Today we’d like to introduce you to Tammy Barrow.
Hi Tammy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My daughter, Julie Adler-Birch, started working at Got Old Wood in 2019. She has always loved working with wood. This was a golden opportunity for her. In March 2024, the owner wanted to retire from the business and offered a takeover for Julie. She approached me to help her with this opportunity. I had been retired myself for about 17 years, so was in a position to help. She and I are partners in our company, Rustic Reclaimed Creations LLC. We own Got Old Wood as a subsidiary of Rustic Reclaimed Creations LLC. We took over the business March 1, 2024. Julie is the creative genius of the business and has the personality to attract customers who are looking for beautiful and unique old wood creations. Besides producing elegant Mantels for fireplaces and beautiful Accent Walls, she creates one-of=a-kind pieces of furniture to include sliding barn doors, large dining room tables, picture frames, countertops, and many other things as shown on our website, www.gotoldwood.com. She is definitely the heart of this business. I take care of the administrative part of the business; i.e., bookkeeping, paying bills, running payroll, ordering and purchasing supplies, etc. We both love and appreciate this business. Nothing is more satisfying than to dismantle an old barn, collect and transport the wood to our shop, refurbish it, and process it to use for many other things. Not only does this wood turn into beautiful and very unique creations but also has a history behind each piece. Our customers are really intrigued when we tell them that the Mantel they have just selected to install above their fireplace came from a barn in Heber City that was built back in the 1800’s. We recently had the privilege of providing some of our old antiques (things we find in barns during dismantling) to the Ralph Lauren company from New York for a photo shoot at the Tate Barn in Midway, Utah. Julie also made them a 20-foot table for the same shoot which they happily took back to New York with them. People are absolutely “blown away” when they enter our shop and see all the great old wood displays as well as our vast inventory of old barn wood. We have the most loyal customers who we consider good friends. We work hard to keep this business going and will continue to do so as long as their are customers who appreciate our products and services.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have struggled financially since we depleted the small business loan we acquired at the onset of the takeover. We were under the impression that the business was on an uphill progression of sales from 2019 to 2024. This was not the case. In hindsight, we should have done some more in-depth investigating of the running of the business from the previous owner. However, by cutting expenses almost in half, losing employees, and tightening our belts, we have been able to break even for the past six months. We have advertised like crazy and are now seeing some benefit from this advertising. As a result, a few investors and valued customers have helped keep us afloat. We are confident that business will be increasing soon and have no intentions of giving up on this business that we love so much.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Julie graduated from a trade school majoring in carpentry. Even though she has worked at other jobs, when she was hired on at Got Old Wood, she knew she had found her niche in life. She has the most creative mind and seems to know exactly what the customers are looking for when they describe their ideas for enhancing their homes. Customers love her personality and find her easy to talk to. She makes people feel comfortable. That’s why we have so many repeat customers. I am a retired IT Specialist with a degree in Business Management. That’s why we make the perfect team for this business. We are so proud of the many people that are helping us succeed. Thanks to Lindsay Andreasen and her team, we have been able to advertise in our local Value Pages monthly at a price we can afford. She also introduced us to Rebecca Olds who did a feature article on our business in the SAVVY Business Journal. With the help of Kimberly Mantz, we have advertised in the Mountain Magazine for two seasons. Most of our visibility is a result of this advertising. What sets us apart is that we are the only business locally that dismantles barns in our area, reclaims the wood, and processes it for reuse as Mantels, Accent Walls, Sliding Barn Doors, as well as custom-made furniture and items.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Our investors and repeat customers have been great to support us. Extensive advertising has been getting the word out and bringing in customers. We would welcome a few more investors and anyone with small donations through our Go Fund Me. We are encouraged that the coming building and home decorating season will bring in more customers. We already have some projects in the hopper that will definitely help us through the summer.
Pricing:
- Wood pricing is based on Board Foot cost depending on size and type of wood.
- Services for Milling is based on $75 per hour.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gotoldwood.com
- Instagram: @gotoldwood
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16jMVeSB5w/
- Other: Tik Tok @gotoldwoodco
