T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
stay up until 2:30 in the morning working, all the while, Kaci and their kids were just on the other side of the wall. McKeever’s first big, commissioned piece was a wooden desk with the Phone Pros logo for owner Morgan Smith. From there, other businesses started asking him to create custom layered signs. As orders filed in, he and Kaci began to consider whether this could be a viable job. They both felt as though they would know when it was the right time to transition this pastime into something that was more than just a hobby. Shortly after their conversation, McKeever’s high school friend, Cody Lorance, asked if he knew how to make cutting boards. “I told him, ‘no, but I know I can.’ And he responded, ‘Okay, I want 100 of them.’ I went home and told Kaci, ‘I think this is it.’ I can’t say yes to this order, unless I quit. She has always been 100 percent supportive, never questioning anything, and said ‘let’s do it.’” The custom cutting boards were so successful, not only did Lorance continue ordering them for his business, Mortgage Financial Services (MFS), but other MFS locations placed orders for cutting boards to give to their clients as well. Then, businesses from other industries began to reach out. The cutting board side of the business has been so successful that McKeever’s nephew, Cade, now works for him in the afternoons. Kaci will also leave her teaching career at the end of this school year to join the team, helping her husband in his endeavor to expand the business to new areas. As the business took off and East Texas Grain & Knot needed more space, McKeever absorbed half the shop for working, leaving only half for living. This meant the family had only 800 square feet of space. After seven years of shop living and expanding from newlyweds to a family of four, it was time for construction on their new home to begin. With a new confidence and honed skills, McKeever had so many ideas on custom touches and extras he wanted to include, he was spending every day on work orders and every evening on the house. One look inside and you can see just how much passion he has for custom pieces. “All the heart and effort, all the after- hours that I have spent on the house, I really
42
L I F E & S T Y L E
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs