gifted artists and craftsmen,” says Beth Tschirhart Hill. “It is inspiring to see the different creations of wood, metal, paint, jewelry, pottery and other mediums.”
›› Inspiration
“We try to listen closely to our customers’ ideas and design cabinetry that will meet their functional needs and be aesthetically stunning,” she says. “We are also inspired to share this trade with young people who want to learn a rewarding career path.”
Location Dayton Founded 2008 Specialty Woodworking
ROOKWOOD POTTERY
›› Ohio proud
“Rookwood Pottery is proud to be powered by Cincinnatians, making ceramics for our city, state and beyond,” says Mary Guanciale. “Our Ohio heritage was key to the growth and success of the historic brand, and still remains a key element to our work, people and story as we build into its next era.”
›› Ohio maker community
“Ohio’s art community has had a huge impact on Rookwood, both past and present,” says Sarah Ditlinger. “At the time of our founding, Ohio was at the forefront of a booming ceramics industry and was one of the first manufacturing companies founded by a woman. Woman founded, woman owned and women operated, Rookwood leads the conversation in women’s empowerment and continues to embrace the same pioneering spirit by employing artists to create ceramics that challenge the notion that function and fine art can’t be mutually exclusive.”
Location Cincinnati Founded 1880 Specialty Ceramics
TWIN LOCUST FURNITURE
›› Ohio proud
“As the owner, I feel very blessed to be able to live and build furniture in a very popular area that not only thrives on furniture, but a lot of other attractions,” says Ervin Yoder.
›› Favorite
“Over the years of building furniture for the public, we have built a lot of unique items, from commercial and nursing home furniture, to restaurants and a lot of custom pieces,” he adds. “My favorite styles are the new sliding barn door styles and rustic farmhouse trends, which I truly believe will be timeless.”
›› Inspiration
“The response of my customers when they see their newly built furniture is a tremendous inspiration, and getting to meet new friends motivates us every day,” Yoder says. “But it’s not all about business, business, business. You have to be sure to have fun along the way.”
Location Fredericksburg Founded 2002 Specialty Furniture
Article by Mike Gennaria
Article originally appeared in Housetrends Cincinnati – October/November 2019