In 2009, Mike and Andrea Wall made the move halfway across the country back to their hometown of Henderson. For five years they had been living in Oregon enjoying their time there. Mike was employed at Lemons Millwork where he had quickly attained the position of head sawyer and also managed inventory. Andrea was thriving at Western Mennonite School where she was the Advancement Director focusing on marketing and admissions.
Although Mike enjoyed his job, he also had a desire to do more detailed artistic woodwork and was even toying with the possibility of beginning his own business. While in Henderson during one Christmas holiday, he decided to visit Custom Wood Products to glean some wisdom from owner Milf Doel. Mike also desired to survey the shop and equipment. During their conversation, Milf mentioned the company’s need for another employee and that he was even looking to find someone to take over the company in a few years when he and Shar were ready to retire. While this opportunity caught Mike off-guard, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by it.
Milf and Shar Doell had founded Custom Wood Products in 1984. Over thirty years, they installed hundreds of custom kitchens and became known as one of the top woodworking companies in Nebraska. Their high-quality work made them a first choice for customers.
It took a few months of deliberation between Mike and Andrea to decide if they believed it was the right move to relocate back to Henderson. But after a job for Andrea at Bethesda Mennonite Church became available and housing fell into place, they decided to take the leap.
When starting his job at Custom Wood Products, Mike decided to slowly seize all the learning opportunities that he could, putting him in a position to excel. He knew the high expectations of precise work held by Milf and that excellent products were foundational to the company. Since it was also in the succession plan for Mike to take over the business, he knew this was a great chance to learn from the couple who had made the company what it is today.
After several years of working there, Mike did indeed enjoy his job, and the time came to pursue the next step of actually owning the business. The business transaction required many hours of work to create a business plan and work with companies who would help make the transfer possible. In the end, however, the tedious work paid off as a ceremony was held to mark the official transfer of Custom Wood Products from Milf and Shar Doell to Mike and Andrea Wall.
You will still find Milf and Shar at Custom Wood Products though, as they are not quite done working. While Mike is spending more time in the office, Milf is working in the shop with their other employee Jacob Ott. Shar helps with design consultations of potential and current customers, and Andrea is excited to share more about the company through aiding with marketing.
While Mike and Andrea desire to maintain the same values and craftsmanship at Custom Wood, they are also excited about implementing a few new changes. They recently expanded the company’s showroom and design center and created a website. They will still be specializing in kitchens, but a new machine purchased a few years ago also gives them the opportunity to do other projects such as custom signage.
It has been and will be an exciting year for Mike and Andrea! As they continue to transition into their new company, Andrea will keep serving in her position at Bethesda Mennonite Church. This summer they will also be welcoming their first child. Mike is looking forward to continuing a job he loves, especially the artistic woodworking process and helping customers through quality work. Although it was a huge decision, the couple is grateful to be back in Henderson and desire to help strengthen the business community.
To learn more about Custom Wood Products, visit their website at cwoodproducts.com.
