That philosophy extends to suppliers too. “Our vendors are partners,” she says. “They help us find sustainable materials, and we bounce ideas off each other to make sure we’re choosing the best products for each project.” Architectural Woodcraft’s story is also one of resilience. For decades, their shop stood in Asheville - until nature forced a sudden shift. “Our shop in Asheville was destroyed by Hurricane Helene,” Karla says quietly. “We’ve since relocated to Old Fort.” Yet even with that upheaval, their reach has only grown. “We typically stay within Western North Carolina, but we’ve done work as far as Virginia,” she says. “We’ve had windows go up to the Apostle Islands, which is way out on Lake Superior. We can ship anywhere if it’s the right job, the right client, the right architect.” Surviving the Storm, Rooted in Place Choosing Craft Over Speed In an industry chasing faster production, Architectural Woodcraft stands deliberately apart. “There’s this big push to do everything faster - CNC machines, mass production,” Karla says. “But we’re craftsmen. We want to work with our hands. We
want to give our clients something that’s been consciously crafted.” She knows that means slower growth, and she’s fine with that. 122
S P E C I A L E D I T I O N
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker