The Story is Important

Here at JS Woodcraft and Design we believe that story makes a difference. There are many many places to buy what most of us our looking for. But more and more we want to know what is different about what we’re buying and the companies we buy from. What do the owners believe? What is the goal? What is at the heart of what they do and why? That is why we want to tell you about ourselves and who we are, as a company and a family.

Who are we? To start, my name is Jacob Summers. Most people just call me Jake. I’ve been working with wood most of my life. Although it hasn’t always been my goal to build furniture for a living, it’s something I’ve been doing since, I guess, I started needing furniture. As a kid I remember watching my dad do just about everything around the house. I remember at one point actually sitting inside the engine bay of his 1976 Ford F-250 watching him work. And I remember thinking that my dad could do anything. And that sort of rubbed off on me. Certainly my dad couldn’t do everything, and I probably can’t do as much as he could, but there’s a can-do attitude I gained from watching him work with his hands. Years later I went to work for him as a carpenter. I learned a lot about quality, design, and craftsmanship from him on the job; as well as the thickness of skin you can only get from working with a demanding father. 

Building furniture is not just about the ability to work with wood however. It’s also about design. It’s an art. For the majority of my life I didn’t consider myself an artist. But the process of building furniture taught me that I had to be an artist to build anything beautiful. And I’ve come to embrace the artistry of building. Luckily I grew up with someone I’ve always considered an artist; my mother. I’ve always been incredibly proud of her and the things she’s done. Kara Krieger-McGhee is in incredible fine artist and I’m lucky to call her my mom. I’ve been all over this country with her which wasn’t always under the best circumstances, but through it all I gained a perspective I’m incredibly grateful to have. I’ve lived in the deserts and mountains of Arizona. I’ve called the great state of Montana home. I’ve grown up among the swaying wheat of Walla Walla Valley, Washington. And now, I’m back where I began. The great Pacific Northwest. More specifically, Southwest Washington which has always been my heart’s home.

But no matter where you’ve been, your perspective can change in an instant. I remember waking up to go to work with my dad one day. We turned on the TV while we ate breakfast together. And we watched with sadness as America came under attack. It was September 11, 2001. I say that, because that event would eventually lead me down a path away from carpentry. I joined the Oregon Air National Guard on January 29, 2002, just four and a half months after that event. I started out like most Airmen in the Guard. One weekend a month, two weeks a year. For about five years I served as a Guardsman while I went to college and continued working on and around houses to pay the bills. Then I got my dream job as a full time technician working on F-15 Fuel Systems for the 142nd Fighter Wing. Eventually I moved on to become the Supervisor of the Hydraulic Shop as well as a First Sergeant. But for everyone in the service the day comes when it’s time to move forward. And for me, after 21 years of service it became that time and I decided to retire from the military. I’m extremely thankful for those jobs. They took care of my family for almost fifteen years. But dreams can change. And children will change your perspective. And so will God.

I didn’t mean for this to turn into a boring resume’ thing. Because resume’s don’t really live up to reality and there’s been a whole lot more going on than just where I’ve worked. Along the way I’ve built most of the wooden furniture in our house, as well as multiple pieces for friends, family, and other customers. All that’s to confirm the idea, “Whatever it is that you can’t stop doing, you should probably do.” I’ve tried to put my tools away at times. But they just kept coming out. And I think there was a reason bigger than just me.

I don’t know if you’re a believer or not. It’s ok either way. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you a little about my faith too. Because it has more to do with this story than anything else. A few years ago I decided that I wanted to matter for God in this world. That I wanted to work for Him. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a Christian, but something changed, I wanted to put my faith into action and minister to others. To enrich, enliven, and inspire the lives of other people. I did a little writing and a little speaking, and I started wanting to do it more and more. But my job didn’t allow the time. How could it? My perspective was changing. I needed something more flexible. My kids needed me more. My wife needed me more. And I couldn’t help but feel God was wanting a little more of my time too.

I often wonder what Jesus’ carpentry was like. I’d love to hold a chair He made or sit under a roof He built. What kind of joinery did He use? Was it perfect like Him, or was it flawed like the materials, tools, and body He had to live with? There’s more to life than what we do to earn a living. Peter and Andrew weren’t just fishermen, Jesus turned them into fishers of men. In the same way, I don’t want to just build with wood and tools of steel. I wan’t to help construct lives full of meaning and purpose. And this is where the heart of this business is. It’s not just for me. It’s not just for the customer either. It’s meant to provide in as many ways possible. Ministry, love, hope, joy, beauty, reclamation, and perhaps a little income too. All this is to say, when you invest in this company, you’re investing more than money in more than just a pocket. You’re investing in people. Why? Because I believe that people matter.

Through this (I hope not too boring) diatribe you’ve learned a little about me. But you’ll probably notice that when I refer to JS Woodcraft & Design, the company, I refer to it as “we.” That’s simply because it’s not just me here. It’s my whole family. My very beautiful wife helps me design what I build and is the real backbone of the operation. Her style and eye for beauty is amazing. That’s why she’s been able to achieve so much as a photographer with her own business Whitney Summers Photography. There’s no way this company would exist without her support, and there’s no way it will be successful without her input. My kids, Cora and Israel, are a huge motivation. Their little mouths need to be fed, and they need to see what hard work looks like from their father. Soon after I left my former “good” job, I was saying bedtime prayers with Cora and it occurred to me that she has no input on her lifestyle. Whether she has enough to eat does not depend on her. It was a sobering moment, realizing she doesn’t depend on my regular job any more. She depends on me. So does her little brother Israel. And again we approach the real heart of this company. Dependence. I know I can’t do this on my own. This business depends on the talents I’ve been blessed with. It depends on a willingness to serve. And it depends on providence from above. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I hope through this little business and family you are somehow blessed. Here at JS Woodcraft & Design we literally count on blessings. And I pray we continue counting our blessings, because we believe that gratitude is key to a joyful life.

Jake