CLARKSBURG — Mike Holt showed a grain of good humor Friday morning as Epiphany Moon pulled into the parking lot.
“There she is,” came the greeting.
“Well, good morning, Epiphany. Come over here and take a look at your table.”
Technically, it wasn’t a table.
Not yet.
But those two thick planks of sassafras wood were soon going to be.
Two, actually: A coffee table and a console table.
“Hey,” she said, playing along with the comedy, “I love what I’ve done with it so far.”
Moon commissioned the custom pieces for her house and the project quickly took root in the forest of DIY.
Which is how it works at Holt Lumber Co., the enterprise founded by Holt and his wife Molly in 2018.
From its perch on bustling East Pike Street in Clarksburg, Harrison County, the company is known for its selection of West Virginia-sourced Appalachian hardwoods — and something else with long roots.
It also does custom creations in wood at the direction of its clients.
And, if you don’t mind a little sawdust on your sleeves and in your hair, you can sign on for some work, too.
“You can build the piece with us if you want,” Holt said.
“Everything’s supervised. We don’t let people run the dangerous machinery. They do sanding and planing and are right there for the whole design.”
“You really get to take ownership,” Moon said. “I can’t wait to have people over so I can say, ‘Look at my table.’ And I’m learning a lot.”
Ways of the wood
Growing up on his family’s farm in outlying Marion County, Holt was learning, too.
He was working with Belgian horses when he was 13, which was about the time he was drawn to wood, as he crafted the custom tools needed for such endeavors.
His teachers were his dad, John R. Holt, and his dad’s dad, John F. Holt.
“It was almost like Amish country,” he said. “You built it. If it was broken you fixed it.”
“I was just a farm kid. I liked working with my hands.”
Especially when wood was involved.
At the nearby Marion County Technical Center, he took classes as a high-schooler. His building trades instructor was John Pheasant, who came from a family of old-time musicians.
That’s how Holt got into violin-making, as well.
“Just all the things you could do.”
Holt’s initial work in industrial machine sales brought him back to his first love of woodworking.
Some of his clients were sawmill operators and that was another specialty.
Six years ago, after downturns in the industry, he and his wife decided to venture forth with Holt Lumber Co.
“It hasn’t been easy,” he said, “but I’m liking where we are now.”
There are the selections of wood the company traffics in, he said, including black walnut — “the Mercedes-Benz of wood,” as he calls it.
And the thermally modified offerings from Arbor Wood Co., to go with the unique finishes from Carolina Stair Supply.
Both products are in demand with his high-end clients, he said.
His company does a lot of custom work. Visit Holt Lumber Co. on Facebook or https://holtlumbercompany.com/ for galleries and reviews.
“We’ve built our business on social media,” he said.
“I checked out all their reviews online,” Moon said. “That’s why I’m here.”
Going with the grain
Family and extended family are why Holt is here, he said.
That includes the support of his dad and brother, and Joe Scott, an old buddy from way back.
His apprentice and employee, Andrew Davis, is a new buddy from way back.
“Andrew’s an old soul,” Holt said of the 19-year-old, who drives over daily from Salem for work.
“Whatever you call his generation, Andrew’s not it,” Holt said, smiling.
“He gardens,” his boss said. “ He builds things. And he’s getting really good at this job.”
“Mike is great to me,” Davis said. “He’s family. I want to stay here forever.”
On this morning, forever would have to wait a while.
Epiphany’s coffee table was beckoning.
“Let’s get to work,” Davis said.
“Let’s,” the client and apprentice to the apprentice replied.
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