Juniors Nathan and Trevor Schmidt recently opened their independent woodworking company, The Woodschmidts, which offers a range of carpentry services. Crafting products such as small birdhouses and planter boxes to custom cutting boards, the brothers operate out of their garage at home as well as at school.

Nathan first got the idea for the company when he realized that he could turn the woodworking in his free time into a full-fledged business.

“I really loved my woods class freshman year, and always looked forward to it. But during my sophomore year, I started to feel like an hour each day wasn’t enough, and wanted to start doing it in my free time,” Nathan said. “I started thinking that if I was going to be doing this work anyway, it would be awesome if I could turn it into a business, so that I’d have an excuse to do more of it, and so that it would pay for itself.”

Applied Technology teacher Josh Cattero noted how the Schmidts showed interest and curiosity in carpentry, and how much life they brought to the course.

“The Schmidt brothers are a truly unique and positive addition to any class, especially woodworking. Since their first year in Production Technology they have asked question upon question about how tools work, what type of wood you would use for each project, and why certain aspects of woodworking are important to know,” Cattero said. “As they asked questions their passion grew and grew and grew. They love everything about how things are made, making them, and having a positive impact on their surrounding world.”

Nathan and Trevor both personally handcraft each project they complete, and custom fit their work to meet the customer’s specifications. As the Woodschmidts begins to spread through word-of-mouth, the company is beginning to grow.

“I see us getting bigger and taking on more jobs. I’d love to be the official contractor of Fremd and see our company grow,” Nathan said. “I love the fact that other students appreciate what we’re doing, their support definitely means a lot to me.”

Cattero believes the Schmidts’ company will bring more exposure to the program, and that the company is a perfect example of how carpentry is more than just tools and planks of wood.

“The Woodschmidts have definitely made some noise with their business and are helping to make the woodworking program here at Fremd boom,” Cattero said. “The Schmidts understand the importance of woodworking, how exciting it is to build, and how building positive relationships to make our world a better place is just as important as a hammer and a nail.”

The Schmidts still continue to work hard at school and at their shop at home to guarantee their customers get the highest quality results at reasonable prices. Nathan finds that his company has been a great learning experience for him and his brother.

“There’s really nothing like it. I get paid to do what I love. The coolest part is that it’s something I would be doing anyway, except that people pay me to do it,” Nathan said. “I’ve always heard the saying: ‘Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,’ but it’s only now that I’m starting to understand what that really means, and I’m finding it to be true.”